an interesting article about cars and girls

[Ford Capri 2.8i]

Another article of how girls car tastes are being changed quite quicly


Queens of the road

ONCE, THE saucy seaside postcard best illustrated a woman’s relationship with cars. Typically they depicted a crimson-faced driving instructor squirming as his pupil, invariably a buxom young lady, plunges her hand into his lap, only to be told: "Madam! That’s not the gearstick." Women, you see, are generally thought to be clueless about the rudiments of a car’s working parts, and lethal when at liberty behind the wheel. Though the myth of the female driver - selfish, uncoordinated and timid in heavy traffic - has taken decades to die, it’s finally been reduced to roadkill by a new generation of women. You can see them cruising down the streets, often in open-top sports cars. When a Porsche pulls up to the kerb, out steps not the expected gold-chained man with a tan, but a successful, sassy woman.

This new species of female drivers shares a passion for motoring, a need for speed and a nose that twitches with delight at the faintest whiff of petrol. Where once the closest a girl could get to a sports car was by draping herself over the bonnet in a bikini, "Driving Divas" such as Jodie Kidd and Tara Palmer-Tompkinson are more likely to adjust their shades, secure their leather driving gloves and burn rubber, leaving the old archetype by the side of the road.

The evidence for this burgeoning trend was uncovered by a recent survey conducted by contract hire firm Godfrey Davis, who discovered that 18 per cent of women favour sports cars or coupés, compared to just 10 per cent of men, and that slightly more wished the speed limit on their car could be raised. These findings back up last year’s survey from the insurance firm Privilege, which polled 2,000 women only to discover that a growing number were motor-mad. They read motoring magazines, follow motorsports and are as likely to watch Top Gear as Top of the Pops. In order to fund their craving for cars, 32 per cent admitted they’d skip saving for the future, 21 per cent would forgo a plush wedding and 11 per cent would move starting a family into the back seat. These results are amply backed up by sales figures. There has been a boom in female ownership of sports cars, with Mercedes reporting a 63 per cent rise, while the number of female Porsche owners has doubled over the past five years. The epitome of these new Driving Divas is Sonja Moore, 35, artistic director of Klownz hair salon in Edinburgh and the proud owner of the first of the new model silver Mercedes SLKs to have arrived in the capital. Four weeks ago, she collected the keys to the £30,000 car she now uses to scoot about the city, most recently to an appointment to do Colin Firth’s hair ahead of an appearance at the Film Festival. "I’ve always loved attractive cars and I think they look so much better with a girl behind the wheel than a guy," she explains. "In the past, you might have wanted to go out with a guy who had a nice car, but now, really, who needs the guy? Women are more empowered. We work hard and we deserve a nice drive." Since collecting the sports car, she admits she’s actually enjoyed motoring through city traffic, saying with a laugh: "You never drive too fast because then people won’t see the car."

Susan O’Malley, a 39-year-old sales administrator from Livingston, agrees. She adores her £45,000 Lexus SC, which she has had just two months. It scores well for "pure posing value", she admits, but it’s also "just really nice to drive". If anyone should know, it’s O’Malley. In the past, she has owned a Porsche Boxster, a BMW Z3 and a Mercedes SLK convertible. "Sports cars were always described as a man’s car and I think that is changing. You’re now more likely to see a woman driving one," she insists.

One of the women you might see whizzing past is 43-year-old Janet Collins from Barnton, who drives a sports model Saab 9-5. "I have a few girlfriends who love cars and their husbands aren’t interested," says Collins. "I think it’s strange, but that’s proof that today women are much more interested in cars than they ever were in the past."

The car manufacturers have not been slow in noticing this trend. Elaine Bell is one of the new generation of female sales advisors brought in to cater to women customers put off by the traditional car salesmen. "There is no doubt sports cars are more popular as I now deal with an enormous number of women," says Bell, who works for Dunedin BMW. But she does admit that the sexes have different priorities when shopping for a flash car: traditionally men crave speed, while women savour style. "What they don’t want, however, is to be patronised," she says. "They are capable women who often have an enormous amount of disposable income and who know what they want."

ALISON YOUNG, for instance, bought her Porsche 911 Carrera convertible at the Porsche Centre Edinburgh as a £65,000, 40th birthday present for herself. Young, who works in finance, explains she worked hard for the money and says she had always wanted a Porsche. As if to emphasise that the keys to the sports cars have passed from men to women, she made a point of showing it off to all her male friends. "My husband was sick as a parrot," she laughs. However, when she took it to the south of France, it was left to her husband to do all the motorway driving. "I did the fun stretch from St Tropez to Monte Carlo," she admits.

Vicki Butler-Henderson, one of the presenters of Fifth Gear, Five’s motoring show, first noticed this phenomenon when she arrived at a wedding and saw her pals pull up - like a bevy of Bond girls - in a fleet of sports cars.

"There was a Saab convertible, a Mercedes SLK, an Audi TT and others. You wouldn’t have seen that a few years ago," she says. "There is no doubt that car manufacturers are becoming more savvy at designing and marketing cars with women in mind." The campaign’s obviously working. Gillian Taylor, 33, head of corporate communications at Channel 4 in Scotland, bought a Mazda MX5 convertible last year. A woman who confesses to love the open road, she is also the proud owner of a Honda Hornet motorbike. She cites a variety of reasons why women are running around in sports cars. "There are far more independent, successful women these days who are no longer satisfied to just have a ‘runaround’ car.

"Women are also single for much longer, so they are just as likely to buy a sports car as a family car for the school runs. Cars are now a reflection of the drivers, just as much as the clothes they wear or the bars they drink in.

"I love my wee sports car, mainly because of the freedom of getting the roof back, which means the drive is often just as enjoyable as the destination."

Once they get behind the wheel, how do these Driving Divas perform? Well, when Jay Kay, the Jamiroquai frontman and a keen car collector, and Rory Bremner, the comic and seasoned driver, raced against supermodel Jodie Kidd on BBC’s Top Gear, they were soundly beaten and forced to choke down her fumes as she delivered one of the fastest times of the last series. "It’s not just about taking part," she told presenter Jeremy Clarkson, "I’m in it to win it." Since then, Kidd has announced plans to compete in the 2005 Vodaphone Maserati Trofeo championship. To get ready, she’s been training with Ivan Capelli, the former Formula One driver.

So what are men to make of these new Boudiccas of the road? The wisest among them are encouraged to embrace this new passion and settle comfortably into the passenger’s seat. For, as every man knows, it’s always better to be driven than to drive.

[BADMIHAI]

The validity of the arguements can be "proven" by taking a look at car forums like JabbasWorld and RacingFlix. How many women members do we have? :roll:

OH....and why are you reading dykes' magazines anyway?

[vexor]

Now that I think about it, almost half the drivers I see here in Vancouver are female drivers and some of them do drive some convertible Mercs and Porsches.

[gottacatchup]

Originally Posted by vexor Now that I think about it, almost half the drivers I see here in Vancouver are female drivers and some of them do drive some convertible Mercs and Porsches.

That their rich husbands bought them so they wont leave them after finding out about their affair

[sentra_dude]

As much as I'd love to believe that story, its almost complete bullshit. The writer spent the entire article distorting facts and taking things out of context, as well as saying plain lies to further the opinion of the author...which I presume is a woman. For one, surveys are complete bullshit; two, wow, Mercedes is really the premiere company for sports-cars...most models are automatic only, they are heavy, they don't corner that well, yeah definitely a sports-car manufacturer; three, what kind of gut-less men are these women married to that have husbands who don't care at all about their new car?


Makes it even worse that its from a dyke mag...if that's true...although I'm curious as to how you know that's from a dyke mag BAD...beyond the obvious cant towards woman and belittlement of men in the article.

As if to emphasize that the keys to the sports cars have passed from men to women

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...:roll:

Also, since when has a fucking Saab convertible, a Mercedes SLK, an Audi TT, & a Lexus SC?!, been sports-cars. I'm guessing each is equipped with the base engine and an automatic transmission to make it a 'complete' sports-car...:roll:

This writer is delusional IMO...every single girl I know, with the exception of a maybe one or two, either hate, or are neutral about cars. They certainly do not enjoy a good drive, and I always dread riding with a woman...because they don't pay attention to the fucking road, its all about the conversation they are having, or doing their make-up, driving is always about the 2nd or 3rd most important thing on their mind.

As BAD said...how many chics have you spotted roaming the huge sloth of car-forums online...there's what, one female member of Jabbasworld who actually posts...unless half of you guys are posing as men when you are really women...

The only reason women are buying sports-cars…because they like to pose in them and they need something to spend husbands money on.

To cap it off:

So what are men to make of these new Boudiccas of the road? The wisest among them are encouraged to embrace this new passion and settle comfortably into the passenger’s seat. For, as every man knows, it’s always better to be driven than to drive.

Are you fucking kidding me...

[BADMIHAI]

it’s always better to be driven than to drive.

Then why doesn't she shut the fuck up with her feminist bullshit?

Makes it even worse that its from a dyke mag...if that's true...although I'm curious as to how you know that's from a dyke mag BAD...beyond the obvious cant towards woman and belittlement of men in the article.

You've answered your own question there.

[RC45]

That is some funny shit...

I am guessing the other 76% of that magazines readership drive SUV's...

[sentra_dude]

Originally Posted by BADMIHAI it’s always better to be driven than to drive. Then why doesn't she shut the fuck up with her feminist bullshit? Makes it even worse that its from a dyke mag...if that's true...although I'm curious as to how you know that's from a dyke mag BAD...beyond the obvious cant towards woman and belittlement of men in the article. You've answered your own question there.

hmm, yea I guess so...I was just wondering if you remembered seeing that article in some nazi-feminist mag, oh sorry I mean women's interest mag...

[BADMIHAI]

in some nazi-feminist mag, oh sorry I mean women's interest mag...

No, man. I actually have a pair of balls.