CarSpace, a social networking site for car enthusiasts and car buyers, has been launched by Edmunds.com, which intends to benefit not only from incremental ad revenue in the short term but also from the potential to reach influencers and in-market buyers via word of mouth in the long term, reports ClickZ. The first advertiser on the beta site was Honda.

"Ultimately there's a lot of opportunity in social networking to get into more unique marketing opportunities. Some of that is letting marketers connect with users who have similar interests and speaking with them in the kind of environment they like interacting with," said Matthew Kumin, director of media for Edmunds.com.

CarSpace offers searchable member profiles, email accounts, and photo uploading as well as discussion groups focused around vehicles. Content includes some blogs hosted on Edmunds.com and related site Inside Line. One blog is "The Driving Woman," intended for female car enthusiasts.