Jezebel: Cars

Science Reveals Ladies Can Park Just Fine, Thank You

Anna North — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:35:00 EST

And the battle of the sexes rages on: a previous study had shown that men were better at parking than women, but new research indicates ladies may actually out-park dudes. When will this all-important issue be resolved? More »

Lara Stone Drives a Mercedes Into a Tornado, and We Have Questions

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:05:00 EST

This new Mercedes Web ad starring Lara Stone and directed by Alex Prager raises a number of questions. Why are all Stone's facial expressions in the vein of "Ouch! I have, or am afraid of getting, something in my eye"? Why does it make being picked up by a tornado look like a gentle ride in a hot-air balloon? Why didn't a stylist clean the dirt kebab off her stiletto heel before she was lifted skyward? Why are the pieces of flying debris not puncturing her body at high velocity? And if the tornado is strong enough to lift her up, why can't it even budge the car? Who travels with a hatbox nowadays? Where is Lara going, and however will she get back to the automobile of which she seems so fond? [YouTube] More »

When Buying a Car, Ladies Are Tougher Customers

Anna North — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:50:00 EST

You know how ladies don't know anything about cars and need a man to help them through even the simplest purchase? Surprise: this is bullshit. More »

NASCAR Driver Apologizes To All the Bitches Who Don't Think Breastfeeding is 'Nasty'

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne has apologized for a Tweet wherein he called the sight of a woman breastfeeding her child "nasty," and a follow up Tweet wherein he called a woman who criticized his calling the woman nasty a "bitch." Someone who makes obscene amounts of money as a professional athlete/amusement has a sub-enlightened attitude about something? Hold me; we'll get through this together. More »

Should Smoking In Your Car Be Banned?

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:54:00 EST

In the past decade or so life for smokers has changed drastically. In many areas they're forced to stand 10 feet from buildings and prohibited from lighting up in parks and beaches. This restored the non-smokers' right to not stand in a cloud of carcinogens, but now some European doctors have come up with a new restriction. They believe that while you're alone in your car singing along with the radio, you shouldn't be allowed to have a cigarette in your hand. More »

Everyone Is Having Sex In Cars These Days

Anna North — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:15:00 EST

A survey claims over half of adults have had sex in public, which is a lot less hot when you find out that most of them did it in parked cars. More »

Cops Pull Over 9-Year-Old Driver Even Though She Was 'Driving Good'

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:25:00 EDT

A Michigan man simply wanted to teach his child how to drive, but insensitive cops broke up the touching daddy-daughter moment just because the girl is nine and her dad was drunk at the time. The father had taken proper safety instructions, strapping the girl into a child's booster seat so she could see over the wheel, and she reportedly asked the officer who pulled them over, "What did you stop me for? I was driving good." More »

Girl Gets The Car She Was Born In For Her 16th Birthday

Cassie Murdoch — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:15:00 EDT

Johanna Kearns just got a very special gift for her 16th birthday: the red 1989 Toyota Corolla that she was born in. Yes, her parents waited a bit too long to leave for the hospital, and her mother Nancy ended up delivering baby Johanna while crouched in the backseat of the car. This Ohio family seems to have a good sense of humor about the whole thing, and they've even given the car a few nicknames, including the "Birthmobile" and "The Placenta." All these years later, the car has 188,000 miles on it but is still going strong. Of the gift, Johanna says, "I like this car. It's like my baby, even though I'm more like its baby." It may be a little weird to drive around in the car you were born in, but it's definitely better than driving around in the car you were conceived in! More »

4-Year-Old Girl Drives Car In China, Authorities Can't Stop Her

Whitney Jefferson — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EDT

Here's a bit of troubling footage out of Jinan, China that shows a young girl driving an SUV while her parents encourage her. Mom is filming this video in the back seat, and Dad is in the front giving advice that apparently translates as, "Concentrate! Be careful when passing other vehicles." More »

Watch A Woman Behind The Wheel, Defying The Saudi Arabian Ban On Driving

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:30:00 EDT

Yesterday we mentioned the arrest of Manal al-Sherif, who is part of the social media campaign encouraging Saudi Arabian women to defy the law by driving cars themselves. There's a huge protest planned for June 17th, and on that day, Manal al-Sherif wants women to get in their cars and drive. Some Facebook groups support her efforts, while others — like this one — oppose the protest, and suggest that women who participate should be whipped. Manal al-Sherif has already been released from jail. We'll have to wait until mid-June to see how many other brave women will join her on the road. More »

Saudi Activist Detained For Telling Women to Drive

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:11:00 EDT

The Saudi Arabian woman behind a social media campaign that encourages women to defy the laws of the strict Islamic country by driving cars has been detained by authorities for her actions. More »

Marc Jacobs Dresses Up Like A Lady

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

The cover of this magazine has been out for a while, but only the full spread reveals just how well Marc works a handbag. [Fashionologie]
Trendy label Eleven Paris booked Zoe Kravitz and model Ash Stymest for its lookbook. [TLF]

Lindsay Lohan Damages New Range Rover

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:15:00 EST

Lindsay's having a hard time getting used to the $140,000 Onyx Range Rover gifted to her last week. On Sunday, she miscalculated the size of the SUV and closed her garage door on the trunk, causing some damage. More »

Making It Manly, Or How To Sell A Car

Lisa Wade, Ph.D. — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:38:00 EST

Patriarchies are defined by sexism: the valuing of men over women. In our American patriarchy, however, this is matched—and perhaps superseded—by something called androcentrism: the valuing of all-things-masculine over all-things-feminine. Enter the Mercedes SLK. More »

Wouldn't You Like To Know What's Inside Ralph Lauren's Garage?

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:15:00 EST

Oh, gosh, of course! So: the Ferraris are mainly red, the Jaguars are dark green, and the Porsches are black. This is what a lifetime of selling ties got Ralph Lifshitz. More »

What Does An "Intellectual Sex Kitten" Look For In A Car?

Sadie Stein — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:29:00 EST

Well, that depends on whether you're the aforementioned sexy lady, "the feline blond," "the yuppie hippie" or "the sporty mother." More »

Crappy Drawing the Standard for "Choose Life" License Plates

Lauri Apple — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:55:00 EST

New Jersey's the latest state to adopt "Choose Life" license plates, after years of litigation. A group called the Children First Foundation sponsored the plates, as they've done elsewhere. Really—those scribble-face kids are the best choose-lifers can do? More »

Ladies Buy Exorbitantly Priced Vehicle

Jessica Coen — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 09:26:00 EST

More women are buying Rolls-Royces, particularly the $300,000 Ghost. "Women love their Ghosts...But Rolls-Royce is a male brand. And women like that. It's a nice masculine car. It's a statement. It's all about powerplay." More »

Stubborn Men Pay The Price In Mileage

Sadie Stein — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:33:00 EDT

In another episode of "Everything in The Lockhorns was true," it seems men really won't ask for directions — and devote a lot of their lives to driving around lost! (Cue laugh track.) More »

Now Available: Hello Kitty Car!

Dodai Stewart — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:40:00 EDT

Not just any car — a SmartCar! As the gals at Nylon put it, "the engine purrs." Additional images after the jump. More »

Ashley Judd's Husband Drives Her Crazy

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:32:00 EDT

[Ashley Judd plants a kiss on husband Dario Franchitti after he wins the championship at the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series Cafes do Brasil Indy 300. Homestead, Florida; October 2. Image via INFDaily.]

Chevrolet Longs For The Days When Women Knew Their Places

Irin Carmon — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:16:00 EDT

Holding a man's cup and not driving, that is. Apparently automobile nostalgia is for men alone. More »

Christina Aguilera Coordinates Her Lipstick And Her Ferrari

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:52:00 EDT

[Beverly Hills, September 8. Image via INFDaily.]

The Situation Has Purchased A Bentley

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:22:00 EDT

His 2008 coupe has "custom rims" and a "sweet sound system." Time for a good cry. More »

Carlashes: Eye Lashes For Your Car

Hortense Smith — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EDT

I'm not really down with the whole "they make my car look cute and girlie!" sales angle of Carlashes, but put them on a kindergarten school bus or daycare van and it's A++, would do business again. [Carlashes] More »

Woman Ticketed For Using Sex Toy While Driving

Margaret Hartmann — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:46:05 EDT

An Ohio police officer stopped a car for having tinted windows, and found the driver with her pants unzipped and a sex toy in her lap. Her explanation: She was watching porn on a laptop held by her passenger. More »

The Obamas' Off-Limits Topic

Katy Kelleher — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:14:00 EDT

In a recent interview with Ladies Home Journal, Michelle Obama says she would "never talk about weight with my girls." She adds, "I try not to even talk about my weight. Because you're right, it is a sensitive issue."

Beauty Conscious Car Moisturizes Your Skin While You Drive

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:42:00 EDT

Nissan announced its new models will feature breathable Vitamin C moisturizer pumped through the A/C. Plus! Speedometers will give birthday reminders. It's part of Nissan's effort to enhance its cars' "emotional aspect." You know, for chicks. More »

Cheeseburger Found In Woman's Gas Tank

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:18:00 EDT

When her car suddenly stopped running, a South Carolina woman went to a mechanic, who found a cheeseburger and pickle in the gas tank. Police are stumped, but we have a theory: SNL's Olympia Restaurant has installed a gas pump. More »

Girl Go-Karter Chases Her NASCAR Dreams

Anna North — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:25:00 EDT

In the new film Racing Dreams, eleven-year-old go-kart racer and NASCAR hopeful Annabeth Barnes shows what it's like to be a girl in fast-paced sport still dominated by boys. More »

World's Dumbest Car Dealership Lures In The Ladies

Jessica Coen — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:20:00 EDT

This Pennsylvania dealership knows how daunting it can be to be a little lady around all those big bad machines: "Buying a car can be scary—especially if you're a woman!" And indeed, this commercial is terrifying. More »

The GPS Lady Could Destroy Your Relationship

Anna North — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EDT

More than one dude has fallen in love with the female voice on his GPS unit. She's so trustworthy, so calm and reliable! But these matters of the heart could screw up men's relationships with real women. More »

Masturbating While Driving Is Disturbingly Popular

Anna North — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EDT

Many of us have been guilty of texting, talking, eating, or even personal grooming at the wheel. But for young dudes, there's another shockingly prevalent source of driving distraction: masturbation. More »

Video: Another Dog Shows Car Who's Boss

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:20:00 EDT

Dogs eating cars: so hot this season. Let this be a lesson: Don't honk at a canines unless you'd like to lose a piece of your vehicle. [Buzzfeed, Earlier] More »

The Car Women Are Most Likely To Buy

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:20:00 EDT

A TrueCar.com study of recent U.S. vehicle registrations found only nine cars — all small cars and crossovers — are more likely to be bought by women than men. Volkswagen's Beetle topped the list with 56% female registrants. [LAT] More »

Should We Test Drugs On Pregnant Women? • Women Spend Billions On Bras

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:20:00 EDT

• Currently, U.S. researchers are unable to include an important segment of the population in their clinical trials: pregnant women. "The importance of studying subpopulations that have previously been excluded from research is undeniable," read a recent article. More »

"Macho Men" Are Dangerous Drivers

Anna North — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:00:00 EDT

A new study has found that "macho men" are more dangerous drivers than less masculine dudes — and yes, there is now a scientific test for machismo. More »

Women Love Their New Cars Longer Than Men Do

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:30:59 EDT

Naturally, men were the ones who helped ladies lose that lovin' feeling: "The honeymoon was over for women when they started letting their spouse drive their car." [USA Today] More »

Missing Ohio Mom: "I Didn't Want To Do Anything Illegal" • Black Teens Are More Optimistic, Study Says

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:30:00 EDT

• "Runaway mom" Tiffany Tehan sat down for an interview on Inside Edition - her first since she disappeared earlier this month. She recognizes that she acting selfishly when she decided to slip away from her family. She recalls thinking: More »

New Technology Forces You To Keep Your Eyes On The Road

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:40:00 EDT

Last week German engineers released video of a system that tracks a driver's eye movements to steer a car hands-free. There's just one problem: What happens when you look at a billboard or a screaming kid in the backseat? [InventorSpot] More »