We knew New York City has lots of taxicabs.
We should have realized that meant the yellow cabs would guzzle lots of gasoline.
But this?
Seems the gas stations of Manhattan serve only one class of customer: certain-to-be-crabby cabbies!

Photo by Graydon Feinstein

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Dateline: 3 Years From Now

VroomGirls, the world’s largest and most prestigious multi-platformed news service, has just filed this report from the New York Auto Show and Hair Replacement Clinic listing some of the most talked-about automobile innovations of this century. In every case, the manufacturers cited the 2013 Honda Odyssey vacuum cleaner as The Motherf#&ker of Invention.

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

The eight-passenger Schadenfreude Touring Edition is now equipped with a fold-down ironing board behind its third row of seats. This is perfect for “gals on the go who wear a lot of linen” as well as busy moms who married guys with mothers who treated them like Princes and thus these husbands refuse to do the ironing or wear perma-press. And you can’t divorce him because then you’ll have to worry about dating on top of everything else.

Cook While You Drive? Sign Me Up!

You wouldn’t think the small-as-an-evening-bag WHOOPSY! Sedan could fit four very small, possibly legless Frenchmen, let alone a microwave oven, but it does. And that microwave is 1.7 cubit feet with a 220 CFM vent system, a 2 speed fan packing 1,000 watts: perfect for the woman who wants to make dinner for her family on her way home from carpooling… even though she has a full-time job too plus she’s the only one who’ll walk the dog. For now, the specs on the microwave demand that the WHOOPSY! be at a full stop and wired to a utility pole when in use, but that’s a kink the manufacturer assures us will be taken care of ASAP. After all, no family wants Mom coming home with a dinner that’s gotten cold. Yuck!

Fresh As A Summer Rain Shower

Who says sports cars are just for guys? Ladies, wait till you get a load of the sporty, sleek lines of the Pantsuit Parasol, the hottest two-seater ever built for speed and laundry. Yes, every single Pantsuit, from the entry-level Patronizing all the way up to the $750,000 Panderer boasts side-by-side washer-dryers in the trunk. The manufacturer has left no detail out of this incredible package, allowing women to go from zero to 60 in 2.4 seconds while doing a load of whites. Forget about “new car smell. Now your wheels will always smell like fabric softener!

Dual-Purpose Dishwashing/Driving Gloves

I know, I know, the sturdy but unglamorous Shmata is no one’s idea of a fun ride but all that’s going to change once you clap your eyes on the Shmata’s Sink-on-the-Go Sedan! You know those dirty dishes piled up all over your kitchen? And you know how none of them are yours? Doesn’t matter! Every new Shmata comes with a foldable schlepper, a plastic box you can load all those dirty dishes in, lug out to your car, hook onto your backseat, attach the retractable hose to and scrub yourself silly at red lights, traffic jams or while waiting for your kid to finish piano lessons. That’s right, say goodbye to those 10 minutes you used to waste in Starbucks or catching a power nap. Shmata dish-drainer sold separately.

Cattin’ Around

The energy-efficient Smug has come up with a handy dandy way to offer women the chance to do housework while driving without wasting precious battery power. Starting in 2016, every Smug comes with a pull-down Litter Box Scoop in lieu of sun visors. Besides, who needs those little vanity mirrors when you can have the ease of sifting through cat scat while driving to work? The thoughtful folks at Smug have even made a concession for you pregnant drivers: standard in every vehicle are two pairs of rubber gloves and ten disposable sterile masks in case you’re worried about infecting your unborn child with toxoplasmosis parasites. See? Protecting your baby while keeping your cat clean has never been easier!

Like We Don’t Have Enough To Do Already!

We hate to slam a car as venerable as the Lezzie but none of their 2016 models, from their sporty two-passenger Lipstick to their rugged, all-wheel drive Doc Martin, offer women drivers the chance to do any household chores while behind the wheel. Sure, they’ve got every safety bell-and-whistle as well as cutting-edge steering and braking technology to enhance the driving experience but would an in-dash crock pot have killed them? A sewing kit? Silver polish? Honestly, it’s like they didn’t even try to give women what they want: housework even when they’re out of the house.

The post News Before It’s Made: The 2016 Auto Show appeared first on VroomGirls.

Cup Holders Are For Wimps

I will do anything to avoid work. Once I couldn’t make my deadline because I just had to wash the inside of my fireplace. I have been known to separate belts by color and width even though I haven’t worn a belt in 15 years and have no plans to wear one in the future.

Today’s diversion was to read, in depth, the Business Section of the Los Angeles Times. The next time you’re feeling sleep-deprived, bone up on Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed mortgage news. You’ll awake an hour later, refreshed and rarin’ to go as I just did.

But then this story caught my eye: Honda’s Odyssey Touring Elite fully-loaded package includes HondaVac, thus allowing you to vacuum your entire mini-van in a flash. Is this good news or bad news? I can’t decide.

Believe me, if I had a vacuum built into my car, I’d use it. If I had a built-in blender, hairdryer or carving knife, I’d use those too. We live in our cars. I’m sure purists were appalled at cup holders when they debuted: “What kind of candy-pants is too good to hold her burning hot coffee between her thighs like every other woman in the world? Burns heal. Crotches damp with spilled coffee give a gal character, for Pete’s sake.”

Now I Gotta Do Housework In The Car, Too?

I’m all for innovation. Ford’s kick-activated tailgate blows me away. Cars that unlock without fishing through your purse for the key changed my life. That nice lady who lives in my dashboard and tells me when to turn left and then when I’ve turned right by mistake doesn’t yell at me like some husbands I know but calmly recalibrates her directions.

And car interiors get filthy: dogs, kids, beach towels, bikes, drive-thru French fries, science projects, Kashi Go-Lean cereal you eat to keep yourself from fainting on the way home from the grocery store even though it’s so crunchy you could break a tooth – all things a handy vacuum could banish from memory.

But come on, do I really want to do housework in my car? Not that I want to do it at home (if you think NATURE abhors a vacuum…) but I get in the car to get away.

If We Give Into The Car Vacuum, What’s Next?

Is this weird? I don’t listen to the radio at home, even if I’m home when “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me” is on. I don’t listen to music at home and yet I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in my garage risking carbon monoxide poisoning just so I can finish singing along with Kelly Clarkson or Bruce Springsteen or anyone singing anything from “Wicked.”

Because when I’m at home, there are a bazillion other things I could/should be doing or at least there are a bazillion things someone in my family thinks I could/should be doing. But my car is my haven. Even if I’d doing a truly odious errand (ever have a pet with an anal gland issue?)

The post Don’t Do Me Any Favors appeared first on VroomGirls.

Not Now, I’m Eating Ice Cream

I was 16 years old and driving my first car (a snazzy manual transmission Toyota SR5 Corolla with flared, bolt-on fenders) through a winter rain storm. Not put off by the chilly temps, I stopped to get an ice cream at a local market – the kind in a little cup with a wooden spoon. While maneuvering the car’s stick shift, clutch, and steering through a twisty Southern California canyon, I scooped spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream and tried to avoid puddles of standing water. Insane, right? But in the mind of a teenager, what’s the big deal, what could possibly go wrong? Defensive driving? What’s that?

I drove through a winding part of the canyon with particularly sharp curves and wet pavement. Thinking I was going too fast, I hit the brakes while in the middle of a turn. At once, the car’s back end came around and I was in a spin. Music blaring, ice cream in hand, my little Toyota and I hit two parked cars before smashing head-on into a brick wall – on the opposite side of the street! It was pure luck that no one was injured.

Now, with decades of driving experience, it’s hard to believe I was once so cavalier about driving on rain-slicked roads. But the teenage mind is ripe with bravado and jammed with distractions. Even more so today with cell phones and texting. What’s a parent to do? The answer is simple; take your teen to a defensive driving class where, among other smart tips, your kid will learn not to slam on the brakes mid-way through corners, especially when roads are wet.

Toyota Driving Expectations

One of the most comprehensive teen driving classes is the Toyota Driving Expectations program, which has has offered its hands-on course throughout the country for the past 10 years. What’s more, it’s free, whether or not you own a Toyota! The two-and-a-half-hour class takes teens through a series of distractions behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla, and then sees how well the kids handle the stress. Instructors point out all the right things the student drivers should have done, and then they do the exercise again, the right way. Teens instantly see their mistakes and see the importance of being focused. The new drivers also learn accident avoidance maneuvers, braking exercises, and how to properly and safely navigate corners.

Parents must accompany their kids to the program, since Toyota takes the parents into a separate area to teach them how to reiterate and reinforce at home what the teens learn in the day’s defensive driving class. “The best safety device in the car isn’t the anti-lock brakes or stability control, it’s the educated and focused driver,” says Karen Polan, who heads the Toyota Driving Expectations program. “Because kids can forget, we need the parents there to remind their kids what they learned and to keep up the concentration while behind the wheel. The program works when parents are involved. We’ve learned that over these 10 years of holding these classes.”

Do You Know How to Check Tire Pressure?

In addition to the behind-the-wheel segment of the class, Toyota’s instructors teach parents and teens the whys and hows of checking oil, brake and steering fluids, tire pressure and tire tread. They even learn how to change a spare tire…because unlike some makes, Toyotas still come with a dedicated spare tire (an excellent feature!)

Classes are held in cities around the country and on weekends. Toyota’s Polan says about 600 parents and teens attend each program over a weekend – but students are taught in small groups for more individualized instruction. This coming weekend, May 18 and 19, the Toyota program will visit the Denver, Co. area. On June 8 and 9, instructors will be in San Antonio, Tx. For a complete schedule of classes and to sign up, visit ToyotaDrivingExpectations.com.

If you can’t make it to one of the Toyota Driving Expectations hands-on program, check the Toyota website for an online program, and to see if instructors may be visiting your child’s high school to give tips.

The post Crash Course in Defensive Driving appeared first on VroomGirls.

by Kimberly Phipps

Hidden deep in Germany’s Eifel Forest is one of the legends of the racetrack world. 13 miles long. 985 feet of altitude change. 170 corners. This is the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It is sometimes called the Green Hell–a name that comes from being both notoriously dangerous to drive, and surrounded by green forest.

It could have been called the Green Hell for another reason–with all those gas-guzzling speed demons zooming around, you could call it a tree-huggers worst nightmare. No amount of carbon offsets can compete with a formula one race car. They’re built for maximum speed, not maximum eco-friendliness.

History was made on Saturday, April 27th as the first ever lap of the famous track was taken that boasted zero carbon dioxide emissions. That’s zero, as in none. This amazing feat was accomplished by the engineers of the prototype Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, which is powered by hydrogen, and emits only water. The car’s engine can use gas as well, but didn’t use it for this particular jaunt around the track. It was a perfect test run and shake-down session for the car’s next challenge–a formal record-breaking attempt at the grueling 24 Hours of Nürburgring (N24) race next month, in which the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S will line-up alongside a world-class field of 200 other racing cars.

In a James Bond movie of the future, will we see a new eco-friendly 007 lowering himself one-handed from a moving helicopter into a speedboat wearing hippie Birkenstock sandals and an organic hemp sweater? Let’s hope not–there’s still something to be said for that sharp-looking tuxedo. But could he race through the winding European cobblestone streets in gorgeous Aston Martin that emits no damaging CO2 into the atmosphere? It’s quite possible!

The post Green Hell Goes Green: Pedal to Metal to Save the Planet appeared first on VroomGirls.

Trained To Be Posh

Everyone knows that trains don’t run on time in Italy. And to at least one Italian man, they’re not luxe enough, or even fast enough. Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, maker of some of the world’s fastest cars, has gotten into the game of bullet trains. His new company .italo, is a premium private high-speed train that runs daily from the north of Italy to the south.

.italo’s service (book through raileurope.com) begins in the north from two locations, Turin and Venice, and terminates in Salerno, with stops along the way in Milan, Padova, Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Naples. It shoots along at speeds up to 186 mph, and doles out goodies like free Wi-Fi (though they are still getting the kinks out of a system that doesn’t communicate well with the iPhone), a quiet car (where cell phone and person-to-person conversations are prohibited), leather seating, and TV in some cabins.

A Seat For Every Budget

There are three classes of service: Smart (economy), prima (better), and club (which is a lot like the world’s best business-class airline compartments.) All classes are treated to wider seatbacks, wider armrests, and more elbow room than those found in Italy’s public rail system. All cars also have brighter interiors, thanks to 20 percent more glass surfaces in the trains, as well as electric sockets at each seat, more legroom, and individual reading lights.

The uber-luxe Club car has seating just for 19 people, including two private rooms, each with four seats and doors that close. Two dedicated attendants service these 19 fortunate passengers with complementary snacks and premium cocktails. Meals are extra. Prices range from $33/one way for a Smart-class ticket from Bologna to Rome, and $106 for the same ticket in the swankier Prima class. Club Car seating is sold through Raileurope.com.

Building A Better Train

Ferrari’s di Montezemolo says he dreamed up .italo to be the Ferrari of trains, and even the cars are painted a racy rich Burgundy red. He claims the cars are built to ride better than what’s out there: better at resisting side winds, with less vibration and noise at high speeds, better sound insulation, and even better at absorbing a crash, should that happen. It all sounds molto bene, but can di Montezemolo promise that HIS trains will run on time? Maybe not, but at least you’ll be comfy.

Visit RailEurope.com for train reservations, current pricing and more information.

The post A Bullet Train Through Italy, Fast As A Ferrari appeared first on VroomGirls.

by Kimberly Phipps

There are parties, and then there are Parties. In a once-in-a-generation event, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicated her position as head of the Dutch royal family to her son, Willem-Alexander. The event has quite an exclusive guest list–modern monarchs from near and far came to see country’s first new king in 123 years. So what does a queen do when her guest list includes Arab sheikhs, Prince Charles, and almost 50 other royals? She enlists the service of a fleet of shiny new Volvos to transport her guests in style. The sharp-looking Volvo S80′s were photographed together at the Royal Stables in The Hague. As much as we would have loved to see a fleet of Volvos painted in our signature Vroomgirls orange brought in for the Dutch, we must admit that this fleet looks very stately and royal just as they are.

Of course, royalty weren’t the only people invited to celebrate. The Dutch turned out in throngs to celebrate their new king. Much like us Vroomgirls, the Dutch are lovers of orange–it’s their national color, and a big part of their identity. Remember all the crazy orange revelry when the Netherlands won the World Cup a few years back? Their monarchy is known of the House of Orange. Orange cakes, macarons, and chocolate orange high heels were displayed in shop windows. Onlookers sported orange clothes, orange feather boas, inflatable orange crowns, and any other piece of orange adornment they could find. The palace was surrounded by a sea of citrus-hued onlookers.

Maybe they’re all just huge Vroomgirls fans?

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The “Stick”ing Point

These days you’re more likely to find dealership lots full of cars that warn you when someone’s in your blind spot or cars that parallel-park themselves rather than cars equipped with a good old-fashioned manual transmission. I know, I know, for most people this is a relief. But there are still those of us – car enthusiasts, classic car owners and those old enough to be nostalgic – to see the death of the third pedal as the loss of one of the true joys of driving.

Hagerty Insurance Agency, the world’s leading insurance provider for classic vehicles, has paired up with Ford and local classic car owners to revive the soon-to-be lost art of driving a manual transmission. Together, they’ve created the Hagerty Driving Experience, open to all ages of licensed drivers. They’ve designed a travelling “road show” event that stops off in select cities, including Houston, Denver, Las Vegas and Orange County, California as well certain cities in Canada starting with Toronto. In every location, Hagerty offers both morning and afternoon sessions.

Pick Your Poison

I attended one of their morning events at the Scottsdale Auto Park in Arizona. We began with an information session located in a local car collector’s warehouse housing an eye-popping private collection of over 40 classics, including priceless Ferraris, Mercedes, Alfa Romeos and award-winning racecars. Each session begins with a 30-minute presentation that covers the ins and outs of how a manual transmission works, along with a few tips on basic automotive maintenance and safety.

After the presentation, we headed out a to a track that Hagerty had created exclusively for us. On this particular day, there were four classics ranging from a 1969 Corvette Stingray to a 1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder Veloce and along with two 2013 Ford Mustang GT 5.0s, and one 2013 Ford Focus ST, all courtesy of some of Hagerty’s most valued customers in each city. For those of you who take the word “classic” seriously, a 1928 Ford Model A pulled in for the afternoon session as I was leaving the event.

After another quick briefing, we met the owners and got to choose which car we wanted to start in. Having driven a manual transmission since I was tall enough to reach the pedals, I was less focused on the ABC’s of driving a stick and far more interested in the enthusiasm and teaching skills of the classic car owners as well as the Hagerty instructors. I was utterly impressed at how composed and friendly these owners were as students stalled and jolted their cars for the first twenty minutes. God knows I wouldn’t have been kind if someone was doing that to my car, and I drive a 1964 VW Beetle Rat Rod.

Once we got the hang of it ¬– and everyone did – we were able to hop into any car we pleased for a few laps with a clutch. Hagerty designs its events so that drivers can get a feel for the difference in a classic car versus a modern-day clutch. It’s incredible how smooth and easy it is to shift a modern car’s manual transmission versus the older version.

What To Expect

The morning session lasted from 9 a.m. to noon immediately followed by another session that would end around 4 p.m. Hagerty provided parents and guests with a shaded rest area full of refreshments and snacks along with a full lunch and debriefing session afterwards.

After watching participants hop out of these classics with smiles from ear to ear I thought I’d give it a go and see what all the excitement was about. Having driven a manual my whole life on multiple cars I was very unprepared for the excitement and challenge that followed. Getting to drive the Corvette Stingray’s gearbox and feeling how lightly you had to push down the clutch to engage gears was astounding, especially after hopping into the 2013 Ford Mustang afterwards which provided me with more a calve workout than anything else.

I tried to drive as many of the cars as possible to get more of an idea of how manual transmissions of classic cars differ from those in modern, computerized models. The owners were very laid-back, unlike my father when I was learning to drive a manual, allowing me to focus more on perfecting the shifts rather than trying to make the owners cringe less. Each owner shared with me their own story of how they learned to drive a manual as well as various tips and secrets they had about the perfecting the technique. It was really satisfying to see classic car owners be so enthusiastic towards complete strangers, all because they truly care about giving back to younger generations who share a passion for cars. I got the chance to speak to a few of these owners and learned that no one forced them to come out to the event, but rather they were genuinely excited to show off their classics and teach people how to drive them properly.

So right about now you’re probably saying to yourself, “what a great idea, sounds like a blast but how much?” Here’s the amazing part: Hagerty created their event as a way of giving back to the community and getting to interact with the youth and fellow classic car owners/clients for everyone’s favorite price… free. To sign-up for the Hagerty Driving Experience nearest you, visit its Facebook page or website at www.hagerty.com/drivingexperience. Maybe I’ll see you there because I’m absolutely going back!

Charlie Shulman is a sophmore at the University of Arizona and a certified car nut.

The post Keeping The Clutch Alive One Kid At A Time appeared first on VroomGirls.

On its way to a rooftop party at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, Ca., the Flying Spur is caught doing what it does best…flying.

The post Spotted: The New Bentley “Flying” Spur appeared first on VroomGirls.

Look at us – VroomGirls has won a 2013 Webby Award as one of the top car sites on the Web.

Hailed as the “Internet’s Highest Honor” by The New York Times, this year’s Webby Awards winners were chosen from more than 11,000 websites from over 65 countries. The Official Honoree distinction is awarded to only the top 10% of all entries.

VroomGirls was named one of seven honorees in the Car Sites & Car Culture category. Winners are selected for recognition based on excellence in content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity and overall experience.

“We’re tickled and frankly humbled by the recognition,” said Tara Weingarten, founder and editor-in-chief of VroomGirls. “It’s been a labor of love to create a site that empowers women to make better car-buying choices, and to enjoy their cars more. We couldn’t be happier that the Webby judges appreciate what our team has built.”

You can view all the honorees here. Five other sites were named as nominees in the Car Sites & Care Culture category, and are eligible to participate in The Webby People’s Voice Awards. This year’s winners will be honored at the star-studded ceremony in New York City where they will deliver five-word speeches in the tradition of past victors like Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote.”), Jimmy Fallon (“Thank God Conan got promoted”) and Anna Wintour (“Sometimes, Geeks Can Be Chic”). The show will be broadcast online on May 22.

Past Webby winners include industry leaders such as Twitter, Google, eBay, Pinterest, Skype, Fab.com, Instagram, BBC News, CNN, The Guardian, The New York Times, Aol, Tumblr, Wikipedia, ESPN, Funny or Die, Comedy Central, PBS, The Huffington Post, the Sundance Channel, and The Onion.

In its article announcing the 2013 Webby winners, USA Today wrote that the awards “always a good barometer of what we should be watching and checking out online”.

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