Every day of the work week, marketing firm YouGov interviews more than 5,000 Americans, asking them a series of questions about the country’s most popular brands. Ultimately, respondents assign scores to those brands based on how likable they are. YouGov’s “BrandIndex” scale runs from a low of -100 (“worst company on the planet”) to 0 (“meh”) to 100 (“this company makes rainbows and unicorns and Christopher Meloni action figures”).

In the course of interviewing those people, YouGov gathers demographic information, including whether respondents identify as LGB or T. Every year, YouGov tabulates the responses from folks in our community to determine which brands are perceived as the most LGBT-friendly.

We’re happy to announce that, once again, Ford Motor Company made YouGov’s top-20 list of LGBT-friendly brands – something it totally deserves, since Ford was one of five automakers to score a perfect 100 on the HRC’s most recent Corporate Equality Index. Though none of the others — Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota, and Volkswagen — landed in the top 20, we hope they didn’t fall far below it. (YouGov hasn’t released results for all 1,100 of the brands it tracks.)

We’re less happy to point out that, while Ford itself is popular with LGBT shoppers, one Ford dealership in Nebraska is funding virulent homophobia. Woodhouse Ford is a loud and proud supporter of Grace University, which is arguably one of the most anti-gay institutions of higher education in the entire U.S.

Grace has a strict “no gays” policy. In fact, the university just expelled Danielle Powell, a lesbian student who was mere months from graduating — and not only that, they’re insisting that she return $6,000 in “federal loans and grants that needed to be repaid because she didn’t finish the semester”.

These are the asshats that Woodhouse Ford is supporting through a matching grant program. And it’s no small program, either: by the looks of it, Woodhouse Ford has agreed to match every contribution made to Grace University, up to $100,000.

If there’s an upside to any of this, it’s that the outcry against Grace University seems to be significant. Like any private school, Grace is entitled to set its own code of conduct, so long as it doesn’t break any laws. (And as in many places, discriminating against LGBT students is completely legal in Nebraska.) However, Grace University seems to have gone much farther in its actions than other schools faced with similar dilemmas.

If you want to satisfy some activist urges, here are a couple of things you can do today:

• Sign this petition on Change.org, which asks Grace University to forgive Powell’s $6,000 debt. (The petition was started by Powell’s wife and has more than 57,000 signatures as of this moment.)

• Contact Woodhouse Ford and suggest they find other schools to support. Surely there are plenty of worthy programs in Nebraska that could use $100,000 — programs more in keeping with Ford Motor Company’s strong record on LGBT equality.

• Send a note to Ford Motor Company congratulating them on their great brand ranking among LGBT shoppers. You might mention in passing that at least one of Ford’s dealerships could use a lesson or two in that department.

‘Tis the season in LGBT America: the season of parades and dances and rainbow-colored everything, the time when we look back 44 years to the historic Stonewall Riots and celebrate the progress we’ve made toward equality. (We’ve still got a long way to go, but our recent track record is pretty good.)

‘Tis also the season that major corporations roll out their annual allotment of LGBT-themed ads. While automakers, hotels, and beer and liquor manufacturers pitch to us year-round, many more focus their energies on Pride-themed magazines and newspapers published in the month of June. Like the fragrance companies that run TV spots in December, these folks know it’s a numbers game, and the potential return on investment is higher now.

In that vein, Allstate recently debuted a small LGBT campaign in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The print pieces feature real couples, and one of those couples posted their ad (seen above) to the Gay Marriage USA Facebook page.

So, class: what do we think of that?

On the one hand, we appreciate the acknowledgement. As queasy as niche marketing can make some folks feel, such ads recognize our importance as both human beings and consumers.

On the other hand, it would be nice if this ad came from a corporation with a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index. Allstate received a respectable 85, but 12 other insurers including MetLife, Nationwide, and Progressive landed 100s. (Another seven scored between 90 and 95.)

Does this kind of target marketing make you uncomfortable? Or does it seem like some kind of validation? Judging from the way that corporations target ads to countless demographic groups — women, men, African Americans, Hispanics, seniors, Millennials, and on and on — it’s not likely to go away anytime soon.

[via New Civil Rights Movement]

We’ve got great news to report from Indiana: after a long, complicated process of approval, denial, and appeal, it looks as if the Indiana Youth Group will be able to sell its LGBT license plate!

It seemed as if the group were on the brink of success early last year, when things suddenly fell apart: the Youth Group was in line to have its specialty plate approved, when a handful of homophobic legislators claimed that the group had illegally granted low-numbered plates to its supporters. Doing so was common practice, but it was technically a violation of the agreement that the Indiana Youth Group had filed with the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Thankfully, the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in to help the Youth Group. Together, they made the case that awarding those low-numbered plates was not sufficient cause for the BMV to end its contract with the group without 30 days’ notice.

In a press release, the Indiana Youth Group’s executive director, Mary Byrne, said that, “While the politics may not have been on our side through this process, we were always confident that the facts were…. We just wanted a fair shake from the state and a chance to sell our plates again. We got that chance from this judgment and we are incredibly grateful that our case was reviewed based on the merits and not a political agenda.”

And in a handy recap of the events that led to this moment, the group says that “the bottom line is that the judge ruled that IYG had violated a section of the contract, but had not sold or auctioned the plates and therefore instead of immediate termination, the BMV should have given IYG…30 days to rectify the problem or it could terminate the plate”.

The BMV has another couple of weeks to appeal the decision, but assuming it stands, Indiana motorists should be able to purchase the specialty plate later this summer. (Click here to check the list of currently available plates.) Funds from the sale of that plate benefit a range of Youth Group activities, which support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in Indianapolis.

Recently, our pal Jim from the blog Jimbo.info had the good fortune to interview out and proud NASCAR driver Justin Mullikin. It’s been a while since we’ve run a piece like that — the last time being when Zach chatted with NASCAR’s Evan Darling – so we asked if we could reprint Jim’s piece here at Gaywheels. Gracious to a fault, Jim happily agreed.

* * * * *

Justin Mullikin, photo ©2012 Mary Schill/Forte Design

NBA player Jason Collins came out a few weeks ago with much applause and a few dissenters as expected. But it’s probably the start of a small flood of athletes in the “big three” American sports to come out as openly gay. Of course we are proud of Martina Navratilova for coming out when she did, but the sports media has been drooling for an active player in the NBA, NFL and MLB to do the same.

Blogs and media sites were abuzz with the news for a few days, but a line from this article about Collins in the SFGate caught my eye:

“Soon, the NFL, NHL and MLB and (yawn) pro golf and even, maybe, a gay NASCAR driver, a guy who surely already exists and who is right now completely terrified of getting shot if he even dares to look in the direction of Jason Collins. Poor kid.”

When I read that I was like “Hey, I know an out NASCAR driver and he isn’t terrified.” In fact he’s been out for a while and is building an impressive record at a track near my hometown and elsewhere.

I met Justin Mullikin of JM Racing in September when I was visiting my family in Wisconsin. He went to the same high school I did, albeit a lot later. I was amazed to learn that he was out in high school, something I never would have considered in the late 80s. But times have changed even in the flyover states and they’re coming out a lot earlier.

Justin was recently interviewed at Queers4Gears, a site for queer NASCAR and motorsport fans. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter at @queers4gears. I asked Justin a few more questions because I wanted you and the SFGate to know that yep, there is an out NASCAR driver. And if you make it to the end of the interview you will read Justin’s correct prediction on who won RuPaul’s Drag Race this year.

Mullikin’s interest in cars started at an early age, but he didn’t get serious about it until about 2005 on a whim. Eight seasons and a handful of cars later the 27 year-old Cheesehead is still on track:

- I see your racing season is underway. How long does the season last?

Our season began on April 20th and will continue through the first weekend in October with a 4 week break from the first weekend in September until October’s final event.

- While you’re in the Sportsmen division (sort of like NASCAR “minor leagues” if I understand correctly) do your results count towards NASCAR national title standings?

We are a points based series, meaning that every night we earn a certain amount of points. The amount of points that we earn are dependent on where we finish in the events. Points accumulated go to a standing that determines the champion for our local track at the end of our season. Along with earning points at our local track we also earn points on a national level. We are ranked nationally and compete for a national level championship in what is called the “NASCAR Whelen All American Series division II asphalt program.”

- You’re not just the driver of your vehicle – you’ve also rebuilt it yourself it for racing. Are there other people are on your racing team helping you do this?

I do have help at the track from a number of people, but for the most part I build my car, motor, paint and do everything related to the assembly of the car myself. My best Friend Bill also races and we have formed a team so to speak at the track so we share equipment and information with each other and help each other at the track and during the off season constructing the cars.

- What sort of background in automotive engineering do you have that helps you get a car ready to race?

I actually have no formal training or schooling in automotive engineering. I was always interested in cars growing up and by the time I got my license and first car I just started teaching myself and learning as much as I could by doing things on my own. Throughout the years or vowing to only fixing my own car and learning as much as I could about them I have learned pretty much everything there is to know about the mechanics and assembly of a car.

- So you’re good with machines and can drive. Are you still an “athlete”?

This is a question that regularly comes up when talking about a person who races cars for a living or for a hobby. There is far more to driving in a competitive manner than just going fast and turning in circles. The thing that people don’t understand about racing cars is they do not drive like your normal everyday street cars. Driving a car at very high speeds with manual brakes, manual steering and a suspension that is designed for maximum turning ability takes a toll on your body. Along with the physical strength required to drive the cars comes the mental strength. It takes a high level of mental focus and nerves to be able to drive a car that is in a near constant slide at extremely high speeds. Not only do you focus on yourself when in the car but what your fellow competitors are doing. It is in no way like driving down the highway to the mall. We are driving around a track at 100+ mph inches from other cars (sometimes touching) and controlling a car that is sliding, moving around and just on the ragged edge of crashing at all times.

- You mentioned in the Queers4Gears.com interview that for the most part you haven’t had any issues with other drivers for being gay. How did you handle it when they did?

Only one direct threat of action has made its way to me that I am aware of. The particular instance was never said directly to me, rather to a friend of mine who also raced. Fortunately for him he realized that at the end of the day that a.) I was a better driver and b.) I was not afraid to retaliate on track if he decided to take it there. Retaliating on track is rarely something that you as a driver want to do because of the potential for danger to yourself and everyone else.

- When did you come out?

I came out when I was 16 as a result of a friend of mine sharing our personal conversations with other people at school. I made the decision that I was going to take ownership of the situation and make of it what I chose to.

- What do you think about professional athletes coming out? Should we expect someone in other NASCAR series to come out soon?

Anytime that a person who is gay can be portrayed in a positive and uplifting manner is definitely a good thing. From a role model point of view I can see no better thing than the young people of this country viewing successful athletes they can relate to. It’s not a question of if it happens, more of when. I think that it will certainly happen but only time will tell.

- Who do you think is going to win RuPaul’s Drag Race this year?

Its Monsoon season…clearly! [Jinkx Monsoon] is by far the most talented competitor to have ever been on the show.

- Another thing you mentioned in the previous interview was “I typically don’t care if someone who has no meaning to me has anything to say,” regarding your sexual orientation on the track. That sounds like a good approach to dealing with homophobic comments. “Water off a duck’s back” as Jinkx Monsoon would say. What would you say to other athletes considering being out in their sport on dealing with homophobia?

At the end of the day it’s your life, and you should live it exactly how you see fit without letting anyone else get in your way. Being gay is nothing that will stop you from achieving your dreams or having a positive impact on someone else. Be the best you can be!

On Thursday of last week, Bertel Schmitt at The Truth About Cars posted a story with this headline: “Small SUV Crashopalooza: Detroit Loses, Dykes Win”.

He was not referring to Dutch levee systems.

He was not referring to my third-grade classmate, Carol Dykes. (It would’ve been a pretty weird coincidence if he had.)

He was referring to lesbians — specifically, lesbians and their alleged love of the Subaru Forester.

I’m not going to link directly to Schmitt’s article because it was a stunt, a ploy for pageviews. Linking to it would give The Truth About Cars more traffic, better stats, and the opportunity to earn more ad revenue. As someone wiser than me once said: screw that noise.

The good news is that Schmitt’s idiocy failed to win the day. Shortly after he published the article, car fans flooded The Truth About Cars with comments and complaints. By Friday afternoon, the blowback was so severe that one of the site’s editors, Steven Lang, resigned.

The bad news is that Schmitt, the site’s editor-in-chief, still has his job and shows no sign of contrition.

Worse, Schmitt knew that he was using a seriously offensive, homophobic slur.

And worst of all, he tried to use Wikipedia to justify it:

PS: Before you start to tar and feather me for Detroit bashing LGBT discrimination, please be notified that according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, the term “dyke” originated “as a derogatory label for a masculine woman, and this usage still exists.” Shame on them. “However, some persons attempt to use it in a manner that they see as positive, or as a neutral synonym for lesbian,” and those persons include the Schmitts.”

First of all, it takes a certain brand of stupidity and hubris (on par with that demonstrated by the wackjobs at Amy’s Baking Company or Edward Smith, captain of the RMS Titanic) to assume that you can throw around slurs as if you belong to the slurred minority. This usually doesn’t end well. Ask Michael Richards.

Second of all, no matter what you’re trying to prove, you should probably find better source material than Wikipedia.

And third, if you’re going to make a seriously dumb statement, don’t bring the rest of your family down with you.

OUR TAKE

Schmitt wasn’t wrong to suggest that certain demographic groups prefer certain vehicles. Here at Gaywheels, we’ve often written about that phenomenon.

In fact, the idea that similar people gravitate toward similar products is a core principle in marketing. For example, women tend to prefer certain books and movies and hobbies, while men have their own tastes. This applies to autos, too: paint a car pink, and you can pretty much write off any potential male shoppers. These are broad generalizations of course, but there’s a kernel of truth to them.

No, Schmitt’s idiocy lies solely in his decision to use the charged word “dyke”. It’s an ugly slur, and like the equivalent “fag”, its use is appropriate only in certain contexts. Schmitt knew full well that his article wasn’t one of them, which is why his postscript justification seems so glib and halfhearted.

The fact that Schmitt used the slur to sensationalize an otherwise bland article about IIHS crash test ratings — and that he used it at a time when members of the LGBT community are still being bullied, beaten, and even killed for being themselves —  makes his offense that much worse. Unfortunately, his ploy paid off.

We applaud Lang for stepping down and wish him all the best in the future.

[Hat tip to former Gaywheels editor Joe Tralongo, plus Jalopnik and Jim Romenesko.]

The past year has been an historic one for the LGBT community. America elected a president who believes in marriage equality and put a record number of LGBT politicians in office at the federal, state, and local levels. Voters approved marriage equality at the ballot box and fended off attacks from our foes. Elsewhere around the globe, marriage equality and other LGBT rights have been progressing, too.

All that forward movement makes what’s happened in Indiana doubly sad.

As you might recall, an organization called the Indiana Youth Group has been working hard to create a specialty licence plate in support of LGBT young people. At one point, it looked as if the group was on the verge of success, when the whole process fell apart (due in part to some of the Youth Group’s own actions, which may have been technically illegal).

After the collapse, the Indiana Youth Group began discussions with the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The Youth Group had hoped that agreeing to a suspension period as penance for its missteps would allow the LGBT plate to move forward. However, this week the BMW cut off all negotiations with the group.

In fairness, that’s not really the BMV’s fault. The move results from a law passed by Indiana legislators, which creates a special commission to identify and recommend specialty license plates.

Now, the Youth Group has two choices: to begin a formal appeal, or to apply to the as-yet-unformed commission for a specialty license plate. Both paths appear to put the group back at square one.

Interestingly, Representative Ed Soliday, who pushed for the new law, says that he didn’t order the BMV to cut off negotiations with the Youth Group. He also claims that his bill wasn’t targeted at the Youth Group directly, but rather at the proliferation of specialty plates.

The situation is frustrating, to be sure — but maybe it’s to be expected, too. Speaking of the politically charged atmosphere around the issue of marriage equality in Illinois, Reverend Phyllis Pennese recently said, “The soup always boils just before it’s done and the soup is boiling now…. That’s why there’s all this fury around this issue because it’s almost about to be done.”

We hope so, reverend. We really hope so.

[via Towleroad]

Over the past few weeks, we’ve published articles about the joys of driving naked and having sex behind the wheel. Just for balance, I’m going to talk about the dark side of having sex in cars. The ugly side. Or maybe it’s the funny side, I’m still not sure.

Thanks to the lousy employment market and the faltering economy here in Croatia, I don’t have a steady job or a place of my own. As a result, I don’t have much money, and I live with my parents. (Sadly, that’s pretty common in Europe at the moment.) I have a boyfriend — who doesn’t have a place of his own, either — so when we want to get busy, we go to the only private place we have: the car.

I can’t say I enjoy that too much, because the car isn’t very private, which means that I can’t properly relax, which means that our repertoire is kind of limited. (You know what I mean.)

Getting it on in cars isn’t new to me. Before I got involved with my boyfriend, I went out with another live-at-home guy who owned a BMW 3, which is a very cool car, but not so cool when you both get out of it in your underwear to relieve yourself after doing The Deed and the car locks itself. With your clothes inside. And your cellphones. Luckily, he was decent enough to walk to a nearby gas station and call a cab. Unluckily, it took him a full hour to return, which I spent freezing my ‘nads off while watching his cool car. I’ve hated BMWs ever since.

There was also that time that I went out with a guy, and we ran out of gas — not because he was ignoring the fuel gauge, but because we’d stopped to fool around, and he’d left the car running because it was freezing outside. We were very far away from the main road, and it would’ve taken ages for us to reach a gas station, so I called my best friend, explained the situation, and asked him to pick us up. Then had to listen to him lecture me for half an hour about how on Earth could I go on a sexdate in a car, and how disappointed he is in me, and blah, blah, blah.

Or the time that I started to work at a car dealership and finally got a company car: an Opel Zafira, black with yellow stickers, including the dealership’s logo. I met a guy in the club one night, we went for a drive, then parked in a very out-of-the-way place — which was, admittedly, known for being the kind of place folks went when they wanted some “alone time”.

Apparently, someone saw us — or at least our car — because the following Monday I got an email from my boss, saying that the company car was not to be used as a roving sex palace. (I paraphrase.) In retrospect, I probably should’ve covered up the logo. Thankfully, my boss was pretty nice about the whole situation. He said that he understood how things were for “us guys”, meaning “horny straight guys like him and me”. In other words, he thought I was sleeping with a girl. Ew.

Not so long ago, I got a call from my best friend — the same one who lectured me about sexdates — who told me that he had a major problem. He and his boyfriend had decided to take a little drive and spice up their sex life, so they pulled over in the middle of nowhere and subsequently managed to get stuck in a huge pile of mud mixed with melting snow.

I don’t even want to describe how I managed to get them out. Suffice to say that the car was covered with mud and so were we, and I’ve never gotten another lecture.

So, I suppose my four rules for having sex in the car would be:

• Have fuel in the tank
• Have a fully charged battery (on both your car and your cell phone)
• Have a tow rope handy
• Have some really good friends

And #5: if possible, have your own place, so sex in the car becomes a luxury, not a necessity. Unless that’s your thing, of course.

Richard Herod is at it again.

Last fall, Richard received a notice from his townhome association in Woodbury, Minnesota, insisting that he remove the anti-marriage amendment sign from the yard in front of his house. (At the time, Minnesota was preparing to vote on that amendment; if passed, it would’ve enshrined homophobia in the state constitution by denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry.)

As a clever way to circumvent the association’s rulebook, Herod used his decaling knowledge to create a vehicle wrap with the same message as the yard sign. After he posted a photo of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X on Facebook, 300 vehicle owners across Minnesota asked him to help trick out their own rides with marriage equality decals. Their visibility played a role in defeating the hateful marriage amendment at the ballot box.

This winter, the Minnesota legislature introduced a bill to change the language of the law defining marriage to be more inclusive. The political group known as Minnesotans for All Families, along with state and national LGBT advocacy organizations, got onboard to lobby for the passage of the bill through both houses. Democratic governor Mark Dayton strongly supports the bill, and it appears that he may have just enough support to pass it, since the DFL (the Democratic Party in Minnesota) controls both houses of the legislature.

Interestingly enough, the Republican caucus have responded to the marriage equality bill with one of their own — one that legalizes civil unions as a marriage alternative. This complicates things somewhat, as it appears that the state wants to recognize same-gender couples, but how far should they go? There are still people in Minnesota who would rather not see any recognition of legal status for lesbian and gay couples.

And in recent days, the situation has become even more complicated: in addition to the marriage equality bill and the one proposing civil unions for same-sex couples, there’s now a third bill which proposes civil unions for all couples, gay and straight. That would give same-sex couples the same legal rights as their straight counterparts (at the state level, anyway), leaving “marriage” to religious institutions.

With lobbying efforts ratcheting up, Herod has begun wrapping vehicles with a new message — this time, in support of the initial marriage equality bill. If you’re interested in having your vehicle wrapped, send an email to kickboxer1977@aol.com for full details.

Last month, we published a few common-sense tips for people who like to drive naked.

To me, that was almost a throwaway piece. I mean, let’s face it: driving naked isn’t skydiving. It doesn’t require much preparation or research. But the next thing we knew, the story had been picked up and passed around like a well-endowed, badonka-donked hustler on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Apparently, you people enjoy more than reviews of the Madza Miata.

And so, we thought we’d continue the conversation with a follow-up piece about — what else? — having sex while driving. But first, we asked ourselves: do people really do such things? Thankfully, one company has already done research in that area, and not surprisingly, it’s a company that makes Bluetooth devices, which free up drivers’ hands for all kinds of activities.

Jabra is a Nashua, New Hampshire-based tech firm that manufactures gadgets for use at home, at work, and all points in-between. According to the company’s website, Jabra commissioned a survey to determine just how many motorists have engaged in sex while driving. Of the 1,800 drivers in the United States, U.K., France, Germany, Russia, and Japan who responded, 15% admitted to having sex while operating a moving vehicle. That’s pretty impressive — on par with the number of folks who say they apply makeup or check emails behind the wheel.*

That led me to wonder: how, exactly, does this 15% get busy behind the wheel? And so, in the interest of journalism, I’ve done some research on the matter. By which I mean I asked Mr. Google and took notes on what turned up. Based on those queries, here are a few helpful hints for those who like having sex in cars — not to be confused with those who like having sex with cars, which is a very different thing:

1. Size matters. In the videos I watched as a part of my research, the couples (all male/female in the test sample) had one person mounted firmly on the driver, meaning that both were sitting squarely in the driver’s seat. The lesson for gays and lesbians is that if you want to have sex while driving and not restrict your field of vision, you’ll probably need to find a willing babydyke or twink. If you’re a potential contestant in a Beards, Butts and Bellies contest (full disclosure: I was first runner-up in Oklahoma City 2004), you’ll need to do the driving (ahem), or stick to other endeavors. Be creative.

2. Size matters, again. All the videos I observed involved SUVs, which seemed to work well for the task. If you own a practical car like a Honda Civic or Lexus CT 200, spring for a motel room and bring the GoPro inside — assuming you’re filming your exploits, that is. And of course you are.

3. Take the (s)low road. As titillating as it may seem to speed down the highway while enjoying some front-seat fornication, remember: you’re operating a vehicle that weighs several thousand pounds. At 70 mph, you have less time to respond to a sudden situation, and accidents will be significantly more damaging than those occurring at slower speeds. Plus, chances are, someone’s not going to be wearing a safety belt.

On the other hand, cruising down city streets, braking for stop signs and red lights, will put added stress on your lower body and interfere with your sexual rhythm. No matter which road you choose, know that sex while driving is also a workout and a test of stamina. So, just like any other physical activity…

4. Warm up first. For your own sake and the sake of those around you, please don’t attempt to have sex while driving unless you’re in reasonably good shape. The motion of the car will test the reflexes of your muscles — all of them. Getting banged or blown (or doing the banging or blowing) will test your ability to keep the car on the road. Don’t tempt fate. Warm up first, take a bottle of water and a towel, and should you experience any pain, stop. See a doctor if symptoms continue. If all else fails, there’s always amomaxia. And dogging.

5. Don’t be surprised if other drivers notice what you’re doing — and want to watch. Case in point: last fall, Suzanne Welker and Ernest Felix Gonzales of Nassau, Florida, were cruising along I-95 in an SUV (see item #2 above), when Welker decided to give Gonzales — who was driving — a hummer. (Note: not the kind that was discontinued by General Motors.)

Along came a family who noticed Welker and Gonzales and knew exactly what they were up to. But rather than panic and get offended, they decided to watch. A few moments later, the family drove off.

But things didn’t end there: Gonzales and Welker followed the family. First, Gonzales tried to run the other car off the road, then both parties pulled in to a restaurant parking lot, where things got mighty real when Welker confronted the family with a semi-automatic handgun. The spirited wannabe porn stars apparently thought the family — the youngest member being all of three years old — had been snapping photos of the couple’s highway hijinks.

According to witnesses, Welker made threats but sped off with Gonzales once the cops had been called. The license plate was traced and both Gonzales and Welker were arrested for indecent exposure and aggravated assault. The moral of the story? Sex while driving is a public act, subject to all laws that may pertain to public indecency.

But perhaps the cruelest cut of all is the possibility that the family who stumbled upon the Welker-Gonzales free show drove off simply because they didn’t find it all that impressive. There’s nothing like a sting of a bad review.

*Thanks to Matt Hardigree at Jalopnik for bringing this very important research to our attention.

Jeffrey Villacampa is a 20-year veteran of the auto industry. He is also gay. The Manhattan resident has worked for numerous employers over the past two decades, none of whom has had a problem with his sexual orientation.

Two of his former bosses also knew about his HIV-positive status, which he discovered five years ago. Villacampa says that it wasn’t an issue to either of them.

But in November of 2012, things took a turn for the worse. That’s when Villacampa went to work as a finance manager at Bayside Volkswagen in Queens, New York. In February 2013, Villacampa witnessed ”an outrageously offensive conversation” taking place between managers at the dealership. He complained to Bayside’s GM, Suzanne Cochrane, but she did nothing, telling Villacampa that words like “faggot” aren’t offensive.

Last month, Villacampa had another run-in with a different co-worker, Angelo Alexiadis. Alexiadis told Villacampa that his brother was both gay and HIV-positive and that he’d been forbidden to enter Alexiadis’ house. Villacampa tried to explain that Alexiadis’ brother was no threat and urged him to re-consider the way he treated his sibling.

Alexiadis then asked Villacampa if he was HIV-positive himself. Villacampa revealed that he was.

Two days later, Villacampa was fired for alleged “problems” with his work.

Now, Villacampa has filed a $4 million lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the State of New York County, alleging that Bayside Volkswagen discriminated against him on the basis of sexual orientation. It appears that Villacampa has also filed charges against three of his former c0-workers for sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation.

It’s not clear whether Villacampa is also suing for discrimination on the basis of his HIV status. If he is, however, he may have strong legal footing: the Americans with Disabilities Act was amended in 2008, making HIV an officially recognized disability.

You can read details about the case — at least Villacampa’s side, since the dealership has refused to answer questions — at ABC News.

We’ll keep you posted as the story develops. And if Villacampa’s reports are accurate, here’s hoping that he takes them for every penny they’ve got.

Since first visiting my college buddy in Savannah, Georgia early last year, I’ve made two more trips to what is arguably the most beautiful city in the South. I was there this March for the traditional greening of the fountain in Forsyth Park, saw Lady Chablis perform at Club One, drank coffee at Gallery, and ate my favorite shrimp n’ grits at Pirates House. It’s divine.

While I was there last year, I watched Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. If you’ve seen the movie, you know it centers on Jim Williams, who in real life was a gay art dealer who shot his whoring house boy in his home office, spent years on trial, beat the rap, and fell dead of a heart attack in the same room.

The story is true to the Savannah tradition of an elegant facade hiding closets full of crazy. Drag queens, imaginary dogs, voodoo, house squatting, and exquisite artwork are all in there. It’s unbelievable, but remarkably true. I had to see Mercer House, the home in which Williams lived.

So, as we were touring, my friend turned to me and said, “My co-worker owned Jim Williams’ Jaguar, the same car used in the movie.”

I thought, “Why didn’t you reveal this little bit of information earlier?” Two days later, I was on the phone with Charles “Chazz” Michaels learning about the car he once owned.

The green 1983 XJ-S with a V-12 engine is exactly the kind of car you’d expect an art dealer from Savannah to own. If you live there, it’s best to have a Jag.

“It was cool to own it, but it became a money pit,” said Michaels. “I bought it directly from Jim Williams’ sister in August 2007. She had it on eBay for a fantastic price — about $20,000. The car never sold. I sent an e-mail to her trustee and was told to come look at the car. We worked out a deal, and I paid about $10,000.”

Chazz mostly drove the car back and forth to work, but never took it anywhere far because of dodgy reliability. Like all classic Jaguars, the car had its issues — despite having just 53,000 miles on the odometer.

“I had to change about every single hose,” said Michaels. “It had a very strange master brake cylinder that kept setting off a warning light. The car had thin wiring; Lucas electrics were not the best. I had the car towed after it vapor locked in hot weather on a 90-degree day — typical Savannah weather. Paint was starting to bubble. The interior was pretty good, but the seat stitching was coming apart in places.”

Chazz owned the car for a little over a year, adding about 5,000 miles.

“I sold it on Cars.com to a fellow in Denver, Colorado. He didn’t know the whole story, but was interested because he liked Jaguars. I sold it for $10,000 — the same price I paid a year earlier.”

It’s probably a good thing I didn’t know about this car before now, because I’d probably own a Jaguar I don’t need. Midnight has become my favorite movie, and nothing would have made my collection more complete than the starring ride. Instead, I’ll just have to appreciate Chazz sharing his time with the car.

Storm forward!

Lots of blogs cover LGBT issues, including this one. But since our staff is small and our focus is narrow — limited to cars, travel, insurance, and such — we usually let other sites report on general news affecting our community.

Not today.

This was huge week for LGBT Americans because, as you undoubtedly know, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases involving our fundamental rights: our ability to marry our loved ones.

The oral arguments around both Proposition 8 and DOMA began with lots of dull, technical, legalese — questions about standing to sue and such. When things got down to brass tacks, though, most of the bigots on the court made their voices heard, led by blowhard/class clown/professional pot-stirrer Antonin Scalia. (As usual, ultra-conservative Clarence Thomas kept his mouth shut, but it’s pretty clear where he stands — even though his own marriage was made possible by a similar lawsuit in 1967.)

But none of those arguments seemed to have any real resonance, and none were made with conviction. There’s no video of the proceedings, but it sounded almost as if Scalia & Co. were wincing with every bitter word falling out of their mouths.

To me*, the brightest, most rational voices of the day came from the liberal wing of the court, who seemed predisposed to take our side. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were especially articulate.

One of my favorite moments came on Tuesday, during the arguments around Prop 8. Here’s a clip of defense attorney Charles Cooper attempting to justify Prop 8 to Justices Sotomayor, Anthony Kennedy, Kagan, and apparently, himself. At the end of the excerpt, tone-deaf Scalia tries to get a rise out of the liberal justices (and every woman on Planet Earth) by making a wisecrack about Strom Thurmond, but the only person who chuckles much is Scalia himself. Kagan gets far more laughs a few minutes earlier when she ridicules Cooper’s “marriage is about fertility” argument.

Though the judges won’t announce their decisions until June, folks on both the left and the right seem to think LGBT Americans have already won. That feeling is summarized on this week’s twin covers for Time Magazine, which feature two couples — one male, one female — kissing behind the headline, “Gay Marriage Already Won: The Supreme Court hasn’t made up its mind, but America has.”

No matter which way the court goes, its decision will have an impact on your ability to share property, insurance, and the like — car-related things. We’ll get to all that when the time comes, but for now, we’re just hopeful. You should be, too.

*NOTE: (a) I’m not a lawyer, and (b) as a gay man with a marriage license that’s not recognized in my home state, I have strong feelings about these two cases. Those facts might predispose my assessments. In fact, let’s assume they do.

Soybeans, wheat straw, coconuts, and dandelion greens make for an interesting salad. They’re also key ingredients in one of the most outstanding cars of the year, the 2013 Ford Fusion. For those who truly want a green car, this baby more than qualifies.

Recently, staff writer Casey Williams told us how the new Ford Fusion is a great combination of Mother America and Father Europe. That assessment is spot-on — and one that absolutely has no horse meat or horse waste in it.

Scientists have been busy as a bee lately, trying to devise more earth-friendly materials for all our needs. Their goal: to make door frames and dashboards that are just as sturdy as steel but weigh less and have more in common with our kitchen tables than our garbage bags.

They’ve started with that darling bean of the faux food crowd, soy, which can be manipulated into polyols, or alcohol, which can then become a large component of the foam used throughout the automobile shaping process. This soy foam has allowed Ford to shed five-million pounds of petroleum from its annual diet.

And think of this: next time you stash your school books or classical CDs in your car, you may be putting them in care of Mr. Scarecrow. Wheat straw is now being used to make a reinforced plastic for car storage bins. This manufacturing technique saves another 20,000 pounds of petroleum per year.

Love coconut water for your poolside libations but don’t know what to do with the shell once drunk? Ford and its partners are exploring ways to use coconut coir (or husks) to mold plastic parts.

And your milky-white secretions don’t have to go to waste — at least not if you’re a dandelion. Those dandy pearls are used to produce a sustainable rubber, and that rubber can be use to build cup holders, floor mats, and other car accessories that are lighter and more durable than today’s.

Here’s another way of looking at these secret ingredients: the organic material found in your 2013 Ford Fusion is the equivalent of two pairs of jeans for the average-sized adult (whatever that is), or about 31, 250 soy beans. Throw in about 40 clear plastic water bottles for the cloth seats, and you’ve got a car that brings recycling up to speed. What’s more: the covering for those seats is woven from “Omni” cloth, made from 100% recycled yarn. Thus, you can now sit on what didn’t go into that hand-knitted holiday sweater, which is probably for the best.

Over time, this kind of manufacturing eco-friendliness will likely sneak up on us. Our daily products will become more and more earth-friendly, and we may never notice.

At least not until someone offers us some edamame hummus to go with our next hybrid or electric car.

The Geneva Auto Show — which wrapped up this past weekend — is often a launchpad for quirky Euro fuel-sippers, but in 2013, automakers mostly brought their prize rides. Like the lobby of the St. Moritz, the show was full of glamour and wealth. Here are some of the highlights:

Alfa Romeo 4C
Coming later this year to U.S. Fiat dealers, the mid-engine Alfa boasts a 240 horsepower, 1.75-liter turbo-four, twin dry-clutch transmission, and multiple driving modes. Simple interiors with leather buckets and digital instruments enhance its exotic aura — as does production at the Maserati plant in Modena, Italy. Prices should begin under $80k.

Aston Martin Rapide S
The British supercar builder celebrates its 100th Anniversary with this super sexy four-door coupe. The Rapide S wears a new full grille, revised decklid with a flip spoiler, and sleeker aerodynamics. Interiors are divine! The 6.0-liter V12 pumps out 550 horsepower — enough for 0-62 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph. That soaring performance will be matched by a soaring price, above $250,000.

Bentley Flying Spur
Given the 616 horsepower 6.0-liter W12 engine that moves this huge car from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, and to a top speed of 200 mph, the name is appropriate. This being a Bentley, passengers are lavished with exquisite hides, 10 square-meters of wood, 1100W Naim for Bentley audio, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Deliveries begin in July, and shoppers can expect to shell out over $200,000.

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible
This Vette convertible is even sexier than the coupe. It runs with a 450 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 connected to a seven-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Aluminum and carbon fiber reduce weight. The standard power top can be operated while traveling up to 30 mph. Five driving modes, heads-up display, and reconfigurable touchscreens delight. Sales begin this fall.

Ferrari LaFerrari
Specs for the Enzo replacement are stunning: a combined 963 horsepower from a 6.3-liter V12-based gas/electric hybrid system take the car from 0-60 mph in under three seconds, on to 120 mph in seven seconds, all the way to a max speed of 205 mph. The multi-vented bodywork is lovely, but also enhances downforce. LaFerrari is, ahem, only $1.3 million, but sadly, all 499 units are sold.

McLaren P1
Exotic looks conceal a plug-in hybrid system, with a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that generates 906 horsepower. The P1 covers 0-60 mph in less than three seconds and tops out at 217 mph. Intensive use of carbon fiber, a downforce-generating body, and adjustable suspension enhance performance. It will be produced in England later this year for an estimated $1.3 million.

Subaru VIZIV Concept
Imagining a future-generation crossover, the VIZIV flaunts clean surfaces and a projecting grille for tough, yet elegant style. The interior features an info display for passengers and EyeSight crash avoidance system. A gas/electric hybrid system with a Boxer four-cylinder diesel allows independent motor-driven AWD for efficient running and superior handling.

Rolls-Royce Wraith
Wafting by with two-tone paint, a flush grille, and a fastback roofline, the Ghost-based Wraith glistens. Coach doors open to sheets of wood paneling and starlight headliner. Underneath is a 624 horsepower 6.6-liter V12 that scoots from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Its transmission uses GPS to anticipate roads ahead. Get one this fall for about $320,000.

Oh, how quick we are to judge.

We’re very opinionated when it comes to certain things — automobiles, for example. Some folks are so passionate about a particular brand that their personal relationships are based solely on the makes and models that they — and their friends — drive.

Others are simply passionate about being passionate. Like Statler and Waldorf , they revel in tossing out Twitter-cisms in 140 characters or less. These folks are willing to offer snap judgments based on slivers of information that may or may not turn out to be entirely accurate.

Recently, both groups — the passionate and the passionately critical — had the chance to weigh in on a spy photo of a new Jeep model. What happened afterwards was pure social media madness.

The all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee was supposed to be unveiled during the New York Auto Show in March, but as usual these days, photos leaked out ahead of schedule. When Jalopnik published spy pics of the new model, Chrysler Group LLC’s responded by stating: “Photos not the vehicle to be revealed in [New York].”

To prove it wasn’t bluffing, several hours later Chrysler released pics of the actual 2014 Jeep Cherokee, the replacement for the Liberty. With just four front and front-quarter images published to social media outlets, snap opinions began flying across the Twitterverse. Some praised the different approach to Jeep design, which melds new Fiat-inspired elements and traditional Jeep signatures onto this very important SUV/crossover. Others simply bashed it. On the whole, there were probably more positive responses than negative, but the loudest, most-retweeted messages came from critics.

If you’re familiar with Twitter, this is nothing new. When the first photos of the 2012 Honda Civic broke, a Greek chorus of automotive media and enthusiast types swamped the photos with a tidal wave negativity. Honda decided to revise the Civic for 2013, allegedly to bring it in line with upcoming brand design elements. Which was the company’s way of saying, “Dude, we hear you. We screwed up.”

A year later, American Honda braced itself for another round of social media vitriol when the first images of the 2013 Honda Accord were released. The outcry wasn’t as negative as it was for the Civic, but the Accord was criticized for being as “bland” as its compact.

Oddly enough, despite the amount of hate showered on both models, they’ve performed well in showrooms – though not enough to boost Honda sales as a whole.

What about the 2014 Cherokee? How will initial reaction affect its success with consumers?

As Oscar Wilde once wrote, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” Social media is a great example of that principle in action: whether positive or negative, the important thing is that folks are discussing the Cherokee on Facebook, Twitter, and every other network. .

Translation: the more people praise or hate on the initial images of the 2014 Cherokee, the more buzz this new vehicle will generate in advance of its formal debut at the New York Auto Show. That’s probably good news for Jeep.

Believe or not, it’s perfectly legal to drive naked in most parts of the country.

For those who enjoy the wind in your face and the breeze in your hair — all of your hair — driving naked can be very liberating. Add in a sunroof and some Nina Hagen, and you can really feel the call of the wild.

At the same time, however, you may be setting yourself up for trouble with Johnny (or JoAnn) Law. Clothed or not, caution when driving is always advised, so when you’re not flying by the seat of your pants because you have no pants, extra planning is crucial.

Rule of thumb: as long as no one can see your junk or, for lack of a better term, butt crack, you’re probably okay. Butt cheeks and side loins are typically hunky-dory, though pubic hair is questionable.

If that sounds a tad graphic, it should: many laws addressing nudity single out genitals and the “crack” as “indecent”. Other appendages and activities can fall into gray areas. Breasts, male or female, might be okay; pinching or fondling them in public almost certainly isn’t.

When driving undraped, your biggest concern is when/if anyone — especially children — can see you au natural. There have been reports of naked drivers being pulled over and ordered to step out of the car; subsequently, the driver has been charged with violating public decency laws. If you really dig driving your Beetle in the buff, we suggest that you steer clear of parks when families are lounging and avoid “appearing” naked: both of those can lead to harassment by the po-po.

(Ed. note: we’re reminded here of that old joke — possibly from Jerry Clower — about the difference between “nude” and “naked”. When you say, “Darlene is nude”, it means Darlene doesn’t have any clothes on. When you say, “Darlene is naked”, it means Darlene doesn’t have any clothes on, and she’s up to something. Translation: when driving, don’t look naked.)

The best way to avoid problems with the law is to keep a pair of shorts or underwear nearby. Running around in you BVDs or Spanx may be of questionable taste, but it’s perfectly legal. Should you need to step out of your car, you ought to be wearing something, even if it’s a banana hammock. (Google it.) And this should go without saying: try not give police other reasons to pull you over, like sipping from an 40 oz. or reeking of hemp.

Here are a few more practical tips for your escape from the shackles of poly-cotton blends:

• Bring a towel. Sitting bare on a towel is going to be far more comfortable than doing so on any manufacturer’s car seats. For seats that can be cooled, using a lightly-woven towel — always in abundance at discount stores — allows the cool to reach your body. (This is what I am told. I have no practical experience with this. Really.)

• Wear shoes. Though driving barefoot is entirely legal in all 50 states (despite a lot of urban myths), it’s not especially safe or hygienic. You need a good pair of shoes, preferably athletic, to ensure that your feet get the grip they need. Save your heels for venues with an audience of good tippers.

• Watch your speed. There’s nothing like a naked driver hurtling down the highway to attract attention from police. Enough said.

• Bring sunscreen. Even t-shirts give you just an SFP of eight. Revving it in the raw could mean that the sizzle will start to hurt by lunchtime. Remember: your Xtube fans aren’t interested in seeing you sunburned. (Or maybe they are. We don’t know your life.)

• Don’t draw attention to yourself. Blasting “I Am What I Am” as you drive by the Piggly Wiggly could get you noticed — by the cops. Discretion is the better part of naked valor.

Above all, remember that your key function is to operate the car. If you find something’s distracting you — your beauty, the stunning view of your passenger, or something more lurid — driving naked is not a good idea. Keep your eyes where they belong: on the road.

Happy (natural) motoring.

Los Angeles and Detroit are two of the largest auto shows in North America, but automakers often save some big news for Chicago. From a new little diesel to a Superman sedan, big man van, and Texas-sized truck, there was a lot to see at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, which wrapped up last week. Here are some of the highlights:

2014 Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel
Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI gets company. Chevy is shoving a 2.0-liter diesel engine — which delivers 148 horsepower and 258 ft-lbs of torque — into the compact Cruze. In combination with low-rolling-resistance tires, rear spoiler, and lightweight 17” alloys, the engine enables 42 mpg highway. 0-60 mph arrives in 8.6 seconds. Prices will start at $25,695.

2014 Toyota Tundra
Not to be left behind, Toyota debuted its new Texas-built pickup. Bold exteriors accompany luxurious interiors with available saddle brown leather, JBL audio, Entune infotainment, heated/cooled seats, and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Drivers will choose from a V6 and two V8 engines, delivering up to 381 horsepower.

2013 Nissan Nismo Juke
Nissan’s in-house tuner works over the Juke with a race-inspired exterior, sport-tuned suspension, and firmer steering. Interiors feature bolstered suede seats with red stitching. Whether owners choose front- or all-wheel-drive, they’ll enjoy a 197 horsepower 1.6-liter turbo-four engine. Pricing wasn’t announced, but sales begin in March.

2014 Ram ProMaster
Developed from the Fiat Ducato, this unibody front-drive Ram will become a staple of contractors and delivery services and could give the Ford Transit Connect a run for its hard-earned money. Doors are wide enough for pallets. Under the hood is a 174 hp, 3.0-liter EcoDiesel or 280 hp 3.6-liter V6. Bluetooth, hands-free texting, web access, and navigation aid drivers. Sales begin this fall.

Kia Cross GT Concept
Peter Schreyer’s design studios created another stunner. Penned in Frankfurt, but built in California, it previews a next-generation crossover. Motivation comes from a 400 hp V6 hybrid system with AWD, enabling 20 miles of all-electric range. A hexagonal glass skylight, leather tanned with veggie oil, and walnut trim the interior. (Ed. note: Kia is not a gay-friendly automaker)

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR
Inspired by a ‘70s Beetle of the same name, the GSR will echo its predecessor with yellow paint, black accents, and large rear spoiler. Interiors boast Fender audio, sunroof, alloy pedals, and a stopwatch (!). The 210 hp 2.0-liter turbo-four and 19” alloys should deliver peppy performance. A limited allotment of 3500 units arrives this fall, pricing TBD.

2013 Dodge Mopar Dart
Outfitted with Mopar accessories, this special Dart wears black paint with blue stripes, 18” gloss black alloys, spoilers, Katskin blue leather driver’s seat, and industry-first wireless smartphone charging. A lowered suspension, premium brakes, and Fiat-sourced 1.4-liter turbo engine enhance performance. Production is limited to 500 cars.

Ford Fiesta ST Racer
Ford has been a contender in almost every racing series over the decades, and will continue in the Global RallyCross Championship, including five North American events, with a special Fiesta ST that previews the coming launch of a production version. The cars will be expertly driven during 2013 by Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan, and Ken Block.

Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid
The Optima Hybrid is already a superhero for Kia sales, but a partnership with DC Entertainment created this special car to help raise money for the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign to alleviate drought and famine in Africa. Widened fenders, adjustable suspension, and Superman color scheme gave the car super powers in Kia’s stand. (Ed. note: Kia is not a gay-friendly automaker)

(Ed. note: Our contributor Zach hails from Croatia, where the Fiat 500Ls roaming the streets are a little different than the ones expected in the U.S.)

When the Fiat 500L debuted in Italy, it caused quite a stir — literally. That’s because it came with an optional coffee machine. And not just any coffee machine: it’s made by Lavazza, the Italian king of coffee. (Check out the video above for proof!) That perk costs about 2.500KN, or roughly $430. To some that will sound ridiculous and unnecessary, but it’s all marketing, and to me, it seems fairly smart and cool.

Sadly, the coffee-maker didn’t make it into the American version of the 500L, which arrives in dealerships this summer. So for now, you’ll have to be content with Starbucks.

About the 500L

Five years after the reincarnation of the 500, Fiat decided to launch the 500L as a bigger option for families. It may not be as big as American minivans, but here in Europe where we’re used to smaller cars, it satisfies a family of five and all their luggage. Hopefully, it will be better accepted in the States than the small 500, which hasn’t exactly been flying off the lots.

Although it’s just a couple of inches longer than the Fiat Punto (the platform on which it’s based), the 500L offers a very roomy interior. Trunk space is impressive, surpassing some of its rivals. The rear bench seat is movable, offering extra luggage space for those who just can’t pack lightly. The instruments are very readable, and all the buttons on the center stack are within easy reach. The driver’s position is pitch-perfect, offering a very good view on both sides.

The 500L’s exterior looks chic, especially in red with white side mirrors and roof. Retro elements are found all over the car, and it looks very likable, just like its cute, diminutive sibling, the 500.

In the U.S., the 500L will come with a 1.4-liter “MultiAir Turbo” engine, which provides 160 hp and 184 ft-lbs of torque. U.S. mileage estimates for the 500L haven’t been announced, but given the car’s size, it’s not likely to beat the 500′s 31 mpg city/40 mpg highway.

Here in Europe, the 500L comes with a diesel option, which offers better fuel economy than the gas version. Depending on how well the 500L sells, that engine may or may not make it to the States.

I can’t say I’m especially optimistic about that, though. True, the 500L is bigger than the itsy-bitsy 500, and it offers significantly more interior space, but I’m worried that consumers in the U.S. may be turned off by the 500L simply because the 500 hasn’t been a big hit (despite J-Lo’s best efforts). It may take a while for Fiat to buff its brand image to the point that shoppers are willing to consider other vehicles in its lineup.

Then again, if Fiat changes its mind and includes the Lavazza coffee machine, who knows? Coffee can make people do crazy things.

In the movie To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Patrick Swayze and the girls need to buy a car for a cross-country road trip. “Substance or style” is their dilemma. The girls ultimately choose style, only for the car to breakdown in small farming town where Stockard Channing lives.  Hilarity ensues.

Indeed, if you buy a used car for all the wrong (read: “style”) reasons, there won’t be much hilarity when you find yourself shelling out thousands of dollars to fix what the seller promised was already fixed.

Few people can afford a new car these days, so you have to wonder just who is buying a Lamborghini (Jay Leno) or those funky new small cars with all the bling (not me). Given that all new cars lose up to 20% of their value once they’re driven off the lot, it makes sense to consider a used car, especially if it’s for your grown children, PFLAG mom, or the life partner you’re not sure you’ll keep until Labor Day.

How not to punked at the lemon lot? To protect yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Once you’ve handed over the cash and accept the title, the car is yours — and good luck returning it if defective. Even with dealer brokers, getting your money back may not be possible. Read the fine print.
• Private sellers can be as high-pressure as dealers. Everyone should always car shop with a friend who is more removed from the purchase.
• Do you really need “style”? Unless you’re dead-set on a classic car or you’re a great mechanic, used cars should be practical and affordable. Your “style” money is best used on you, not your transportation.
• No matter what you buy, it’s still a crap shoot. That’s just how it is, but consider this: you took a chance and came out of the closet. Buying a used car will be much easier.

When you begin shopping for a used car, here are some things to consider:

• As a buyer, you are better protected buying from a dealer broker.  The cost is higher, sure, but so is the peace of mind. They are required by law to vouch for the safety and the maintenance of the car.
• If you buy from a private party, make sure you know the party well. Sellers on the internet —  just like people’s profiles on the internet — are often not who they say they are.
• If you buy from a private seller, they will most likely demand cash or a money order. Be sure you know how to contact the seller if something happens, like, say, the engine falls to the ground. Not that finding the seller is guaranteed to do you much good, but the transaction shouldn’t be a hit-and-run.
• Drive the car. If the seller won’t let you test drive the car, walk away. There is usually something to hide.
• When you close the deal, make sure you have all the items (keys, accessories, bras) that you’re buying. Don’t let the seller say he’ll get it to you. Like the man your BFF fell in love with last year at Gay Pride, that extra set of keys to his heart may never materialize.
• Be sure to get the title at the same time you fork over the cash.  Trust should have nothing to do with this kind of transaction.

Finally, before you buy:

• Get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and check it to make sure you know the history of the car. This can be done through a variety of websites, like Carfax. If it has been totaled and rebuilt, hold onto your wallet. Beware, however, because even a clean record doesn’t mean a clean history. Rebuilt cars deemed as totaled can be rebuilt (enough to pass inspection) and often get a new VIN. Do your homework.
• Do not buy on the spot. If you’re desperate for a car, everyone knows it, and you’re more likely to get stuck with a lemon that’s just been Armor-All-ed.  Get the vehicle information, go home and do your research, take a nap, do yoga and let your friends help you say “no” when needed.
• At the very least, get a receipt for your purchase.  If the seller doesn’t have one, create one for the transaction.  You will need this for tax and legal purposes. You say you won’t have to deal with taxes or legal issues?  Think again. You will always be subject to sales tax, whether or not anyone comes to collect.
• Again, if the seller doesn’t want to sign anything, walk away. Your other dream car is possibly right around the corner.
• Ultimately, trust your gut when deciphering all the information you can find.  If you are getting a vibe that says walk away, it’s probably not the enchiladas talking.

It makes sense to get help when making such a major purchase. Start with a credit union or other regulated organization, because they will happily sell you a car. If there is a local automobile dealers association, contact them for help.  Of course, they will try to sell you a new car, but stick to your guns. They, too, will happily sell you a car, new or used.

Also, don’t worry too much about your credit score if it’s low.  While important, there are so many sellers who really don’t care how good you look on paper.  They too will happily sell you a car. It’s true that your credit score will affect your interest rate, but honestly, even that is negotiable.  Stay tough.

Now here’s another twist to ponder: often, it is more practical and economical for you to buy a new car than a used car. If you can, run the numbers over a three-year period on the car of your choice and see if the used car ultimately saves you money.  Even with a stellar used car, you still may incur big repair costs in as little as one year.

Across most of the U.S., today is Tuesday, February 12. Workers will gather around water coolers to discuss the pope’s resignation, North Korea’s nuclear tests, and Kelly Clarkson’s awesome photobombing of America’s favorite lesbian couple.

In New Orleans, however, it is not just Tuesday, February 12. Here, and in a few other lucky cities like Mobile, Alabama, it is Fat Tuesday — or, literally translated, “Mardi Gras”. It’s the final day of the Carnival season, which begins every year on January 6 and ends 47 days before Easter.

Mardi Gras is a day of indulgence, a day of food, friends, and, of course, drinking. In New Orleans — home to one of your friendly Gaywheels staffers — locals hang up their keys and leave the driving to the police, the float-pullers, and the tourists who have to be back in their cubicles on Ash Wednesday.

For those who are unfortunate enough to be in that last number, we’re reprinting this handy-dandy Mardi Gras driving guide, which notes some of the many, many sights and obstacles you’ll face behind the wheel today. (Click on one of the highlighted areas to get the full scoop):

View Mardi Gras driving guide in a larger map

Earlier today, I posted my list of “winners” from the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. But of course, you can’t have winners without a few losers. Here’s my selection of worst offenders. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a full gallery, if you must.

THE “NO, THANK YOU, MA’AMS”

Hyundai HDC-14 Concept

Seriously, what is this? Ugh, that face.

I thought Hyundai had been totally getting it lately with some gorgeous and cohesive designs like the Elantra, Azera, and Santa Fe.  Well, here’s the HDC-14 Concept, featuring a front end that makes me want to tear my eyes out. It’s odd because on top, we have a rather gorgeous, Audi A7-inspired roofline, with a graceful arch and just-right windows. Yet as we stumble down the sides we come to a grill and headlight arrangement that will surely haunt your nightmares. ENOUGH.

This concept is supposed to preview the new Genesis. I doubt it will look this terrible when the production version arrives. Or maybe Hyundai is being really smart and showing us something ugly so that when the much-better-looking production version arrives, we’ll all be elated that it doesn’t look a thing like the hideous concept.

It’s funny, I have a lot of respect for the Korean automakers, who’ve made giant strides in the industry in the past few years. It just seems like they have a lot of trouble designing an attractive front end. The Veloster, the Sonata Hybrid, the Tuscon: they all have weird, catfish-derived grilles that throw off an otherwise well-executed design. I know the designers want their cars to be more distinctive, but distinctly ugly is not what you want to be known for.

2014 Lexus IS

Oh, Lexus. I’m not even sure what to say here. I know you want to be one of the cool kids. You may even be one now, with the bizarre front end of the new IS. The only problem is that the folks lusting over your curiously designed wares will be 14-year-old PC gamers instead of the young urban professionals you want to attract. Looking like the Predator alien with really weird bifocals, the 2014 Lexus IS is aesthetically challenged, to say the least. The interior looks to be more of the same from the company, with a Yaris-like steering wheel and a weirdly plastic vibe. What more can I say? I don’t like it because it’s ugly, and that’s all, folks.

Acura MDX Prototype

I don’t really understand WHY Acura insists on showing “prototypes” rather than concepts or real production versions. Just like 2o12, when Acura showed the RDX and ILX prototypes, this year’s MDX prototype is pretty much 100% what the production model will be.

Stylistically, it’s more dull, dull Acura — sure to not offend anyone, but if this thing quickens your pulse then you must be a Slow Loris. Looking a bit like a Japanese Dodge Durango, the MDX is entirely, appallingly predictable. It could also easily be the next Honda Pilot, which does not bode well for a brand trying to market itself as upscale.

Also, I have to say that the jeweled headlights Acura is now making a design trait look unnervingly spider-like in person — like this thing is watching you with ALL its eyes, and it’s big ol’ beak mouth is HUNGRY. Beware.

Last week’s 2013 Detroit Auto Show was a whirlwind of premieres and press conferences. Thankfully, the long, three-day weekend gave me time to reflect and choose some winners and losers of the lot.

Below, you’ll find my best-in-show list. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a full gallery — and stay tuned this afternoon for the, um, not so fortunate.

THE “YES, PLEASE-ES” 

2014 Chevrolet Corvette 

Behold: the new, 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It’s still a Corvette, only now it wants you to mistake it for a Ferrari. Not a bad thing.

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette looks great in person, with a much more sculpted and intricate design than the last generation C6. The rear is especially changed, as Chevy has ditched the ubiquitous circular taillights and replaced them with some highly three-dimensional units, compete with “crying chola” tear-drop tattoo vents on each side. They look far better than my description may make them seem. (Scroll down to see them in the gallery.)

The interior is also a vast improvement on the truly horrible, econo-car interior of the previous, C6. The new interior is focused toward the driver — fitting for a super serious sports car. In fact, the controls are SO canted toward the driver that Chevy has provided the passenger with her own adorable set of climate and seat controls right below the right hand air vent. Awwwww.

I DO take issue with Chevy calling this iteration of the Corvette a Stingray though. Using that hallowed name is going to make many a baby-boomer’s eyes pop-out with anticipation, so I’m sure it’s a smart marketing move; I’m just not convinced this design truly says “Stingray.”

One area in which you won’t be mistaking the Corvette for a Ferrari is the price. Expect this puppy to start around $50,000 when it goes on sale later this year, and THAT my friends is what I like to call American ingenuity.

2014 Cadillac ELR

The extended-range electric Chevy Volt was a great start but let’s be real: it lacked the glamour to really set people’s hearts afire. Of course debuting the Voltec technology on its mainstream brand was a deliberate move on GM’s part, seeking to make the point that the future of alternative propulsion was not going to be reserved for the rich.

Well, guess what, you patient rich people: your extended range electric car is finally here! Was it worth the wait? Well just look at it. Let me answer for you: YES. The ELR is a clear evolution of the current Cadillac design language, with sharp creases married to soaring, fluid shapes. It works really well on the ELR and gives this car the visual gravitas it needs to turn heads. Of course those stunning (and standard?!) 20-inch rims add to the feeling every time you glance at the ELR. Inside, the ELR expands on Cadillac themes we’ve seen as well, though the materials and execution seem even richer than in the lesser models.

In my heart of hearts, though I really wish Cadillac had called this an “El Dorado.” I know I’m going to get people yelling that that’s an old person’s name, but whatever. It was badass sounding then, and it’s badass sounding now.

BMW 4-Series Concept

Stylistically, BMWs are still recovering from the wounds wrought upon them by Chris Bangle. Squawk all you want: Bangle’s designs for the Bavarian performance powerhouse may have been interesting, but they certainly weren’t attractive. Thankfully, the brand has been making a recovery and the new 4-Series concept shows BMW is pushing its design back into the realms of attractiveness.

Interesting and muscular side-detailing fits the demeanor of this compact sport coupe concept. My only real concern here is with that face. It’s a bit gawky in person and leans a little too forward and down resulting in an awkwardly dorky gaze. Also: too bad about the interior, which is shared with the standard 3-Series sedan, making it a bit downmarket compared to the competition.

Still, this is a solidly attractive entry for BMW, something that has been sorely missing from this company in the past decade. More like this please. 

Lincoln MKC Concept

The unveiling event for the Lincoln MKC was freaking bizarre. It was all pretty and nice until they opened the box containing the new crossover concept, and two young women emerged carrying long scarves covering the MKC Concept. It was like Cleopatra coming to Rome. Hopefully, unlike Cleopatra, the Lincoln MKC crossover won’t bring ultimate death and destruction to the the Ford empire. I certainly don’t think it will, because the Lincoln MKC Concept looks fantastic.

The MKC Concept offers a very clear glimpse of what the production Lincoln MKC crossover will look like when it hits the market in what I’m guessing will be about a year. A very well-conceived design, the Lincoln MKC includes a successful application of the brand’s new “flying” grill, as well as its newly re-adopted trademark full-width tail lights. So long as the proportions are maintained for production, Lincoln should have a winner on its hands. If Lincoln is smart, it’ll also include a hybrid version to entice some Lexus loyalists over to Lincoln-land.

Sidenote: I got the chance to speak with Soo Kang, the Korean born designer for the MKC (and MKZ) interior. She was a delight: funny, open, and genuinely excited about the product she help design. When asked about where the “champagne bubble” leather perforation pattern from the MKZ concept went in the production model, she assured me that she was working on something even cooler for the future that would indeed make it to production. Color me very intrigued.

Honda Urban SUV

The Honda Urban SUV Concept was a pleasant surprise at the show. Like it or not, Americans still have a taste for things called “SUV” and “crossover”, and Honda wants as big a piece of that pie as they can get. The Urban SUV Concept foreshadows what we can expect from their upcoming Fit-based crossover. It’s a pleasant little porker with clean styling and good proportions. Let’s hope they keep all of that for the production version.

Ed. note: Our own Sam Miller-Christiansen attended this week’s media preview of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Below, you’ll find a recap of his second day on the floor. Full disclosure: during his visit, Sam was the guest of General Motors, but he had plenty of time to explore offerings from other automakers at the show.

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If the first day of the Detroit Auto Show is like Christmas for car worshipers,  the second day is a bit like New Year’s Eve: it’s still a lot of fun, and there are some cool things to see, but you don’t get overloaded with presents. That’s not to say I didn’t have a great time, and there were definitely some interesting vehicles to be revealed, including…

Nissan Resonance Concept

Clearly, this is giving us some hints at what the next Nissan Murano will look like. A gorgeous car in its first generation, the second generation that’s currently on the road looks a bit like an alien insect with an eye problem. Does this Resonance Concept give me hope for the third Murano? Not quite. The Resonance looks like a sexy rodent with that big ol’ buck tooth up front. It’s also a little too fanciful and dreamy to be a direct indication of how the next Murano will look. The back made me think of a Juke, which is not a good thing. I’ll withhold further judgment until the production model arrives. That said, if you’re into really hot mice, this could be the ride for you.

Ford Atlas Concept

The Ford Atlas Concept is a big deal because it foreshadows the next generation of F-Series trucks, the second-best-selling vehicle in the U.S. after the Toyota Camry. It’s an understandable evolution, as Ford would never throw out its best-selling baby with the bathwater. The interior is also evolutionary, but appears more high-tech than what most truck buyers may be used to. The Atlas has a surprising emphasis on efficiency for a truck, employing technology like active grill and wheel shutters to reduce aerodynamic drag for improved fuel economy. Not the most exciting concept, but a very important one.

2014 Lexus IS

Those headlights: that’s what the new 2014 Lexus IS is all about. Lexus certainly took a chance with the bold headlight arrangement, which places the LED daytime running lights in front of the actual headlight pod. The problem is that it looks entirely contrived, and the entire design is a touch too busy. The IS reads like the punky teenage daughter of the Lexus tribe. Just last year she was sweet and kinda pretty, but this year she’s got piercings, eyeliner, and a bad attitude. The problem is that Lexus seems to have gone straight from “understated and bland” to “wacky and controversial” without finding that sweet spot in the middle of those two idioms. The interior is a step up but I can’t help but think “Yaris” when I look at that steering wheel.

2014 Cadillac ELR 

General Motors was majorly repping down on the Cobo Hall floor. Following up on the Corvette launch of the previous day, Cadillac revealed its ELR extended-range electric car on Tuesday. (Ed. note: Nick gave us a slightly longer look at the ELR earlier today.) It uses basically the same systems as the Chevy Volt, but DAMN this is one sexy electric scooter. The interior expands on the themes we’ve already seen in the ATS and XTS, but the ELR is a bit more luxurious than those whips, thanks to its gorgeous Opus leather. I don’t think the Volt has gotten nearly the amount of attention it deserves, but you can’t count on the gorgeous ELR to get the word out about GM’s industry-leading Voltec system.

Acura MDX Prototype

Stop being coy, Acura. This is 99% what the production MDX will look like — which means that apparently the next Acura MDX will look like a Japanese interpretation of the Dodge Durango, but with an ugly front end. Acura didn’t show the interior, but we can expect it to be a very safe evolution of the interiors we’ve already seen from the brand. What else can I say here? Yawn. Those lights are kinda interesting. No, actually they’re just gauche.

2014 Kia Cadenza

Someone better check on hell to make sure it hasn’t frozen over: Kia is now offering a near-luxury large car that can go head to head with the best in the business. From a design standpoint, the Cadenza seems like a mix of Audi and BMW styling cues (for better or worse). It’s an attractive whole, but not the strongest design to come out of Kia recently. The interior continues the Audi/BMW mashup theme, with upscale materials and great fit and finish. It’s a solid entry for Kia that will surprise many people, but how many shoppers will actually visit a Kia showroom looking for this kind of car? Only the sales charts will tell.

With the flashy and much-hyped introduction of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, General Motors could have coasted through the rest of this year’s Detroit Auto Show with relative ease. Instead, the U.S. auto giant took a step in a new direction, at least when it comes to imbuing the Cadillac luxury division with green vehicle credentials. Introduced on Tuesday, January 15, the Cadillac ELR is the brand’s first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle, and possibly one of the most important models in Cadillac’s long history.

Based on the Chevrolet Volt, the four-passenger ELR coupe eschews the functionality of a five-door layout—as found in the Volt—for the visual punch of a coupe design. The result, which looks remarkably similar to the 2009 Converj concept car, makes the ELR arguably one of the best looking eco-themed vehicles on the market—or at least it will, once the extended-range electric Caddy goes on sale in early 2014.

With a 1.4-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder engine and 16.5 kWh lithium ion battery, the ELR’s total output is a stout 207 horsepower. That’s a sizeable jump from the Volt’s 149 hp, though it’s likely that overall performance will be similar, since the luxury-laden ELR weighs about 300 pounds more than its Chevy counterpart. The ELR is capable of traveling 35 miles on electric power, before the gasoline engine kicks in to serve as an onboard generator and boost total driving range to 300 miles.

Pricing will be revealed closer to the ELR’s on sale date.

Ed note: Our own Sam Miller-Christiansen attended this week’s media preview of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Below, you’ll find a recap of his first day on the floor. Full disclosure: during his visit, Sam was the guest of General Motors, but he had plenty of time to explore offerings from other automakers at the show.

* * * * *

The 2013 North American International Auto Show (better known as the Detroit Auto Show) is home to many new models, and the entire event has a more upbeat and progressive feel than in years past.

Of course the star of the show was the…

2014 Chevrolet Corvette

The mighty C7 Corvette has arrived and — surprise — it’s called the Stingray again! Its exterior design is an evolution from the precious generation, though the surface detailing is much more highly refined, and the circular taillights have been pretty much ditched for a more angular design. The interior is vastly improved, with upscale materials and detailing as well as advanced digital displays that can be customized to show whatever the driver desires (or, well, almost anything, winky face). It looks so fantastic you’ll probably want to light up a sparkler and sing “The Star Spangled Banner”. I certainly did.

Hyundai HDC-14 Concept

The HDC-14 Concept made me wish that Hyundai had kept the reveal sheet on, as it looked much better covered than it did when finally unveiled. On the positive side, there’s a gorgeous, arching roofline reminiscent of the Audi A7. It all falls apart from there with a flat-out hideous grill that looks like a dead catfish and a fussy rear. The interior was pure pie-in-the-sky concept, though apparently you can play poker on the infotainment screen in the center console, so at least there’s something for gambling addicts. The HDC-14 is supposed to foreshadow the new Genesis sedan design. Let’s hope Hyundai’s designers get their eyeglass prescriptions fixed by that time.

(Ed. note: Hyundai is not a gay-friendly automaker.)

2014 Infiniti Q50

Replacing the G-Series in Infiniti’s lineup is the Q50. Infiniti appears to be playing it safe here with very evolutionary styling and a rear that looks a bit too much like the Hyundai Sonata for its own good. Inside, the Q50 is surprisingly more of the same, with a safe and already-seen-before feel. A touchscreen system, similar to that found in the Honda Accord, makes its first appearance in an Infiniti product and is called InTouch (har har). The Q50 will arrive with conventional and hybrid power plants, marking the first time Infiniti will offer a hybrid in this class.

Lincoln MKC Concept

The next link in the chain for Lincoln’s revival, the MKC Concept, gives us a very good idea of what to expect from the company’s upcoming crossover entry. It’s a cleanly executed design, with the signature Lincoln grill up front and full-width taillights ’round the rear  It’s going to be crucial for Lincoln to have a strong contender in the crossover market, and the MKC concept looks fantastic. Inside, the design is much the same as that on the MKZ introduced last year. It may not be distinctly a Lincoln, but it is distinctly attractive, and that’s very good news for Ford’s luxury brand.

Toyota Corolla Furia Concept 

I suppose the Corolla is now furious or something. I’m not quite sure what Toyota is trying to convey with the name of this concept, but clearly it’s supposed to foreshadow the upcoming new Corolla, which we’ve only had to wait about 100 years for. Imagine this concept but stripped of everything that makes it interesting or attractive and you have the next Corolla. Yay!?

Honda Urban SUV Concept

Think of the Honda Urban SUV Concept as a Fit crossover and you wouldn’t be far off. The Urban SUV concept is pleasantly proportioned and cleanly styled, though I do take issue with the slightly wacko grill-bleeding-into-headlights treatment up front. It’s not pretty on the CR-V, and it’s not pretty here either.

Volkswagen CrossBlue Concept

The CrossBlue Concept is a first look at the seven-seat crossover VW is developing especially for us wagon-hating Americans. This will be the second model built in VW’s state-of-the-art Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. Visually the CrossBlue reads like a slightly higher Ford Flex but with a more mainstream design than the Ford. VW actually wants this thing to sell. The interior is a bright spot, with clean, upscale looking design throughout. Can’t wait to see the production version.

BMW 4 Series Concept

The 4-Series Coupe Concept is a very strong indicator of what we can expect from the production 4-Series Coupe when it is unveiled later this year as a replacement to the 3-Series Coupe currently on the lots. The 4 Concept is striking in person, with a taught, muscular body and a bold (though slightly sloppy-looking) face. Interior is lifted straight from the new 3-Series sedan. Pity.

Yes, it’s Friday — but not just any Friday. It’s the Friday before one of the biggest car events of the year: the North American International Auto Show, better known as the Detroit Auto Show.

We’re cleaning our keyboards and polishing our cameraphones to bring you a glimpse of the newest, quirkiest, most interesting stuff from the floor of the 2013 auto show. In the meantime, here are a few tidbits to tide you over until the full motor meal is served next week.

1. We don’t read German, but thankfully, the Autowäsche 2013 wall calendar needs no translation. Because unlike Esperanto, men in their underwear leaning on awesome cars is an international language. [h/t John Voelcker]

2. Coming out isn’t something that LGBT folks do once, then go on about their lives. We do it every single day. As we saw yesterday in a recently unearthed newspaper article written by current Newark, NJ mayor Corey Booker in 1992, the straight public’s feelings toward LGBT Americans often change once they’ve met one of us. So, here’s some great advice: never lie about who you really are.

3. When people think of great Hollywood cars, they often think of James Bond’s Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me, or the Ford Mustang Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt. But we have a soft spot for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which could not only fly, but its name is great for puns. Here’s an infographic with a few more awesome rides from Tinseltown:

It’s December 31: time to chill the champagne, dust off our cummerbunds, and prepare a list of New Year’s resolutions that we’ll start living by tomorrow. You know, just as soon as we get some nasty habits out of our systems tonight.

It’s also a great time to look back at Gaywheels’ most popular posts for 2012. As always, the most popular page on Gaywheels.com was our list of gay-friendly (and shrinking list of gay-unfriendly) automakers. Also drawing traffic this year: one of our 2012 Detroit Auto Show galleries (the one featuring the Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels edition), and a post that poses that eternal question, Is The BMW 7-Series The Gayest Car In LA?

But of course, that’s not all. Car reviews are our bread and butter here at Gaywheels, and it’s why many — if not most of you — drop by. Here are our most-viewed reviews of 2012.

1. 2011 VW Golf GTI vs. 2011 VW Golf TDI
2. 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
3. 2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum
4. 2007 Nissan Quest
5. 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek: The Way Around Cliche
6. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO
7. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
8. Driven: 2013 Subaru Outback With EyeSight
9. 2013 Audi A5 And The Face That Will NOT Be Ignored
10. 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI

Thanks so much for being such loyal readers and supporters. We look forward to entertaining and engaging you for many more years to come.

Have a safe and happy New Year’s holiday, and we’ll see you later this week as we gear up for the 2013 Detroit Auto Show!

Procrastination is a wonderful thing. It helps us ignore deadlines and convinces us that our lives are super-important and way busier than they really are. It’s like a stress-reliever and an ego-boost all in one — and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than therapy.

But believe it or not, procrastination also has a downside. Anecdotal evidence suggests that procrastination can prevent you from accomplishing things — important things like, say, buying Christmas presents for friends and family.

If you know someone who’s fallen prey to the I’ll-do-it-later bug this holiday season, never fear: we have three last-minute gift ideas that are sure to please nearly everyone on your your friend’s list. And given our own inclinations here at Gaywheels, it should come as no surprise that these goodies are especially good for car fans.

1. A charitable donation
Let’s face it: most of us have way too much stuff. We don’t need another toaster or a scented candle or a set of holiday dishrags. Making a charitable gift in someone’s name is thoughtful, tasteful, and it won’t take up any room in the recipient’s already cluttered house. For the auto aficionado, consider a gift to Racing for Kids, which “is designed to use the increasing popularity of motorsports to focus public attention and funding on the health care needs of children”. There’s also Meals on Wheels, which delivers over 1,000,000 meals every day to seniors and shut-ins across the country. Best of all: you can nab this gift from the comfort of your own living room.

2. Car care goodie bag
For this one, you’re going to have to venture out into the world — something you might not want to do on Christmas Eve. But worry not: today’s worst crowds will be at malls, not at car-care stores. Just put on some sweats; dash over to Auto Zone, Pep Boys, or your store of choice; grab a quick mix of wax, upholstery cleaner, oil, fuel treatment, and other everyday stuff; then wrap everything up in a chamois cloth your recipient can use to shine his or her ride. For an added touch, use a paper air freshener as a gift tag. Your move, Martha Stewart.

3. Netflix
As much as we love our cars, we can’t spend every waking hour driving, cleaning, and modding them out. Sometimes, we just want to stretch out on the sofa and watch Vin Diesel flex his biceps as he boosts hot cars. Giving someone on your list a subscription to Netflix allows them to do just that. Or if they prefer, they can always draw the curtains and snuggle up to everyone’s second-favorite Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street. (Sadly, Auntie Mame isn’t available on instant queue.)

No matter your religious affiliation — or lack thereof — have a great week. We’ll be back in a couple of days with more great car news and reviews.

For obvious reasons, we talk a lot about “gay cars” here at Gaywheels. But what, exactly, is a gay car?

From where we sit, there are a lot of gay cars cruising the streets. Some look as outrageous as a drag queen on a bender. Some appeal to the gay-ghetto urban lifestyle or our love of pets. Others are more subdued, but like frat boys after a 12-pack, there are few cars that haven’t experimented batting for our team.

Here are two more examples that recently appeared on our gay-car gaydar:

1. At the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, fashion designer Jeremy Scott unveiled the “smart forjeremy”, an all-electric smart fortwo that’s been tricked out with wings that look a heck of a lot better than the ones on the Terrafugia Transition, even though Scott’s are purely decorative. Whether we want to call the “forjeremy” gay, there’s no denying that it’s fabulous. Which is pretty close.

2. The self-described “comedy/rock band” Fortress of Attitude recently went on tour, and along the way, some asshat left a note on the band’s car, critiquing their parking job. Naturally, the group set the note to music in a song called “P.S. Gay Car”.

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and here in America, many of us are feverishly cleaning house and baking gluten-free pies for hordes of invading marauders houseguests. But before we get elbow-deep in stuffing, have a look at these holiday news items:

1. That Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels edition we spotted earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show? Well, in case you hadn’t heard, it’s for real-real. Just keep in mind that the bright metallic paint and Hot Wheels flame badges come at a cost — namely $7,000 above the regular Camaro’s sticker price. Still, some would call that a bargain.

2. Everyone’s favorite financial adviser, out lesbian Suze Orman, is shilling for Acura this holiday season. Here she is, picking up some strange woman in a TL:

That’s interesting, considering that Suze has often encouraged her fans to avoid new cars and purchase “new used” vehicles instead, but whatever — girl’s gotta eat, right? The million-dollar question is whether One Million (Intellectually Challenged) Moms will launch another of their laughable boycotts in protest. Let’s hope!

3. No one really enjoys traveling over the river and through the woods to sit around a dinner table full of obnoxious in-laws, do they? We didn’t think so. If you’re making the journey this week, perhaps this awesome time-lapse video of Route 66 will make you feel better. Probably not, but hey, we’re trying:

Beyond technology and safety features, color is hugely important to me when it comes to making a car purchase.

Years ago, I leased a champagne-colored Nissan Murano. Champagne sounded so sexy when I signed on the dotted line, but it got boring fast. Soon, I felt like I was driving a bus.

After that, I had a dark blue Chevy HHR, which still sits in my garage and serves as a second car. It wasn’t my intention to buy a blue car, but my husband got a “deal” on it. Alas, as it turns out, blue is boring too.

For that past six years, I’ve been on a ruby red kick. My current lease is a ruby red Honda Crosstour.  The car before that was a ruby red Cadillac CTS. But as sexy as ruby red is, I think I’ve outgrown it. What’s next? We’ll see come March, when my lease is up.

What brought car and color to mind wasn’t my own preferences. Rather, it was thinking about the oddly and overly “girly” promotional efforts so many companies have fallen into when it comes to marketing to women. “Pink = Women!  Yay!”  It’s as if guns, laptops, frying pans, and tasers suddenly have a gender just because they’re colored pink.

But pink isn’t a color that automakers can exploit like other manufacturers have. No auto executive in her right mind would expect to sell too many bright pink rides.

Not that I haven’t seen the occasional pink car. There’s even the Pinky Tow towing service rig that appears every so often in my neighborhood. And of course, there are Mary Kay’s infamous pink Cadillacs.  (I wonder if there’s a trademarked shade of “Mary Kay pink”?)

But pink’s crossover appeal is limited, to say the least. Pink signals to men, “Hands off! This product is for the ladies!” Pink also signals to men, “If you like this, you should be questioning your masculinity and your heterosexuality.”

How can one color have so much power over men and threaten their masculinity at the same time? And how is it that many straight men feel fine wearing a pink shirt, but blanche at the idea of driving a pink automobile?

That, in turn, raises another question: how do auto manufacturers target products and advertising to women without alienating men? After all, men buy cars, too. Branding expert Denise Lee Yohn suggests, “Companies should take care not to over-emphasize the gender orientation of their products. To capture the widest appeal and to avoid reinforcing stereotypes that alienate, they should pursue specific styles and aesthetics that resonate with both men and women.”

GM must have pondered this gender/color conundrum with the 2013 Malibu, knowing full-well the car’s strong appeal among women. How could GM maintain its female base without alienating men? There are both pros and cons to GM’s marketing campaign for the Malibu, which includes a partnership with out, gay fashion designer, Isaac Mizrahi.

The first Malibu commercial for TV is gender-neutral, with just enough features to appeal to both male and female car buyers. Its presentation is practical and unobtrusive.

However, Chevrolet’s “Malibu Style” campaign is a different story. The opening spot positions Mizrahi as the gay boyfriend who helps you (i.e. the woman) look good and makes you feel good about yourself. After all, don’t all straight women love gay boyfriends and seek out their advice about fashion and proper accessorizing?

Mizrahi is GM’s way of coloring the Malibu marketing campaign full-tilt pink. He’s gay. He designs women’s clothing. He’s understands cut, color, form, and texture. And, he’s creating a new clothing line called “Malibu Style.” He’s turning clothes into fashion accessories for your car. After all, who wants to wear clothes that don’t match their car? Ew, that’s so unfabulous!

GM is currently developing a Facebook page and a series of 50 videos that showcase Mizrahi driving to various cities and visiting several fabulous women to talk about style. Clearly, the Malibu isn’t for country bumpkins. It’s for Sex & the City sirens, based on what I’m reading and hearing.

That impression is reinforced by lead creative designer, Rebecca Waldmeir, who alludes to a sophisticated, sexy, fashion-conscious female car buyer in a recent Detroit News interview :

“Our Chevy Malibu customer is very smart, very savvy,” said Rebecca Waldmeir, lead creative designer for color and trim for Chevrolet passenger cars including the Malibu. “She doesn’t want to sacrifice anything. She wants to indulge a little.” Waldmeir said she often looks to the fashion industry to help her with colors and trim. She said the interior colors and texture and feel of the Malibu’s leather seats were inspired by a luxury handbag.

Clearly, the Malibu isn’t for the Lena Dunham, urban, Girls-type of gal. Only Carries, Mirandas, Samanthas, and Charlottes, epitomize “Malibu Style” by knowing what cuts and colors to wear (or drive).

But how often did we see anyone in Sex & the City drive? I wasn’t a regular viewer, but I saw enough episodes to know that I never saw a main character behind a wheel.

Vanity Fair interviewed Mizrahi and asked about his partnership with GM. Mizrahi describes his foray into automotive using the royal “we”:

We’re on this road trip across the country, stopping in four or five cities. And we’re going to meet different women and kind of get their take on the way they put themselves together, they put their lives together, and that’s going to inspire me to do the collection. I’m also being inspired by the design of the car. I’m a design person. So every single angle I look at, every single color, gives me ideas. So I’ve been kind of looking at the car a lot, driving the car—I’m not a huge driver, but I’ve been driving the car. That’s what’s going to inspire this collection, I hope. And then after that, it will hopefully launch sometime this fall. [Emphasis mine]

He’s not a “huge driver”? What does that even mean?

Not much further into the interview, he says,

I’m not a car person, but I’m not a non-car person. I notice a beautiful car when I see it. Any great piece of machinery, any great piece of design, is something that’s going to inspire me. I just think that this a very good marriage between brands. [Emphasis mine]

Next, the interviewer asks him about his fantasy car:

Do you have a car that you’ve always fantasized about owning, or a car that you see on the street and think: that’s my spiritual home on wheels?

I don’t really. I notice a beautiful car. And when I notice a car, it’s usually about the color of the car—that’s what makes me notice it first. The new Malibu has some really amazing colors. There’s a new Red Ice color. There’s a great silver color that’s dazzling. It’s the greatest neutral I’ve ever seen. It’s this bone, but it has a little shimmer to it, yet it’s unlike any other white car that I’ve ever seen.

So, let me wrap my head around the thought process that must’ve gone into this GM/Malibu/Mizrahi mashup:

• Women love fashion and are very conscious about color.
• Mizrahi is a fashion designer who knows what women love and what colors look good on women.
• Mizrahi is gay, so women will love his work, because he has a queer eye for the straight gal.

Did I forget anything? Oh, yes:

• Mizrahi is not a big driver (does he even own a car?), and he’s not a car person, but he’s not a non-car person, either.

Yeesh. I love pink as much as the next person, but I’ll stick with ruby red for now.

A week after historic LGBT wins at the ballot box, there’s more great news to share: the Human Rights Campaign has published its 2013 Corporate Equality Index, and five automakers have earned perfect scores. (That’s up from three on last year’s list.) However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

Scoring

To assign rankings, HRC employs a range of criteria, including whether or not a company…

• Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation — 15 points
• Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression — 15 points
• Offers Partner Health/Medical Insurance — 15 points
• Has Parity Across Other “Soft” Benefits for Partners (half credit for parity across some, but not all benefits – 10 points
• Offers Transgender-Inclusive Health Insurance Coverage — 10 points
• Firm-wide Organizational Competency Programs — 10 points
• Has Employer-Supported Employee Resource Group OR Firm-Wide Diversity Council (Would Support ERG if Employees Express Interest — half credit)– 10 points
• Positively Engages the External LGBT Community (partial credit of 5 points given for less than 3 efforts) – 15 points
• Responsible Citizenship Employers will have 25 points deducted from their score for a large-scale official or public anti-LGBT blemish on their recent records — -25 points

HRC focuses its analysis on Fortune 500 companies, which unfortunately leaves out foreign automakers. However, any company on Planet Earth can be listed in the Corporate Equality Index simply by volunteering the information listed above.

THE GOOD NEWS

Last year, three automakers scored perfect 100s on the Corporate Equality Index: Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota.

This year, Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota remained on the A+ list, with General Motors and Volkswagen moving up to join them. (Joe LaMuraglia — a friend of Gaywheels and LGBT Liaison for Communications at GM — assured us that GM’s dip in the 2012 scoring would be resolved, and we’re happy to see that’s happened.)

In other words, all three Detroit automakers are fabulously, officially LGBT-friendly, as are two of their biggest competitors.

Not far down the HRC’s list, we find Subaru, with a score of 85. To reach a perfect 100, Subaru just needs to add transgender-friendly health coverage and benefits like bereavement leave for domestic partners.

Close on Subaru’s heels, we find Nissan, with a score of 75 — up a whopping 45 points  from last year. Nissan has instituted a range of policy changes to lift its ranking, and the automaker could land a perfect 100 next year if it adds health insurance to address the needs of transgender employees and if it implements diversity training or other corporate competency programs.

The only 0 on the Index’s auto industry list is Penske Automotive, which operates “174 [automotive] franchises in 18 states and Puerto Rico and 170 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom”, according to boilerplate from a recent press release. The company has approximately 16,000 employees — none of whom are protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation of expression. Perhaps you should shop elsewhere.

THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

Like other civil rights movements, the push for LGBT equality has hit its share of stumbling blocks:

• HIV and AIDS halted the tide of political progress that LGBT Americans were making in the early 1980s and killed some of our most articulate leaders.
• Bill Clinton came into office promising to repeal the ban on gays in the military, but what we got was the even-worse policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
• Anti-gay groups like the National Organization for Marriage — not to mention the Mormon and Catholic churches — have backed dozens of state amendments banning same-sex marriage, and in more than 30 states, they’ve been successful.

But as disheartening as those obstacles have been, they’ve also served to galvanize the LGBT community, making us more powerful and more visible. In particular, the fight to cure HIV/AIDS and end discrimination against people living with the disease has transformed us into a powerful political force. In fact, there’s some data to suggest that LGBT voters cast the decisive ballots in last week’s presidential election.

Today, public sentiment is on our side. Our president has led by example, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and implementing hate-crimes laws. The majority of Americans now support equal rights for LGBT Americans, including marriage equality. That support is most pronounced among young people, while the opposition is slowly dying off or “evolving”.

America’s corporations are an indicator of what’s to come: this year, a record 252 corporations scored a perfect 100 on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. Eleven years ago, that number was just 13. Furthermore, for the first time ever, a majority of corporations include protection for employees based not only on sexual orientation, but also gender expression.

We’re not out of the woods yet. Homophobes on both sides of the aisle are still fighting marriage equality. And in the auto industry, major corporations like Hyundai, Kia, and Porsche still offer no workplace protections for LGBT employees. (Neither does Suzuki, but that’s no longer an issue.)

On the whole, however, we’re facing a much brighter future.

As you’ve no doubt heard, yesterday was an historic day for LGBT Americans:

• Despite bigoted, hateful, homophobic attacks from the far-right of the political spectrum, America re-elected a president (and vice president) who came out in support of marriage equality.
• We elected a majority of Democrats to the U.S. Senate — Democrats who have enshrined marriage equality in their official party platform.
• We elected the first openly gay person to the U.S. Senate.
• After many failures at the polls, voters expressed their support for marriage equality in at least three states (and possibly four).
• Iowa  Justice David Wiggins, who sided with LGBT Americans and brought marriage equality to that state, was retained.

Clearly, the 2012 election showed that we are a divided nation in many ways. But it was a great day for civil rights — and, we would argue, for the economy, since for many of us, the two are inextricable.

But there’s another bit of good news you might’ve missed, which had nothing to do with the election: Gaywheels’ list of homophobic automakers has been reduced from four to three.

That’s because yesterday morning, Suzuki announced that it was shutting down its U.S. automotive division and filing for bankruptcy protection. The company will refocus its attention on ATV, boat, and motorcycle units, which have historically performed much stronger with U.S. consumers than Suzuki cars.

We’d like to think that this has something to do with Suzuki’s homophobic workplace policies, but in fact, the blame falls squarely on Suzuki’s quirky vehicle lineup, which never captured the American imagination. Suzukis were oddly designed, and their build quality wasn’t up to par. Frankly, we wonder how the company lasted as long as it did.

There are a couple of downsides to Suzuki going under, though.

For starters, Suzuki employees will be forced to find other jobs. We hope that many on the auto side will be wrapped into the company’s ATV, boat, and motorcycle divisions — or hired by the many, many gay-friendly automakers who are faring well in the U.S. right now. However, being fired is never a good thing, and we wouldn’t wish the uncertainty of finding a new job on anyone. (Well, except certain bigoted politicians who lost their jobs last night.)

The other problem is that Suzuki owns such a tiny share of the U.S. auto market. Yes, it’s nice to scratch one homophobic automaker off our gay-unfriendly list, but it would’ve been much nicer if we’d reported that a bigger, better-known company like Hyundai, Kia, or Porsche had finally come to its senses and drafted workplace protections for its LGBT employees.

Still, we’ll take victories where we can.

Onward, upward, and forward, ladies and gentlemen.

Technically speaking, Gaywheels isn’t a political website. However, like many of you, we pay close attention to political candidates at every level of government: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, sheriffs, secretaries of state, and senators.

Also like you, we’re not single-issue voters. However, there are a few topics that we track more closely than others. As car buffs, for example, we’re aware of how candidates view the auto industry. And of course, we note their positions on civil rights for LGBT Americans — which is not a “single-issue”, but many, collected under one banner.

LGBT rights

Some argue that voting for a candidate solely on the basis of his or her position on LGBT rights is myopic. They say that doing so fails to consider larger issues like jobs or the economy.

But there’s something those arguments overlook — namely, that LGBT rights are inextricable from employment and the economy.

Before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed, LGBT members of the military could be fired on the basis of their sexual orientation. Until the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is passed, most of us can lose jobs, be denied housing, and suffer countless other inequities. And as long as the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) stands, our husbands and wives are little more than long-term roommates, so far as the federal government is concerned. That puts our loved ones at risk in terms of their hospital visitation rights, health coverage, inheritances, and much, much more.

Some states and municipalities have begun to address these problems as best they can, legalizing marriage equality and prohibiting discrimination against LGBT individuals. But this patchwork solution to civil rights doesn’t work. We need a nationwide standard. Our lives and loves need to be legally protected at the federal level.

By and large, Democrats get that. They’ve recently added marriage equality to their official party platform, and they also believe that “no one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status”.

Republicans, on the other hand, have enshrined discrimination in their own platform. For example:

We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. We applaud the citizens of the majority of States which have enshrined in their constitutions the traditional concept of marriage, and we support the campaigns underway in several other States to do so.

Further down the document, Republicans do say that “We embrace the principle that all Americans should be treated with respect and dignity”. However, that sentence comes at the end of a paragraph insisting that “the union of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard”.  There’s no mention of civil rights guarantees for LGBT Americans.

As one of our aunts used to say, “Screw that”.

Auto industry

President Obama also engineered the rescue of Chrysler and General Motors, saving thousands of jobs in the process.

We freely admit, it’s possible that Mitt Romney’s plan to “let Detroit go bankrupt” might’ve had a similar effect. However, the process would’ve almost certainly dragged on for months, causing more stress and strain for Chrysler and GM, not to mention their workers, dealerships, and suppliers. (Note: under Obama’s plan, GM’s bankruptcy proceedings lasted 32 days, while Chrysler’s lasted ten.)

What’s more, it’s entirely possible that Romney’s plan might’ve resulted in the complete dismantling of both companies. That’s because in 2009, no financial institutions were willing to loan GM or Chrysler the money they needed to get back on their feet. Things were bad enough under Obama’s “pre-packaged Chapter 11 reorganization”, which saw the shuttering of beloved brands like Pontiac and Saturn, as well as hundreds of dealerships.

But let’s imagine lenders had been secured. In that scenario, would Romney’s plan have allowed Chrysler to survive on its own, without needing help from an Italian car company? Possibly, if the loan terms had been agreeable and if the bankruptcy had gone quickly and smoothly. However, let’s not forget that from 1998 until 2007, Chrysler was partly owned by another European automaker, Daimler; that match-up didn’t result in the wholesale outsourcing of American jobs to Europe as some had feared.

But most troubling of all — at least where the two current presidential candidates are concerned — is Romney’s repeated claim that Chrysler is planning to send U.S. jobs to China. That is patently false. What Chrysler is doing is evaluating whether or not to reopen factories in China that it closed before the Great Recession. Now that the American and Chinese auto markets are rolling gaily along, it makes sense for Chrysler to consider such a move, which is no different than, say, Volkswagen building cars for the U.S. market in Tennessee, or Mercedes-Benz doing so in Alabama, or Hyundai doing the same thing in Georgia.

Whether you’re for or against federal loans to Chrysler and GM, whether you’re supportive or wary of unions, twisting the truth of a poorly written news article and trying to scare swing-state voters by raising the boogeyman of China is deplorable. If you’re going to attack Obama (rather than present your own solutions to pressing problems), there are plenty of valid complaints you could make without resorting to falsehoods.

Bottom line

We understand the frustration that many Americans have felt the last four years. The jobless rate is still high, and the economy hasn’t recovered as quickly as anyone would like.

However, we also understand that LGBT Americans are in a better place today than they were four years ago. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is dead. The Justice Department has stopped defending DOMA. Federal hate crimes legislation has been passed. Healthcare has been reformed, making life easier for those living with chronic diseases like HIV, which has disproportionately affected our community in the U.S.  And both President Obama and Vice President Biden have come out in favor of marriage equality.

Many Republicans would like to reverse such gains. Though Governor Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, have said that they’re reluctant to reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, both are eager to revoke the Affordable Care Act, replacing it with their own plan that would allow insurers to continue denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. And of course, both firmly believe that one-man, one-woman marriage should be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

Not everyone Republican agrees with Romney and Ryan. Similarly, not every Democrat agrees with Obama and Biden. Tomorrow, your job is to know your candidates’ positions on these important matters and vote.

There’s a lot at stake this Tuesday.

Not only will Americans choose whether or not to re-elect President Barack Obama, but also in four states — Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington — voters will either stall progress toward marriage equality or permanently codify it as the rule of law. Add to that the potential repeal of DOMA (which would be great) and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (which wouldn’t), and you’ll see that the many LGBT civil rights wins we’ve achieved over the past four years are now on the line.

But while the presidential election and marriage equality referendums have taken over the headlines, there’s another issue at stake for LGBT voters and our allies. It’s not as politically charged as the others, but it may help guide you when voting for your representatives in the House and Senate. It’s a key piece of legislation that has been introduced in Congress nearly every year since 1994, only to come up short.

That piece of legislation is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA.

ENDA is fundamental to the creation of a comprehensive federal LGBT civil rights policy. Like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ENDA broadens the scope of federal statues regarding workplace protection, barring employers with more than 15 workers from firing, hiring, or otherwise discriminating against workers or applicants based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (Businesses with fewer than 15 employees would be exempt from ENDA regulations, as would religious organizations.) ENDA will close the gap in states where the protection of LGBT workers is non-existent.

For a real-world example of how ENDA might play out, look at our list of gay-friendly automakers. While many of these companies protect LGBT workers from discrimination, you’ll note that four well-known brands — Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Suzuki — don’t. ENDA would address such shortcomings by creating a national standard of protection.

If you want to know your candidate’s stance on ENDA, ask him or her, or visit the candidate’s website. This is hugely important in races for the House and Senate: even though the president may have ultimate say in a matter, the real work of passing legislation starts in Congress.

Our community has a presence in every sector of the automotive industry. We are part of the rank and file on the assembly line. We work in marketing, engineering, design, and finance. We’re employed throughout the supply chain, at oil companies, tire manufacturers, software builders. ENDA will have an impact on all of us.

Consider your vote carefully on election day. It may be the one that brings us closer as a nation — on the assembly line, in the design studio, and in the executive suite.

Howdy, all:

Just a quick post to say that we’re thinking of our friends and family in the Northeast today. Those of us in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast know all too well what they’re going through right now.

If you happen to live in Hurricane Sandy’s path, we hope you’re safe, sound, and dry. For those who live elsewhere, please consider making a contribution to the Red Cross, to one of the homeless shelters in New Jersey, New York, and other states affected by the storm, or to the charity of your choice.

That’s all for now. Later this afternoon, we’ll return to your regularly scheduled car news.

It’s Friday. It’s October. It’s an election year. Add all that up, and we’re hankering for a distraction — anything other than attack ads and fact-checking and screechy Facebook posts. We’re not trying to be apolitical, we’re not trying to dodge serious issues, WE WOULD JUST LIKE A TEN-MINUTE CEASE FIRE. Please.

Thankfully, Sam Gomez has obliged us with a wee bit of auto-themed Hollywood trivia — no binders, Big Bird, or bayonets included. You’re welcome.

• Did you know that the rear under-ride bar required on all large trucks came as a result of Jayne Mansfield’s death?  Known as the “Mansfield bar“, this little bar across the rear of the truck, often flagged in red and white striping, is designed to keep vehicles from going under the truck should it be rear-ended. In 1967, Mansfield, her husband, and her driver died after their convertible slid under a semi-truck during a rear-end collision. Mansfield daughter, Law and Order’s Mariska Hargitay, was in the backseat with her two brothers, and all three were unharmed.

• Sammy Davis Jr. lost his left eye in car accident near San Bernardino in 1954, most likely from his face smashing into the steering wheel of the Cadillac he was driving. No one knows for sure, but it was surmised that upon impact, Davis’ eye slammed smack into the raised Cadillac crown logo found at the center of the steering wheel on Cadillacs at the time. Since then, no American-made vehicle has been allowed to have anything but a flat design on the steering wheel.  Today, steering wheels also contain airbags.  In a crash today, Davis most likely would have kept his left eye intact.

• James Dean crashed his Porsche Spyder 550 on September 30, 1955, and died from his injuries in an isolated area of central California. Dean was known as reckless and was an admitted “speed freak”, so the assumption (since there were no eyewitnesses) was that Dean was driving recklessly, exceeding more than 90 miles an hour, and accelerating into the crash rather than braking. A few years back, however, a documentary by the Viasat History Network of Norway recreated the accident. It concluded that Dean was, in fact, actually driving just 70 miles per hour and had braked hard in an effort to avoid crashing. If true, Dean has been incorrectly blamed all these years for causing his own death, especially if ….

• …rumors about Dean’s passenger, Rolf Weutherich, can ever be proven. Weutherich was a mechanic traveling with Dean to a car rally in Salinas that day. In a car just behind Dean and Weutherich were Don Dooley, age 15, and his brother-in-law, who was driving. The first to arrive on the crash scene, Dooley insists to this day that Weutherich was driving Dean’s Porsche because, upon approaching the Spyder, Dooley found Dean in the passenger seat. Police reports dismissed Dooley’s account because of his age. In addition, the Viasat documentary determined that upon impact, Dean had been pushed into the passenger seat. Weutherich was too injured to provide any recollection of the accident, and shortly after he recovered from his injuries sustained in the crash, he moved back to his native Germany. Ironically, he also died in a car accident in 1981, having never spoken on record about the crash.

• Cal Poly student Donald Turnupseed was on his way home to the city of Tulare, California when he literally ran into James Dean that day, driving his 1950 Ford while merging onto Highway 41 from Highway 46 near Cholame. Turnupseed’s car struck Dean’s Porche on the driver’s side door. Shortly after the accident, Turnupseed gave an interview to the Tulare Advance Register, but subsequently, his parents worked furiously to shield him from the press and vengeful Dean fans. The cause of the crash was never officially determined and neither driver was deemed at fault. Turnupseed ran a successful electrical business in Tulare for most his life, though according to friends, he was always haunted by the crash. Despite thousands of requests over 50 years from all over the world, he never gave another interview. A request from Germany came just months before Mr. Turnupseed’s death in 2005 in Tulare.

Wasn’t that refreshing? True, it was a little gory, but we’re closing in on Halloween. Just trying to put you in the spirit. (Pun intended.)

We now return you to your family and friends’ cat pics and political rants.

We’re closing in on one of the LGBT community’s High Holy days — Halloween — but that hasn’t stopped us from watching the news feeds. Here are a couple of auto-related stories that caught our eye over the weekend. Have a look while you’re laying out plans for your sexy zombie/Big Bird/Wonder Woman-in-a-binder costume:

• Animal rights advocates have long complained about the horse-drawn buggies in New York’s Central Park. Last year, after three horses collapsed on city streets within six weeks, activists ramped up efforts to outlaw the buggies and replace them with something equally attractive but far less cruel: classic cars.

The lobbying efforts have gone well so far: activists have persuaded 23 out of 51 council members to support the switch. Tomorrow, the activists’ organization, NYClass, is holding a gala fundraiser for their cause, and PETA spokesmodel Pam Anderson asked council member/out-and-proud lesbian Christine Quinn to be her date to the affair in hopes of wooing her vote.

Alas, Anderson’s womanly wiles weren’t enough to turn the head of Quinn, who recently married her partner, Kim Catullo. Quinn sent a polite message saying that she’s already booked for the night. That’s bad news for animal rights advocates, since Quinn is a key council vote and a front-runner to take Michael Bloomberg’s office in the next mayoral election. (Quinn’s snub isn’t especially surprising, though, since she’s apparently a fan of the carriages.)

Personally, I hope that Quinn comes around to support the measure. I love the idea of hopping into a waiting Caddy convertible with my husband and yelling, “Once around the park, Mack!” And even with today’s high gas prices, it’d be cheaper than those carriages are.

• On a lighter note, Lexus has upped its LGBT cred once again. As you probably recall, the luxury automaker was recently feted by GLAAD for its support of The Advocate‘s 45th anniversary issue and was in the process of doing something similar for OUT‘s 20th anniversary.

Now, Lexus has debuted a new ad for its ES and ES Hybrid, and it’s the company’s first commercial aimed specifically at LGBT consumers. There’s no word on exactly where it’ll run, and frankly, it’s subtle enough that some viewers might miss the references. But there’s no mistaking those HRC cufflinks:

Are you wearing purple? You should be: today is Spirit Day, a nationwide event that draws attention to the dangers of bullying and generates support for LGBT youth. Purple is its signature color.

Spirit Day is an initiative of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and this year, Toyota Financial Services has joined the cause by creating a new “Go Purple for #SpiritDay“ app for Android and iOS smartphones. Toyota say that the app “provides users with anti-bullying resources, calls to action, and a tool that can turn photos purple”. Those purple photos can then be shared on social networks like Facebook and Twitter to increase awareness of Spirit Day.

Ann Bybee, the vice president, corporate strategy, communications, and community relations at Toyota Financial Services says that “Going purple for the day is a small but powerful way we can all show our support for those who have been bullied or who fear being bullied. It is so important to raise awareness that bullying isn’t acceptable. At Toyota, we have always embraced a guiding principle of ‘respect for people,’ which has made us the company we are today. And it is a principle that includes not only our employees and customers, but everyone, without exception.”

So far, Toyota is the only automaker that we know of with an official Spirit Day affiliation. (Industry friends: correct us if we’re wrong!) However, there are plenty of other corporations onboard, including American Apparel, AT&T, CNBC, Delta Air Lines, Hewlett-Packard, Logo, MTV, the NBA and WNBA, the New York Stock Exchange, Warner Brothers, and Yahoo!.

Is your workplace participating in Spirit Day? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to download the Go Purple for #SpiritDay app from Google Play or iTunes.

Small cars are a big deal nowadays, and perhaps no one knows that like the LGBT community.

That’s because of two reasons:

• LGBT shoppers tend to be far more environmentally conscious than their straight peers. Although not all small cars are eco-friendly, they certainly appear to be — and sometimes, that’s all that matters.

• Also, a significant percentage of LGBT consumers live in urban areas. (That’s especially true in cities with established LGBT communities, which can be attractive to folks who’ve grown up in small towns, living in the closet.) For city-dwellers who need a ride of their own, small cars are far more convenient.

(I could go out on a limb and say that today’s small cars like the MINI Cooper and the Ford Fiesta are also more fashion-forward than larger cars, and our community has a reputation for being very style-conscious. That claim would be entirely anecdotal  though.)

But even though interest in small cars is growing in the U.S., it’s important to note that those rides aren’t as small as they used to be. As evidence, look no further than this infographic from Automotive.com, which shows just how much bigger vehicles like the Honda Civic have become over the past few decades.

Why the growth spurt? Perhaps it has to do with safety — not just safety features, which have added heft to many vehicles, but also the appearance of safety. Unlike our European counterparts, Americans have often been wary of tiny rides, claiming that they don’t look safe. By beefing up compacts and subcompacts, automakers may be working to improve their vehicles’ visual appeal.

Then again, it could just be because we’ve gotten fat.

If you drive a small car, we’d love to know what attracted you to your vehicle. Style? Safety? Fuel economy? Convenience? All of the above?  Leave us a note in the comments below.

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Randy Stern. You can follow Randy on his blog, RandyStern.net.

* * * * *

What’s one of the best — or worst — parts of election season? Bumper stickers.

For decades, the rear bumpers of our vehicles have told the story of where we stand politically. The names of our preferred presidential candidates have been emblazoned on the backs of our cars, our trucks, our SUVs. Statewide or local candidates we favor the most – even causes we believe in – also take up space to let motorists behind us know how we’ll vote on election day.

Bumper stickers can be a great barometer of public opinion. Seeing more stickers for one particular candidate or ballot measure can indicate where the polls are going.

LGBT motorists have this down to an art. And when you have four states with ballot measures involving marriage equality — as we do this November in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington —  you can expect us to step up support for our side.

In Minnesota, the measure to codify the state constitution and make the traditional definition of marriage permanent has electrified the LGBT community. Just looking at the number of vehicles with “No” bumper stickers opposing the amendment, our community and our allies seem to be winning. However, the polls conducted by various media outlets across Minnesota tell a different story: the measure is currently too close to call.

And so, our team has had to step up its game. Leading the charge: Richard Herod III. He’s taken the “Vote No” message off of the rear bumper and made it larger than life. Herod’s idea began as a response to a rule imposed against him – right at his home.

Three weeks ago, Herod’s townhome owner’s association asked him to remove a “Vote No” yard sign from his lawn, citing one of the association’s rules. While fighting the association, Herod decided instead to display the same anti-amendment stance on his own Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

The townhome association changed its ruling one week ago, allowing yard signs. However, the decal job on Herod’s Evo took on another life entirely.

After Herod posted a photo of his Evo with the “Vote No” message, some of his friends asked how he did it – and if they could get decals for their own vehicles. Subsequently, a photo of Herod’s blue Evo was posted on the Facebook page of Minnesotans United for All Families, the campaign opposing the ballot measure. That picture and Herod’s accompanying story have more likes than any other story on that page this month. As of today, Herod’s post has earned nearly 900 likes and over 70 shares. It was named the Most Liked photo on the popular social media networking site so far this month.

So far, Herod has applied decals on 14 vehicles, including one driven by a founder of Minnesotans United for All Families. On the day I caught up with Herod, he was doing five different vehicles at a friend’s home in Minneapolis.

The decals begin as a vinyl adhesive that’s applied to the vehicle. Applying the decal requires patience and planning to ensure that the three parts of the kit fit on the side and back of the vehicle. The rear part – the tag line for the campaign – is designed to fit on back windows, bumpers or on the trunk/liftgate.

There’s a fee for the decals themselves, but Herod donates his time to apply them and will give a donation to Minnesotans United for All Families. The decal comes in three different kits, depending on the color of the vehicle. After the election, the decals can be removed with help from a hair dryer.

According to Herod, response to the decals has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive from within and beyond the LGBT community. So far, there have been no reports of negative reactions or actions against any vehicle displaying them. He continues to apply the decals, hoping for a possible “decaling” party on one of the weekends leading up to Election Day.

As the race continues to be too close to call, those of us demanding marriage equality in Minnesota have become louder. Just look at the side of the vehicle that’s passing you.

For information on obtaining decals for the opposition to Minnesota’s marriage amendment, you contact Richard Herod III directly at kickboxer1977@aol.com. For more photos of the decals, check out my Flickr gallery.

Photographer Megan Green is known for her spectacular shots of cars and car culture. Recently, Megan sent Gaywheels three sets of her work, two of which ran the last couple of Fridays. Here’s her third and final series, “Driven”, along with a note from the artist.

You can see more of Megan’s work at MeganGreenPhotographer.com.

My “Driven” series is essentially about entropy; it’s the automotive equivalent of “ruin porn“. I’m attracted to the textures of old, beat up cars, the weeds growing up and around the abandoned vehicles, and the left-behind, lonely nature of the cars — once driven and beloved — left to the elements by their owners.

When driving outside of the city, I see glimpses of these skeletons in stranger’s backyards, and I feel compelled to stop and sneak over to grab a picture. I shot this series using a Holga — a $25 plastic film camera — on black and white film. The film texture and vignetting from the Holga, I think, adds to the melancholy beauty of these forlorn vehicles.

On Tuesday night, the auto industry made quite a splash at the 2012 GLAAD Amplifier Awards.

Auto insurer Allstate took home gold in the Digital Advertising category for its “Equality Is ______” campaign. And as we mentioned yesterday on the Gaywheels Facebook page, Chevrolet nabbed a trophy for its acclaimed “Mom, Dad, I’m Electric” ad, which tied for first place in the LGBT Advertising category with spot from Lexus that ran in The Advocate‘s 45th anniversary issue.

But Lexus isn’t stopping there — in fact, the luxury automaker is now working with OUT to celebrate that magazine’s 20th anniversary. (We smell a theme.)

This month, OUT is publishing a 20th Anniversary Collector’s Issue, with Lexus in the role of presenting sponsor. And next Tuesday, October 9, Lexus gets top billing again at the OUT 20th Anniversary Presented by Lexus, which is described as “a VIP celebration being held at W Hollywood’s exclusive outdoor oasis, Station Hollywood”. Sadly, the party isn’t open to the public — or us — but if any of you go, feel free to send over some scandalous behind-the-scenes photos. (Nude royalty is preferred, but we’re not picky. Well, not very.)

And as if that weren’t enough, Lexus is also sponsoring a section on OUT’s website devoted to highlights of the past 20 years in LGBT news. If you’ve got some spare time this afternoon, take a few minutes to stroll down memory lane. Or, if you’re on the young side, do a little research into America’s LGBT history.

Congrats to Lexus and to all the forward-thinking winners at the GLAAD Amplifier Awards. Perhaps in time, companies like these will drag folks like Dan Cathy kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Lagniappe: Speaking of LGBT-friendly ads, if you haven’t yet watched this clip from Expedia, minimize that spreadsheet and do so,  pronto. It’s not auto-related, but it’s well, well worth three minutes of your time.

Photographer Megan Green is known for her spectacular shots of cars and car culture. Recently, Megan sent Gaywheels three sets of her work, the first of which debuted last Friday. Here’s a series she calls “Lebanon Valley”, along with a note from the artist.

You can see more of Megan’s work at MeganGreenPhotographer.com.

The “Lebanon Valley” series is one of my more personal series because it involves family and memory. When I was a kid, my sister and I were occasionally allowed to go with my cousins and uncles to the races there. One uncle had started racing cars at 16, and worked on a pit crew for a friend’s car.

My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic, and I would sit in the stands with my father watching the cars and carefully frame my photos, believing in my naive eight-year-old-heart that my picture was special and it would look like a pro shot of a racing car, not a crappy snapshot with the chain link fence between me and the blurry car. One time, we stopped by the drivers’ garage, and the race car was outside on the trailer. I stood there with my Mom squirming, wishing I had my Instamatic with me so I could take photos of the stock car.

These days, I drive up toward the Berkshires and head to the races with my uncle, now an unofficial mayor of the pit. Stock cars — Pro, Pure, and Modified Big Blocks — race on a half-mile, banked clay track every Saturday night from April to September.

Car numbers and teams are handed down from father to son or daughter at regional tracks like Lebanon Valley. The pit teems with a temporary city — camaraderie, competition, families, friends, enemies, and lots of dirt. I will be shooting there much more in the summer of 2013, with the hope of eventually turning this series into a book.

Note: this is a guest review from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Sam Miller-Christiansen. You can follow Sam on his website, on Twitter, and on YouTube.

I’d flown to Detroit to experience the Woodward Dream Cruise, an enormous, cult-ish meeting of extremely enthusiastic vintage car owners and their rides that takes place for two days each summer on the first paved road in America. I saw someone driving around with two skeletons in the backseat of their late-80s Oldsmobile Cutlass Convertible. It’s all a bit strange.

My blasé attitude toward the Dream Cruise can be attributed to one thing. I’d made the mistake of visiting the GM Heritage Center first.

The folks at GM were kind enough to grant me access to this hallowed site located in a completely unassuming warehouse in the middle-of-nowhere Michigan. It looks as if they could be selling discount copy machines out the side door or something. But oh my how looks can be deceiving.

This modest exterior completely belies the delicious treasures that lay within. One step through the front door and I was instantly transformed into a mumbling superlative-spewing Gollum, rushing about with sweaty palms and darting eyes. There before me lay a pristine, sparkling collection of cars I honestly never believed I would ever see up-close. Also let me clarify, when I say cars I actually mean priceless concepts and prototype vehicles. It’s like the auto enthusiast’s equivalent of the treasure room on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland — only all this treasure is real. Gimme.

My top 3

1.  1959 Cadillac Cyclone Concept

Ay dios mio. If I had to choose one car in the entire collection to try to steal it would have to be the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone Concept. That’s hypothetically speaking, of course, said the writer to GM’s legal team, who I’m sure will read this at some point.

The Cyclone Concept has had a bit of a trans experience. It began life as a pale yellow car with high tail fins. In an unusual twist, its famous designer, Harley Earl, had the car refinished a few years after its debut, bathed in a steely silver with the fins chopped way down. The result is absolutely breathtaking, with the short demure fins accentuating the sleek, bullet-like body. It’s a nip-tuck done right. An automotive Jocelyn Wildenstein it is not.

Why make it my #1? This car summarizes all that I find sexy about mid-century car design and is quintessentially Cadillac. It’s bold and beautiful but also dignified and not brash in any way. It’s also futuristic but not in an over-the-top freaky way. In other words, how every Cadillac should be.

2. Harley’s Earl’s 1951 LeSabre

Quick history lesson: Harley Earl was basically the Steve Jobs of his time. Completely innovation driven, this man pretty much created the automotive design department, being so badass that he often drove the concept cars he and his team created as his daily drivers, the first being the Buick Y-Job (which coincidentally was also the first concept car ever).

In 1951 Earl penned the LeSabre you see here and set the design direction for the entire industry for the next decade. It looks giant and imposing in photos but up close it’s actually quite small and very low. Chalk that up to the power of dramatic styling. The LeSabre even sports a moisture sensitive bit of metal in between the seats. If Harley ever left the top down and a rain storm showed up unexpectedly, the moisture sensitive plate would tell the LeSabre to raise the roof automatically. Wiz, bang.

At right is a photo of me laying in between the Y-Job and the LeSabre. I am doing this simply because I could. I’ve never felt more badass in all my life.

3. 1985 Cadillac Cimarron Dual-Cowl (the concept of your nightmares)

99.95% of everything from the 1980s was bad. I’m pretty sure that can be scientifically proven. It’s as if “cheap and ugly” were enforced by the United Nations or something. So if you weren’t Burt Reynolds or a shoulder pad manufacturer, you probably had a pretty bad 80s. GM had a particularly bad 80s with broken-down design and well, just about broken-down everything.

The Cadillac Cimarron became the poster child of just how low GM had sunk by the mid 1980s. Introduced in 1982, it was little more than a gussied up Chevy Cavalier with an enormous price hike. A direct slap in the face to the consumer.

I knew nothing about the 1985 Cadillac Cimarron Dual-Cowl convertible concept before my trip the the Heritage Center. It called to me from across the floor, a bizarre tan and maroon bar of soap on wheels. The interior was replete with everything you’d need in the 80s: CRT touch-control monitors, car phones, and confusing ergonomics. The only thing that could have possibly made it better would have been a fax machine built into the center console. I suppose the biggest surprise was that the word “Cimarron” wasn’t taped over on this car, as it’s such a sore spot for GM. It’s stunningly horrid in person, but I loved it for being so odd and unnecessary. Everyone needs a rock-bottom. Cadillac, here is yours.

The Chevy Volt’s Granddaddy

The 1966 Electrovair was basically an electrified 1966 Chevy Corvair (the standard internal combustion version being a controversial and progressive car in its time). It’s awesome to know that GM was thinking about electrification even at a time when gasoline was as free-flowing as hypocrisy from a Chick-Fil-A executive’s mouth. The batteries on display look like something that could just explode at any time. I’m sure that’s not the case but old battery technology just kinda freaks me out. It all looks so dangerous. Seriously, Wikipedia it (or just look it up on the GM Heritage Center website). Creepy huh?

The one that got away: 2004 Chevy Nomad Concept

I wanted so badly for Chevy to build the Nomad. It was sporty and utilitarian, perhaps the perfect bachelor’s car. I can understand why they didn’t build it — most people I’ve shown it to recoiled with hatred and confusion — but being an only child I still think they should have built one just for me because my mom says I’m special.

Our American Crossroads – America’s most depressing moving diorama

A bit of a side attraction was the working guts of one of GM’s Futureliners. The Futureliners traveled the US as part of a show called “Parade of Progress” that basically delivered the message of how wondrous GM was right to people’s hometowns in wild spaceship-looking buses. The display at the Heritage Center is the only surviving example of the inner-workings of one of these machines and has been faithfully restored to its original, working condition.

The whole Futureliner show is accompanied by a slightly morbid narration of a small family living in a town transformed by advancements in transportation. Apparently everyone was still a little “womp-womp” from the Great Depression in the early 1940s. Poor Betsy.

I filmed the whole thing because I’ve always had a bit of a diorama fetish. I’m sure that, as a child, witnessing this would have reduced me to a pile of tears, “teenage girl at an Elvis concert” style. I will admit I still got a bit misty watching it as an “adult”.

Just for fun, I’ve embedded it at the bottom of the post.

Then they told me I had to leave…

Let me just tell you, I shut that place down. I stayed there until they had to turn off the lights to get me to leave, and even then I had to be escorted to the door where it was firmly locked behind me.

So what did I learn from the Heritage Center? I learned that GM has an amazing past that should be cherished — not just as a collection of amazing vehicles but as a tribute to the truly innovative spirit the company was founded on. They really were the Apple, Inc. of mid-century America. Somewhere along the line they lost sight of this and veered away from their foundations as a progressive technology and design powerhouse.

It’s been a hard road back to the top but I can tell you, the people I met and the things I saw gave me faith that the new GM is a lithe and innovative company. Judging from things like the recent Cadillac Ciel concept, they’re committed to delivering on the ethos of “unapologetically awesome” once again.

Sigh.

I strolled from the Heritage Center a bit deflated. Having just tasted the automotive equivalent of fine sirloin steak, I found that I simply no longer had the stomach for the greasy hamburger cars being shown out on Woodward Avenue. Dear Great Things, why must you make everyday things seem so trivial?

You can learn more about the GM Heritage Center by visiting GMHeritageCenter.com

Photographer Megan Green is known for her spectacular shots of cars and car culture. Recently, Megan sent Gaywheels three sets of her work, which we’ll roll out over the next few Fridays. Here’s a series she calls “Retro”, along with a note from the artist.

You can see more of Megan’s work at MeganGreenPhotographer.com.

Retro has to be the most fun series to shoot and look at.

So often, classic car shows have rockabilly bands playing, and the music scenesters show up and try to out-vintage each other. Tattoos, pompadours, crinolines, cat-eye sunglasses, pin-up girls and custom hot rods: it’s a ton of fun. I started bringing my Sabre 620 — a box camera manufactured in the 50s and 60s — to shows to take pictures of the cars and the people, recreating photos  reminiscent of the snapshots I saw of my uncles when I was a kid: greaser guys next to cool cars.

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend in 2011 proved to be a great place to shoot with the little camera. All of the people decked out in vintage style got a kick out of getting their picture taken with the vintage camera. My favorite shot in the series was taken there: the shot of the gorgeous pin up girl in the bikini.  Cool cars, pretty girls — great fun!

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Elizabeth Archuleta. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @Thoughtwoman, or on her blog,cassiehack.

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Most people would probably choose to buy a new car every three years or so if they could afford it, but some of us have an appreciation for older cars — much older cars. While I love, love, love them, I know next to nothing about restoration or upkeep, so I always admire them from one lane over or across the street. But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, I used to ride in a lot of older, beautiful cars, but I was much too young to appreciate them at the time.

My love for older cars comes from my dad, who used to buy and lovingly restore them. The first one I remember was a Chevy Impala from the 1960s. It looked a lot like the one at right.

While I don’t remember the Impala’s exact year, I remember the model because of the back end. The downward swoop of the trunk brought to mind a unibrow or an owl’s face. I also remember the curved window in the back and the blue hue of the glass that came from the interior’s reflection. However, the difference between the one in this picture and my dad’s was that my dad’s was massive.

His Chevy demanded attention. Either you looked or you were blind, but there was no way to ignore it. He painted it a dark, deep, midnight metal-flake blue on the outside. The steel bumpers and metal hubcaps were like mirrors. His car was always clean and sparkled in the sun. He only took it out on summer weekends or when my sisters and I stayed with him. And no matter how clean it was, it always got a bath before he took it out.

The interior was also something to behold. He upholstered it with a lighter metal-flake blue vinyl, and he diamond pintucked the interior with buttons. To my young mind, it looked like the midnight sky filled with stars all inside the car. Tiny pieces of silver and gold mixed in with the blue begged to be touched, and touch I did. The coolness of the vinyl felt good on the back of my hand. It was cushy and smooth. I liked to press my cheeks against the seat backs and feel the give of the cushiony tufts. Not only were the seats done up like this, the inside door panels were also pintucked in the same material. Don’t ask me what the rest of the interior looked like — I don’t remember anything else except the look and feel of the upholstery.

It took me a while, but I found something similar to his Chevy’s interior on a website that features custom chopper metal-flake seats. (I just had to find something to share with you guys, because dad’s car was so beautiful inside.) This seat’s color matches almost exactly what I remember, except the diamond shapes were bigger and they had buttons in the tucks.

The next car I remember was dad’s 1963 Corvette Stingray Coupe with a split window in the back.

While the Impala fit three kids much better, we loved piling in the back of the Corvette and having him drive fast down the canyons. We’d hang on to his neck from the back seat, if that’s what you could call it, and scream with joy as he took the steep curves quick and fast just for us. We’d also lie down and look out the back windows and watch as the tree tops whizzed by. Now that I look back at that, I’m sure my mom would have killed him had she known, but those joy rides left me with great memories.

My dad also pintucked the Corvette’s upholstery, except he did it in black leather, smaller diamonds, and no buttons. He chose another beautiful color for the exterior, too. He painted it a deep, dark eggplant with a hint of metal flake. What made this car different and special was the painted areas of the car that you couldn’t see until he opened a door or popped the hood or the trunk. He painted these areas the same color except he overlaid the eggplant with a black lace stencil. Now that I look back at this, it was outrageously sexy. Dad, what were you thinking?!

The engine was just as beautiful, and as clean as the rest of the car. Everything was shiny under the hood. The air-filter holder was metal and didn’t have a hint of grease or dust on it — ever. He always built his engines entirely from scratch and cleaned everything. He took such pride in his work.

When the Corvette started up, the engine was so powerful I could feel the engine’s rumble down to my bones. It’s like I had rockets inside of me and I was ready for take off once he pushed the gas pedal.

Like the Impala, the Stingray demanded attention. You could hear the low rumble of its powerful engine before you even saw it, but once it turned the corner, people literally gasped — it was that beautiful. We loved helping him pull this car out of his rented garage and wash it inside and out before we took it on the streets. This one was his baby.

So, what does a young, first-time driver get as her first car after she’s been a passenger in such enviable vehicles? Don’t laugh, but my older sister’s first car was a 1976 mustard-yellow Chevy Vega (not too different from the one shown at right).

The memory of this car is what made me think of my dad’s cars. We were a Chevy family, so of course he bought her an old used Chevy. It had belonged to his sister — our aunt — so we knew it already. We loved it just as much as we loved his classics. It also brings back just as many good memories too!

It had an eight-track player, so we thought we were really cool when we all piled in the car and blasted our eight-track disco tapes instead of the FM radio. We’d fit as many people as we could in the car and off we’d go, an accident waiting to happen. (Luckily, one never happened.)

I’m happy to say that I lived to share these memories after having been a passenger in that car. It had so many problems, and it eventually died a fiery death! The engine caught fire after about 18 months, and it finally gave up the ghost.

Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to have a more classic Chevy, but even if I don’t, I have many wonderful memories of all the Chevys my dad brought into my life — including the Vega.

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Stephanie Minor. You can follow her on Twitter at @majorminor85, on LinkedIn, or on her blog, stephanieminor.wordpress.com.

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As an owner of a 1999 Honda Civic coupe with around 140,000 miles on it, I’m often asking myself the question, “Is it time?” As I rubberneck past new-car dealerships and help friends and family members choose the right car for them, the thought seeps in more and more until my synapses scream a resounding “YES, YES, LET’S DO IT!”

Eventually, I come back to reality, and as Suze Orman puts it, recognize my “financial truth”. As is the case with many Americans — and recent college grads in general — I’m not in a financial state to purchase a new car.

Not only that, but Baby Car (as it has been called by friends for years) is in fantastic shape! What ever happened to the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

Why does my brain, despite my financial limitations and adoration for my Baby, so often take the leap over the line between “keep it” and “leave it”?

L, B, G, T or otherwise, we humans L-O-V-E having the newest, the most technologically advanced and the shiniest…whatever really, be it TV, phone or car.

So when the right time to get a new Baby does arise, a new question crops up: buy or lease?

Buying gives the peace of mind that once a car is yours, it’s yours. Your money will literally take you places.

But leasing is appealing in that all-American quest for the best of the best of the best: multi-media touch screens, navigation, satellite radio, Bluetooth, premium audio sound systems, voice recognition, and whatever comes with next year’s model (basically, everything Baby Car doesn’t possess).

But at the end of all the payments, overage in miles and cosmetic “damage” fees upon lease end, you’re left with nothing but to spend more hard-earned cash on your next set of wheels. Is that really the best?

The September issue of Consumer Reports magazine has an article advising drivers against investing in a new car every couple of years. Not only is doing so financially unsound, but also, today’s vehicles are built better than their predecessors. Keeping your current car reliable and running for 200,000 miles — and beyond — is more than possible . It also saves you big bucks. Period.

While Baby Car doesn’t necessarily keep up with the increasing speed of advancing auto technology, it will nonetheless keep humming along for some time to come. And ultimately, if I decide I really need a new stereo or navigation system, I can run down to my favorite electronics shop and have one installed for far, far less than the cost of a new ride. (Or I could just use my smartphone.)

Do yourself a favor and resist the urge to lease. Stitch up that hole in your wallet. Buy reliable and invest long-term.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has announced its nominees for the 2012 Amplifier Awards, and we’re happy to report that two automakers and one auto insurance company have made the cut.

If you’re a regular reader at Gaywheels, you probably already have a hunch about which automakers were included in the lineup. General Motors’ widely acclaimed “Mom, Dad, I’m Electric” ad for the Chevrolet Volt was nominated in the “Hot Spot” category, which recognizes advertisements directed specifically at LGBT consumers.

Lexus was nominated in the same category for its “Lexus Celebrates The Advocate’s 45th Anniversary” ad. As you might guess, that spot was placed in the 45th-anniversary issue of The Advocate and praised the magazine for its work “to ensure equality to all people , at work, at home, and every place in between”.

And last but not least, Allstate was recognized in the digital category for its “Equality Is _____” online campaign. Not only did that promotion encourage Americans to discuss what LGBT equality means to them, but it also raised money for LGBT centers in California. When Allstate’s website visitors agree to get a free insurance quote, Allstate donates $10 to the San Francisco LGBT Center or the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

Cynics might complain that these companies — like the Democratic Party — haven’t really changed their opinions about LGBT people, they’ve just realized that we’re a viable block of consumers.

GLAAD doesn’t see it that way.

In fact, GLAAD president, Herndon Graddick, expressed real excitement about the growing visibility of the LGBT community, especially in ads: “Americans expect to see their worlds reflected in advertising, and today that includes LGBT people and families. This year’s nominated campaigns are not only smart business decisions, but set the bar high for future images of our community in advertising and marketing.”

Congrats to Chevy/GM, Lexus, and Allstate on their nominations. Here’s hoping that next year’s awards are even more competitive thanks to growing sentiment in favor of LGBT equality.

If you’d like to attend the GLAAD Amplifier Awards yourself, save the date of October 2, 2012. The ceremony will be held at XL Nightclub, 512 West 42nd Street in New York City. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Elizabeth Archuleta. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @Thoughtwoman, or on her blog,cassiehack.

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It’s been said many times, but is it true? Does sex really sell?

You bet it does — especially when it comes in the form of a titillating BDSM narrative.

Need proof? Look no further than the E. L. James trilogy, 50 Shades of Grey. A bunch of bored housewives fantasizing about whips and chains have turned what some have called a poorly written book into a bestseller, and some have suggested that the books might also be boosting Audi sales in the U.S.

Consider this: the trilogy hit the New York Times’ bestseller list in March. Audi had its best sales month in April. By the time July rolled around, Audi set an all-time record, selling 28% more cars than the same time last year.

I haven’t read the books myself, so I get my information about them second-hand (meaning that you’re getting it third-hand). However, I know for certain that several Audis appear in the trilogy. The bearer of the whips and chains, protagonist Christian Grey, drives an R8 Spyder. He presents Anastasia Steele, the person on the other end of those whips and chains, with a red A3 for her birthday. And somewhere in the middle of all that, a Q7 rears its boxy head.

My take

While I can see how the popularity of a book might lead to increased sales of steel-gray ties — and perhaps rope and bondage gear, too — I’m not so sure the effect would carry over to cars. Sure, fascination with the trilogy might make readers look at Audis a bit differently, but can the sale of a $10 novel really translate into the purchase of a $40,000-plus car?

In addition to the price differences, we also have to consider the demographic that’s smitten with these naughty narratives. Suburban housewives make up the largest group of James’ fans, which has led to the 50 Shades genre being dubbed “mommy porn”. Call me naive, but the terms “suburban housewife”, Audi, and BDSM don’t quite mesh together in my mind.

Yes, I know there are a lot of professional women out there who can afford to buy a luxury car, but I honestly don’t see a working mom putting her two-year-old in the back of an Audi she bought after zipping through an erotic novel.

Maybe someone can convince me that I’m being narrow-minded, but I’m just not buying it. Are you? And if “mommy porn” fanatics aren’t snapping up all those Audis, who is?

Is driving cheaper than flying? Once you add up the costs, the savings may not materialize, but your headache might.

Wanna travel from Charlotte to “Where the Bears Are” in Fort Lauderdale? How about from Denver to the famous (and infamous) Habana Inn in Oklahoma City? Or what about going from San Jose to “The Dinah” in Palm Springs?

Conventional wisdom says that driving is always cheaper than flying. But given today’s high gas prices (which only promise to go higher) and the ever-competitive prices for commercial flights, you may find that it’s cheaper — and less of a hassle — to fly to your destination.

Making the call

Here’s a rule of thumb: if you’re traveling alone and your car trip would require at least one stay at a hotel, you’re probably better off flying. When you drive, there are costs for food, lodging, and, of course, gasoline. There are also the dangers of traveling alone — the most dangerous of which is drifting into complacency behind the wheel.

If there are two or more people traveling, the economics of driving improve, but may not be as wonderful as you think.

If your trip will be between six and eight hours each way and there are at least two people in the car, your best option is usually to drive. Ideally, you’ll burn through just two tanks of gas per day on a full day of driving. Two tanks of gas will run anywhere from $40 to $80 per fill-up, depending on what you drive. Factor in cheap eats of about $20 per person per day, and you could reasonably make the trip, back and forth, for around $325 for both people. Round it up to $350, and you still come out better than if you purchased two airline tickets, averaging $250 for each round-trip. (If you’re not flying from a major airport like SFO or DFW, the cost of those tickets would likely be higher.)

However, when there are two of you traveling by car and the trip requires an overnight stay, the cost-benefit analysis gets trickier. Plan on at least four tanks of gas each way for a two-day drive, one hotel for a minimum of $50 a night (times two) and meals at $20 a day per person. On the cheap end, that could be as little as $340 for the entire trip, but that’s not likely. Taxes, especially for lodging, can be exorbitant. And I’ve never been able to drive long distances without plenty of stops for water, bathrooms, and plain old rest and relaxation. All those things add to your time — and your costs.

As you approach $400 in this scenario, it may be cheaper and less of a hassle to splurge on a couple of plane tickets. True, you might save money by driving if you need a car at your destination, but remember, many rental car companies can get you rates as low as $30 a day. It might be easier to fly and rent a car at the airport.

(If you’re going to be staying in a city with good public transit like Chicago or San Francisco, renting a car probably isn’t a good idea and can cost you a small fortune in parking and frustration. In Denver or Dallas, however, a car is almost a necessity.)

If you have three or four people in the car, driving is always cheaper than flying. The only drawback — which could be a big one — is that you’ll be cooped up in a car for many, many hours with several other people, who will most likely get cranky as the day wears on. Make sure you have good A/C, a great selection of music, and a clear understanding of who gets to play DJ.

Other considerations include:

• Furniture or other large items. If you are transporting big stuff, take a car. Shipping and/or airline fees really will eat you alive, especially if it’s fragile.
• How will the costs be split? When travelling with friends or family, be sure to discuss ahead of time how each item will be paid. When in doubt, plan to pick up the costs yourself and, hopefully, get reimbursed later.
• Do you really want to travel in a cramped car with your companions? Your friends are like medications: overdosing can cause serious ailments. Flying affords people to be alone while traveling together. Not so in a car, even in a Park Avenue. Think about what will really make you happy, or at least what will keep you from going ballistic.
• Whenever planning a budget, always account for unknown costs. When driving, there is no flight attendant or ticket agent to help you, so you should allocate an additional 30% of your budget for unplanned costs. That alone may push you into the arms of an airline ticket agent, who just might be gay and cute.

So, how should you approach your upcoming trip?

Start by checking travel websites to gauge airfare prices. Southwest Airlines is always good for cheap tickets, especially if all you need is a one-way. Other websites like Orbitz.com offer a convenient way to compare prices, and they’re always trying to reach the LGBT market.

And if, after everything, you opt for the road trip, be sure to invest in a roadside assistance program like AAA. Because sure, you can change your own tires, but how well will that grease under your fingernails go over at the White Party?

It’s been a busy week for those of us stationed at Gaywheels South, smack-dab in the middle of New Orleans. But we won’t trouble you with harrowing stories of power outages and downed tree limbs. Instead, we’re going to lighten things up (metaphorically speaking) with a quick look at everyone’s favorite subject: fonts!

And not just any fonts: auto fonts!

Jesse Chehak is a professional photographer with a passion for documenting life in California and the great Southwest. Chehak spends part of his time in Los Angeles, which is obviously a car-crazy town. But rather than snap shots of classic rides, as many other shutterbugs do, Chehak has done something remarkable in his latest series called “Autotypes”: he’s focused on the fonts that automakers use to spell out the names of their rides.

We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about those little plaques that decorate the backsides and quarter-panels of our vehicles, but designers use them to express the essence, the character of these models. The scroll of the “E” on the Cadillac Eldorado, the sci-fi “A” at the end of the Buick Electra: they help define the car as much as the more obvious exterior and interior elements.

If you’re looking for a nice distraction this Friday, check out this short slideshow of Chehak’s work.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, and if you’re in New Orleans for Southern Decadence — which is still happening, despite the doom-and-gloom prophecies of right-wing bigots — we’ll see you on the streets!

[via Jonno]

Note: Shortly after we ran last week’s story about LGBT couples and auto insurance, we received another submission on the very same topic. Since insurance is such an important issue for same-sex partners — and since it’s an area that’s experiencing a lot of LGBT-friendly changes — we’re sharing this piece, too. It comes from Benjamin Zitney, who brings readers relevant news about auto insurance. If you’re on Google+ you can follow Ben here.

* * * * *

When Esurance announced last month that it was expanding its marriage discount to same-sex couples in committed relationships in 21 new states, it marked a new advancement in what has been a growing trend of bringing equality to insurance pricing.

Most major insurers have always provided discounts to married drivers. The reason? People in committed relationships tend to cost insurers less to cover when compared with single people. Usually, married drivers end up paying about 10% less than unmarried drivers. But for a time, that discount was limited to heterosexual couples, since there was no official way to verify that same-sex partners were in a committed relationship.

Exactly how many auto insurance companies currently give same-sex partners reduced rates is unclear, but at least a handful of major insurers already extend the discounts to those in long-term, committed relationships. A spokesman for State Farm, for example, says that his company—the largest auto insurer in the country—already offers rate reductions to men and women across the country who are married or in civil unions, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Allstate, which acquired Esurance last year, says that it offers the same benefits nationwide to same-sex couples as to straight couples (though ominously, it adds that it does so “in accordance with the current laws in that state”, whatever that means). And when you get a quote from Progressive, “domestic partnership” is one of the available options under “marital status”.

The prospect of 10% savings could be welcome news for those in domestic partnerships and civil unions in the 21 states where Esurance is rolling out the discount.

“If you’re in a committed relationship with a domestic partner,” Esurance said in its press release announcing the new insurance discount, “we value that commitment. No matter what your home state has to say about it.”

We’ve seen the joke a million times: straight man walks into bar. Straight man sees attractive woman from behind. Straight man steps behind said woman and feeds her some cheesy pickup line. Woman turns around to reveal that she’s a transsexual or a drag queen or a transvestite or an unusually curvy guy.

“Ha ha ha,” says absolutely no one, because the punch line was visible from a mile away. And it’s not much of a punch line anyway.

We’re happy to report that Toyota has taken that same, tired set-up and done something very, very different.

In a new, Japanese ad for the Toyota Auris, a camera tracks a leggy blonde. She’s wearing nothing but a bikini bottom and an open jacket, which she sheds halfway through.

She looks like a runway model as we watch her from behind. We assume she’s one of those tall, stunning Ukranian women who swim in a different gene pool than most mortals. A reverse-shot of her geometrically perfect face confirms our suspicions — or so we think.

Then she reaches the Auris, turns around, and crosses her arms, revealing a flat chest and a noticeable bulge in the bikini. This is clearly a man.

However, we’re right about one thing: the model is Ukranian — 19-year-old Stav Strashko.  We don’t know if Strashko is gay, but given that Ukraine is considering a bill to outlaw Spongebob Squarepants because he’s (allegedly) a boy-kisser, let’s hope that Strashko makes his home someplace more tolerant.

[UPDATE: Although several sources have said that the model, Stav Strashko, is Ukranian, that's only the country of his birth. In this behind-the-scenes video, Strashko clearly says that he's from the very LGBT-friendly city of Tel Aviv, Israel -- something he clarifies on his Tumblog. And yep, he's gay.]

What’s interesting about the Auris ad is that it’s not funny. Strashko stares us down, daring us to reconsider our preconceptions. There’s no laugh at the end, just a lingering threat.

What’s a major automaker like Toyota doing running this kind of clip? What is the company trying to say to consumers? Has the androgyny of anime finally infiltrated Japanese advertising? Could this kind of ad ever work in the U.S.?

Have a look, and let us know your thoughts:

[via Autoblog & Jonno.com]

Remember the Fagbug — the Volkswagen New Beetle that was sprayed with anti-gay slurs, then transformed into a symbol of tolerance and equality?

Well, there’s good news, bad news, and great news.

The good news is that the Fagbug is still going strong.

The bad news is that another LGBT person’s car has been hit by homophobic vandals. In fact, between March and May of this year, Jordan Addison’s sedan — by weird coincidence, another Volkswagen — was keyed with hateful graffiti, including the word “dye”. (Seriously, why can’t homophobes spell?)

Jordan is a student at Virginia’s Radford University. He got estimates to repair the damage, but the cheapest was $2500, which was more than he could afford.

The great news? Richard Henegar Jr. at the nearby Quality Auto Paint and Body saw Jordan’s story on the news and offered to fix the car — for free. In fact, Henegar was so moved that he asked other businesses in town to contribute to the repairs, and they all pitched in. While Jordan’s car was in the shop, workers pimped it out, spending over 100 hours repainting it and installing new tires, a new alarm system, and a supersweet new stereo.

If you’re looking for an uplifting moment this Wednesday afternoon, check this clip of Jordan seeing his car for the first time.

[via Jalopnik, Towleroad]

Like most straight couples, you and your partner should be covered on the same auto insurance policy.

That makes good business sense for both you and the insurance company. You save money, they get more business, and, best of all, the economy continues to grow.

Does your current auto insurer allow your partner to be covered on your policy? The best thing to do is simply ask. Most insurance companies have some provision for coverage of domestic partners, however defined. Rarely do they ask for proof of a relationship, like a certificate or proof of joint checking account. Sometimes it’s a hassle, sometimes it takes just one phone call. Such a move really could save hundreds of dollar a year on auto insurance.

USAA, the insurer to military personnel and their families, has been allowing domestic partners to be covered on auto insurance policies for years. There is no formal process for determining who qualifies and who doesn’t, but as long as you and your partner have the same home address, and, specifically, you are only claiming one partner, the offer should be extended to you when you ask for it. This can be particularly cost-effective if your partner is not a model driver. [Note: see the comments below for some disturbing allegations about USAA coverage.]

The one company that has really gone out of its way to attract same-sex couples is esurance.com, which is now a division of Allstate. Look online and you’ll see them almost begging same-sex couples to come get a free quote. That’s because they realize that, above all else, there is money to be made in insuring as many drivers as possible. Almost all states require drivers to carry insurance, and if a company can bring on your partner, that’s money that’s not going to a competitor.

There are a few things, however, to keep in mind.

Normally, no questions are asked if you and your partner share the same home address. Rates are determined by, among other things, ZIP code (which is discriminatory but legal), and if you both have the same ZIP code, it’s easier for the agent to determine a rate. Even if you don’t live in the same household, you should still ask if you can add your partner. The agent may say yes, but make sure you get a solid quote and then compare it to what two individual policies would cost. You may not save any money by combining policies, due to differing ZIP codes — and you may even wind up paying more.

If you are legally married or have some sort of proof of relationship status, keep it on hand and be sure to provide it if necessary. But again, always get a quote and always compare prices. Even esurance.com cannot guarantee you a better rate. Generally, however, when you combine policies, like auto and home, under one policy holder, you can save at least 5%. Putting a partner on your insurance is usually offered to opposite-sex couples as well.

Perhaps a better way to explain this potential benefit for domestic partners is to say that it’s likely available, even though it may not be advertised. Much like anything else in life, the only stupid question is the question that isn’t asked. This is one question you should definitely ask, because the answer is probably “yes”.

It’s Friday, and we don’t know about you, but we could really use a break. Between all the fractious “political dialogue” (aka shouting) and the many unpleasant news stories littering the headlines, we would appreciate a short reprieve — just ten or 15 minutes to sit quietly and look at pretty things and remember that humanity isn’t all bad.

Thankfully, the Ram 1500 has come to the rescue.

The Ram sits at the center of a new ad campaign in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual Hunting and Fishing Regulations guide. That may sound like a small-time publication, but it reaches over 3,000,000 outdoors enthusiasts, which is a tailor-made target for Ram.

What makes this ad campaign special is its look. Chrysler could’ve easily slapped together some car-on-road shots of the Ram going about its business, but instead, the automaker hired Anderson Design Group (out of Nashville) to create a series of sumptuous illustrations, all of which hearken back to the Art Deco travel posters of the 1930s and 40s.

But the ads aren’t just pretty to look at: you can purchase them, too. In fact, Anderson is selling them as 18″x24″ prints for $30, with larger and smaller prints ranging from $14 to $300.  (There’s also a postcard set, which includes some non-Ram artwork for just $13.)

As Elizabeth pointed out earlier this week, retro can be a big hit if done correctly, and this campaign taps all the right notes. It’s stylish, well-executed, and smart. In fact, in some ways it reminds us of the Chevrolet Volt spot that GM ran during Motor City Pride, which demonstrated similarly impressive attention to detail for an ad with fairly small reach.

We’ve not always been fans of niche-marketing, but if firms keep cranking out stuff like this, we may change our tune.

[via Media Post]

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Elizabeth Archuleta. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @Thoughtwoman, or on her blog,cassiehack.

* * * * *

In the July 9 issue of Automotive News, J. Mays declared that retro designs for automobiles have become passé.

Why should that matter? Because this announcement comes from the very man who spawned a huge retro trend with his 1998 design for Volkswagen’s New Beetle. The popularity of that design led to other retro-tinged imitations, such as BMW’s MINI Cooper, the Fiat 500, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Dodge Challenger, and many, many more.

Mays doesn’t clarify what he means by “retro”, but I can safely guess that it involves a redesign of something created 15 to 20 years earlier. The “retro” aesthetic combines past and present in ways that make end-products resonate with longtime fans while simultaneously turning the heads of potential new customers.

I disagree with Mays’ proposition. We live in a jumbled age of rapidly changing technology, and companies of all sorts can benefit from the comfort that nostalgia brings. Vinyl records are being manufactured once again. Younger consumers purchase old-time landline handsets for their mobile phones, rather than futuristic, Borg-like Jabra earpieces. So, is it really safe to say that nostalgia is passé when it comes to cars? I don’t think so.

Apparently, Volkswagen doesn’t think so either. Even after its gender-reassignment surgery, the more masculine looking, 21^st-century Beetle maintains a retro look, clearly hearkening back to the New Beetle’s much-beloved design.

And that’s not all. VW is continuing to play the retro card with the “future-retro” design of the E-Bugster, a concept electric car that Volkswagen introduced at 2012 Detroit Auto Show. In the E-Bugster, retro-future design combines the past and the present, but takes advantage of future technologies.

The E-Bugster offers zero emissions, a lower roofline, and seating for two. What makes it retro-future is its “combined charging system”, which means that it’s an electric car that can recharge its battery using a single-phase AC outlet, or it can recharge in as little as 35 minutes using an ultra-fast DC charging station.

Ironically, even as the Beetle silhouette moves further into the future, its body style has begun to resemble — at least in my own mind — the even-more-retro Chrysler PT Cruiser, a once-popular model that has since died a thousand deaths.

Hopefully, VW will remember what customers find compelling in the Beetle, which is exactly what Chrysler forgot about the Cruiser and ultimately let to that model’s demise. In the best of all possible worlds, the Beetle will continue to walk a fine line between retro and modern, nostalgic and fashion-forward — all while being careful not to mimic the look of other cars.

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Elizabeth Archuleta. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @Thoughtwoman, or on her blog, cassiehack.

* * * * *

At the beginning of the 2012 model year, the Volkswagen Beetle went through a sex change. I didn’t even know it was transitioning, but the print ads made it pretty clear:

“It’s a boy. But not much of a baby. This all-new Beetle is, in fact, a whole new man. One that comes with an available turbocharged, 200-horsepower engine, as well as a bold new take on an iconic design.” [via Breaking Copy]

This transformation signals one of two things.

If the Beetle has been a woman all along, the 2012 changeover means that it’s now one of the world’s most high-profile transsexuals (or maybe drag kings).

On the other hand, it’s possible that the Beetle has spent the past several decades as a cross-dressing man. Maybe he’s straight like Eddie Izzard, maybe he’s gay like Ru Paul, but either way, he’s decided to stash his heels in the closet.

To pass as female, Beetles wore “girly” colors that ranged from pastels to flamboyant shades, so they could showcase their fun, flashy personalities. The ”New Beetle” that debuted in 1998 even had a space in the dashboard to carry flowers, and occasionally wore hubcaps sporting flower designs.

No one thought anything about a pink or yellow or lime green bug, but you wouldn’t catch a het-man in one. Society clearly accepted the Beetle as a female, and she paraded her femininity everywhere — for example, in Mandy Moore’s debut video for the song, “Candy“.

So why did the Beetle undergo a sex change when it returned for 2012 (notably, not as the “New Beetle”, but just the “Beetle”)? Maybe it had something to do with chauvinism. This is a man’s world — or so they say — so who wouldn’t want to be more masculine and reap the benefits of white, heterosexual privilege?

But that raises an interesting question: how does a car undergo a sex change in the first place? What signals to the world that this is now a manly car instead of a girly one?

For starters, you get rid of the pastels and pinks, and you paint the car black. Think Zorro or Batman — or perhaps the very butched-up Catwoman.

Second, it has to have soul, so you drop a funky, 60s song by a Black singer into the car’s TV commercials — in this case, Shirley Ellis’s “The Clapping Song”. After all, straight white men like to think they can dance, even when they can’t.

Third, you include fist bumps in those commercials to indicate that Beetles now have soul and can rightfully claim a place in bro culture. The fact that the man driving the Beetle gets a fist-bump-of-approval from his fellow dudes on the street signals his acceptance into the exclusive culture of white, heterosexual masculinity. Have a look:

Finally, you change the way people talk about you. Use manly words to describe the Beetle such as “aggressive”, “turbocharged”, or “diesel”. Don’t these words just reek of testosterone and jet fuel?

But there’s a a bigger question looming: why did Volkswagen launch such an aggressive effort to attract male car buyers? According to the Wall Street Journal, it’s “widely accepted wisdom in the car business … that women will by [sic] ‘boy cars’ but men won’t buy ‘girl cars’”.

Really? Then why do straight men typically assign a female name to anything that has an engine, like a car or a boat? Why do they refer to their motorized vehicles as sexy, beauties, or their babies? There seems to be some sort of a disconnect.

Also, why do car manufacturers think women only buy cars because they’re cute? Do they think we don’t want to drive something that is supercharged or turbo or diesel?

When will car manufacturers get off of the heteronormative bandwagon and just market cars to people, period?

Note: This is a guest post from one of Gaywheels’ newest contributors, Randy Stern. It was originally published on his blog, RandyStern.net.

As motorists, we have a tendency to individualize our rides. It’s the American way.

Our nation is one of the few countries where our vehicles are personalized with stickers, cling placards, and badges. Through these identifying marks, we advertise our educational history, faith, favorite sports team, sense of humor, and politics.

In the past decade, we’ve seen a shift in how LGBT motorists personalize their vehicles. In the 1980s and 1990s, some folks slapped pink triangles onto their vehicles, but it was the six-color rainbow flag – now, the de facto banner of the LGBT community – that became the most visible symbol on our cars, trucks and SUVs. It has survived many permutations: strips, cutout shapes, metallic finishes, etc. And of course, it has inspired the flags of our vibrant subcommunities, like the Leather Pride flag, the Bisexual Pride flag, the International Bear Brotherhood flag.

In the early 21st century, though, the rainbow flag has nearly been supplanted by something more iconic. The new sticker of choice is simple, non-threatening, and very political: the Human Rights Campaign logo.

In 1980, HRC began as an advocacy organization representing the LGBT community. Its logo is a yellow equal sign on a medium-dark blue background. Designed for HRC’s rebranding in 1995, that logo has become one of the most popular symbols of our community.

You can see it on cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, motorcycles, bicycles, and backpacks. In fact, there seem to be more HRC stickers on display than ever before. Even our heterosexual allies have them on their vehicles.

But this raises an interesting question: does the HRC logo speak to us as a symbol of our community? You’d be surprised how many LGBT people are either unaware of what the HRC does, or disagree with the organization’s agenda.

Then too, some people consider the HRC logo too overtly political. Those folks often prefer displaying a variation of the rainbow flag — either the original, or one of its variants. In the subculture I inhabit – that of bears – our earth-toned, seven striped flag doesn’t even register with most of the straight passersby who see it on other cars. For the rest, however, it’s an attention-grabber, alerting us to check out the driver as we cruise by.

But for many, many others, the HRC logo is a perfect blend of the personal and political. As we motor along to work, to the grocery store, and the gym, that blue square with the yellow equal sign is now the most prominent way to let the drivers both gay and straight, from the left and the right, know that we’re here.

Remember when JC Penney met Ellen Degeneres?

Then, we saw the infamous rainbow Oreo.

And let us not forget the luscious lavender print piece for the Chevrolet Volt.

LGBT Americans (and our cookie/automotive stand-ins) are all the rage in advertising these days. No longer pariahs, we represent style, joie de vivre, and a positive corporate image. Support our rights, and you become a do-gooder for equality and fairness. Try to stifle us, and you become Chick-fil-A.

Lexus woos LGBT shoppers

Now, Lexus has jumped on the LGBT bandwagon with a new campaign for the 2013 Lexus LS.

The launch took place last night in San Francisco and centered around a photography exhibition entitled “Lexus Laws of Attraction”. The new LS models were shown in snaps of famous couples taken by acclaimed artist Ellen von Unwerth – a provocateuse with a predilection for hard-edged, Sapphic-themed photo spreads.

But even more interesting than the presence of queer-friendly Ms. Unwerth is the couple at the center of Lexus’ campaign, who also served as creative directors for the exhibition: designer Jonathan Adler and his husband, the writer and Creative Ambassador for Barneys New York, Simon Doonan.

It’s all just a little bit mind-boggling — in a good way.

Would this have happened just five years ago? We doubt it. While marriage equality still has a long row to hoe in the U.S., it’s recently become far more accepted by the American public, especially since President Obama announced his support back in May.

Is it a good move for Lexus? Could be. Lexus is an upscale brand, and some studies indicate that LGBT consumers have slightly more disposable income than their straight counterparts. Also, Lexus is slowly building on the eco-friendly credentials of its parent, Toyota, which could have a tidy pay off, since LGBT shoppers are far more environmentally conscious than most Americans.

Will the Concerned Women for America, the American Family Association, and other backward-looking hate-groups comprised mostly of fearful, middle-aged bigots hurl themselves into a tizzy and demand a boycott of Lexus? Possibly. Maybe it’ll be as entertaining as their hilariously failed boycotts of Starbucks and Home Depot. We can only hope.

In the meantime, if you’ve got a few minutes to kill this Tuesday, have a look at some footage from last night’s event:

How does this new campaign look to you? Has America turned a corner in LGBT advertising? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

You won’t find any space to park your BMW 3-Series in this tiny house that measures exactly one square meter in total floor space. Designed by Laotian-born architect Van Bo Le-Mentzel, the “One-Sqm-House” is part of the BMW Guggenheim Lab, a globetrotting exhibition that showcases innovative urban-themed architecture.

As you might have noticed the One-Sqm-House doesn’t come with a garage – or a working bathroom, for that matter. But it does flip onto its side whenever you want to take a nap, and it can roll wherever you’d like, thanks to four tiny wheels on the bottom. So you could, theoretically, bring your house to your car. And depending on the size of your vehicle, you might be able to put your house in the cargo bay and bring it along for the ride.

Check out this YouTube link for a demonstration of the house’s features.

A decade ago, urban studies theorist Richard Florida made headlines with his book, The Rise of the Creative Class. In a nutshell, Florida looked at communities across the U.S. that encouraged creativity and showed how they sat at the forefront of a changing economic model.

Now, Florida — who’s since become an editor at The Atlantic – has turned his attention to another defining characteristic of American communities: tolerance. In a study published earlier this week, Florida discusses the importance of tolerance in creating vibrant cities: “Places that are open to new ideas attract creative people from around the globe, broadening both their technology and talent capabilities, gaining a substantial economic edge.”

Not surprisingly, Florida prioritizes tolerance of the LGBT community. Here’s a key paragraph from the article in The Atlantic:

Openness to gays and lesbians similarly reflects an ecosystem that is open to new people and new ideas. It’s amazing how consistently people have misconstrued what my colleagues and I have had to say about the connection between gays and economic growth. They miss the point. A strong and vibrant gay community is a solid leading indicator of a place that is open to many different kinds of people. Ronald Inglehart, who has studied the relationship between culture and economic growth for some four decades, has noted that the lack of societal acceptance of gays is the most significant remaining bastion of intolerance and discrimination around the world. Accordingly, communities that have long been more accepting and open to gay people have an underlying ecosystem which is also more likely to be accepting of new ideas and different types of people, including the eggheads and eccentrics who invent new things and start new enterprises. As Bill Bishop put it, “where gay households abound, geeks follow.”

With his study, Florida published a “tolerance index” — basically, a map of the U.S., shaded by tolerance levels. As you might expect, “blue states” like California and Massachusetts score well on the index, but so do places you might not anticipate, like Texas.

Have a look at the map above (and if you have time, check out the full article). How does your hometown rate on Florida’s tolerance index? How about your favorite vacation spot? Does tolerance affect your travel decisions? Our informal office poll says “hell, yes”, but feel free to let us know your thoughts in an email or in the comments below.

[via Joe.My.God]

Earlier this week, we told you about our trip to North Carolina to test drive the 2013 Subaru Outback.

What we didn’t mention was a series of philosophical discussions that broke out among the journalists on that trip.

Here’s what happened: 12 of us were invited to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for the Outback launch event. But in addition to testing the new model and putting Subaru’s EyeSight system through its paces, our agenda also included paddleboarding, hang gliding, and yoga sessions on the beach.

As hokey as that might sound, it generated some genuinely interesting chatter among the group. Between activities, as we rode in the cars, on the buses, or sat down at meals, we found ourselves talking about the “Subaru lifestyle”.

There was little doubt in the group that the Subaru brand means “active”, “responsible”, “fun”, and “outdoor” — not to mention “OUT”. By way of comparison, several of us began pondering the “lifestyle” of our daily cars and realized that few brands, if any, have as clear a “lifestyle” as Subaru.

But there was also broad agreement that while some Outback owners do use their vehicles for outdoor activities, most don’t take full advantage of Outback’s capabilities. And so, we as a group resolved to do exactly that while on the trip. (Ultimately, what we did is manage to pull a front panel and a rear panel partially off the test vehicles, but they popped right back on and looked as good as new.)

Looking back over the last five years of Subaru marketing and product development, it appears that the Subaru “lifestyle” has become increasingly clear to Subaru, too. The exterior design language has changed so that the cars appear ready for anything. The interiors have become more functional without being too utilitarian. That seems to reflect Subaru’s understanding that most of their cars will be driven to and from the office, and occasionally to the grocery store — but that they ought to be ready, willing, and able to hit the trails, too.

Have you given much thought to the “lifestyle” of your car? Did it affect your decision to buy that vehicle? Drop us a line, or leave a comment below.

– Peter Sorgenfrei

It’s no secret that we’re frustrated with Porsche. Its parent company, Volkswagen, is decidedly friendly to its LGBT employees, as are VW’s subsidiaries like Audi and Bentley.

And yet, when we’ve tried to ask Porsche about its own plans for LGBT-inclusive employment policies, company reps have gotten defensive — even offensive.

But just like delusional, backwards-looking activist Maggie Gallagher, Porsche may be in for a rude awakening.

That’s because this week, Volkswagen announced plans to purchase the 50.1% of Porsche that it doesn’t already own. When the deal wraps up sometime around early August, Volkswagen will have total control over Porsche — and presumably, that includes Porsche’s personnel policies.

We’re in the process of contacting Volkswagen reps to ask if they know of any sweeping changes being planned for Porsche’s employee handbook. Since this news is so fresh, we doubt they’re willing to go on record just yet, but we’d be very surprised if Porsche weren’t dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century before long.

Cross your fingers and stay tuned.

Don’t believe Florence and the Machine: the dog days have just begun — well, the dog days of summer anyway.

But while many people are California dreamin’, your devoted Gaywheels staffers are still pinned to our laptops, passing on items of interest to LGBT folks, auto enthusiasts, and the friends of same.

Today, we offer two quick stories about issues that disproportionately affect our community — and things that you can do to resolve them. Read on…

• We’ve all read the headlines, and we know far too well that teen suicide is surging, particularly among LGBT youth. To combat this terrible trend, the Trevor Project — arguably America’s foremost crisis prevention resource for young people — has launched a new project called NTL, or Need to Talk Live.

Its goal is exactly what you think: to put troubled teens in voice-to-voice contact with people who can listen, advise, and offer support. And to help fund NTL, Allstate’s Esurance division will donate $5 to the Trevor Project  for every person who uploads a personal photo to the Need to Talk Live Facebook page before August 1.

The process is pretty simple, but in case you need more info, check out this video clip:

• Also, it’s National HIV Testing Day. Just enter your ZIP code here to find a testing center nearby and take 20 minutes out of your day to get tested.

Sure, taking an HIV test can be scary, but remember that HIV is a very different disease than it was just a few years ago. Thanks to medical advances, it’s possible to live a completely normal lifespan — or longer — while being HIV-positive. But for that to happen, you have to know your status.

Get tested today. It’s quick, it’s painless, and it’s for your own good — and for the good of those you love.

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Summer is usually a slow time for auto news, but we’ve stumbled across several noteworthy items in the past couple of days. Take a minute to look ‘em over while you’re dreaming about the weekend — and hopefully, some fun-filled Pride activities:

• General Motors has given LGBT workers a very prominent shout-out at its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant. The company recently moved a POW flag from a pole in front of its administrative offices to a more permanent position in its flag and truck display along Interstate 69. As a result, the company can fly more flags in front of the admin building — and this week, the flag of choice is the rainbow flag, in honor of LGBT Pride Month. Go, GM!

• Also on the General Motors front, you might’ve already heard that Apple’s popular personal assistant, Siri, will soon be found on select steering wheels. We’ve known which automakers she’ll be visiting, but we hadn’t heard which models She’ll call home. Rumor has it that two Chevy rides will be among the first: the Sonic and the Spark.

• Alleged funnyman Adam Carolla went on The Talk yesterday to tell out actress Sara Gilbert and her straight colleagues how hilarious it is to make gays, lesbians, and transgendered persons the butt of jokes. Small blessing: Carolla’s The Car Show, which Carolla co-hosted, is now as dead as Suzuki’s U.S. sales reports.

• If you’re the eco-friendly sort — and statistics suggest you are — you might be interested to know that tomorrow is Dump the Pump Day. Like-minded individuals across the country will spend tomorrow biking, walking, and taking other forms of transportation to get to work, the gym, and the doggie daycare center. Drink plenty of fluids, y’all.

Oh, and for anyone wondering about the pic above, it’s a shot of Anderson Cooper and boyfriend Ben Maisani, cycling through New York City. We thought it was as good an illustration as any for Dump the Pump Day. Don’t you?

There are so many ways for The Gays to celebrate Father’s Day. Obviously, we celebrate our own fathers, but an increasing number of us are fathers ourselves, putting us on the receiving end of the gift cycle.

And even if our own fathers have passed away, many of us still have daddies.

So, with Father’s Day looming, we thought we’d offer you a few nifty ideas for car-themed gifts — whether you’re celebrating your dad, your daddy, or one of each. With a little luck and some judicious ordering, you can still get these goodies in time for Sunday brunch.

1. “Sunshine” t-shirt: $19.50
If dad’s a fan of t-shirts, he’s probably familiar with Threadless, aka Walmart for Hipsters. Hopefully, he hasn’t shelled out for the “Sunshine” tee, which commemorates one of the best road movies ever captured on film — Little Miss Sunshine. Check out that bright, sunny print, y’all: it’s perfect for summer wear!

2. Coleman 40-Quart PowerChill: $113.36
It’s a common problem: you head out to your favorite campground or clothing-optional swimming hole, only to find that your preferred frosty beverages have gone lukewarm during the drive. This handy device from Coleman can solve that problem — or with the flick of a switch, it can keep food and beverages hot, if that’s what you need. Added bonus: it plugs right into your car’s cigarette lighter. Bottoms up!

3. Decorative hitch covers: $19.95
Want to show off your LGBT pride when you’re not hauling around the Airstream? Try a decorative hitch cover, featuring a rainbow triangle, the bear flag, or the leather flag. Some people are likely to confuse the latter with the Thin Blue Line police flag, which is just fine. Keep ‘em guessing.

4. Bvlgari Black eau de toilette: from about $32
Normally, we don’t recommend giving fragrance as a gift unless you know that the recipient likes a particular scent. But when it comes to Bvlgari Black, we can’t help ourselves. It’s perfect for the gearhead on your list, with a top note that smells rubbery, like a tire shop. Soon, it settles into a warm vanilla that’s comforting and sexy.

If daddy’s a little more daring, you might try Wild Pansy, from the groundbreaking Christopher Brosius and his CB I Hate Perfume line. It’s got a great name, it’s exclusive, and at $75 for the water perfume, it won’t break the bank. Sadly, it’s not as good as Brosius’ discontinued “Faggot” — one of the best winter fragrances on Planet Earth — but it’s a very close second.

5. Coach “Bear” key ring: $58
Obvious? Maybe. But this one’s here for five good reasons:

• It’s hilarious.
• It’s sexy.
• It’s from a respected brand.
• It’s affordable.
• It’s something that dad(dy) would never buy for himself.

Too risque? Not appropriate for the father figure in your life?  You can always go with the seriously tasteful Elsa Peretti version (in sterling, $195). Or, if you prefer, there’s a great “Return to Tiffany” key ring (sterling, $125), which seems like it could come in handy, even with the “Return to Tiffany” tag taken off. Mull that one over for a while and get back to us.

Know of a great gift we missed? Share it in an email, or post it to the comments below.

By now, it seems like we’d be jaded at the sight of automakers expressing support for the LGBT community. After all, of the dozens of car companies doing business in the U.S., only four have failed to protect their LGBT employees from discrimination and put them on equal footing with their straight peers.

But we can’t help ourselves. The sight of this ad from Chevrolet — which ran in the Detroit-based LGBT newspaper,  Between The Lines, during last weekend’s Motor City Pride event – makes us a little giddy.

Why? Well, first, the Volt is a great car: stylish, technologically advanced, and at the top of the Chevy range. So not only is Chevy aligning itself with our community, but it’s doing so via one of its premiere rides.

But more importantly, it’s a really good ad. We’ve seen beer ads in gay magazines that look interchangeable with their straight versions — the designers likely just cut out the male-female couple and dropped in their lesbian neighbors.

The Volt ad, however, took some thought. It’s well designed (check out all that whitespace!), and it’s clever. Sure, we’re being marketed to, but we’re not being pandered to. There’s a difference.

Most surprisingly of all, this is GM’s first-ever LGBT-specific ad. An auspicious beginning, no?

And as if that weren’t enough, GM transformed the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, running the rainbow colors on the LED screens that circle the top of the complex.

Kudos to GM for its support of Motor City Pride — and to Chrysler, Ford, and the UAW for signing on as co-automotive sponsors. We look forward to more great things from all four down the line.

It’s been a fairly quiet news week here at Gaywheels (though elsewhere, the gay news fairies have been working overtime). Still, there are a couple of stories worth mentioning before we head out to tea dance get mani-pedis a very important business lunch:

» Remember gay-friendly 23-year-old Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac and his Concept One electric supercar? (Or possibly, the home audio system it inspired?)  Well, we have good news and bad news.

The good news is that the Rimac Concept One is now up for sale. The bad news? Purchasing one of the 88 units slated for production will set you back a cool $980,000. Worse, while the Concept One may cost as much as a house in the Hamptons, it’s too small to live in. Dangit.

» Summer is nearly here. (Actually, for those of us in the Deep South, it’s been hanging around for weeks.) And you know what summer means? Road trips! And who likes road trips better than a good ol’ canine companion? No one.

As proof, here’s a video of dogs riding in cars. Of course, it’s not the safest way for pets to travel — in fact, it’s pretty dangerous — but every dog has its day. [via Towleroad]

Dogs in Cars: California from keith on Vimeo.

We haven’t been able to keep up with our “Most Popular Posts” feature for a few months due to some technical difficulties on the backend. (Minds out of the gutter, y’all.)

But at long last, the server goddesses are smiling again, so we’re sharing a list of Gaywheels’ most-viewed posts from April 2012.

As usual, the most-visited page on the site was Gaywheels’ list of  gay-friendly automakers. But the rest of the top-ten list looks a little different than it used to.

Last time we checked, you guys were very interested in our news articles, like the one about the BMW 7-series being the gayest car in L.A. But in April, almost all our traffic pointed right to car reviews. Perhaps the early spring weather put y’all in the mood to shop?

Anyway, without further ado, here are the ten most-viewed posts for April 2012 (excluding our list of gay-friendly automakers, of course).

1. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO

2. 2011 VW Golf GTI vs. 2011 VW Golf TDI

3. 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander

4. 2007 Nissan Quest

5. 2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum

6. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

7. 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe: Test Drive

8. 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI

9. Gay-Friendly Brands Sweep KBB’s Brand Image Awards At 2012 The New York Auto Show

10. 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to Friday. Please remain in your cubicle until the pilot has turned off the “fasten seatbelt” sign or until the boss skips out for a quick nine holes before dinner. (Whichever comes first.)

In the meantime, please enjoy this complimentary bag of auto-themed news nuggets:

• Monday is tax day: are you prepared? Not for the IRS, but for all the dangerous drivers revving up to roam the streets. Seriously, that shiznit is cray.

• If President Obama were a car, what kind would he be? Resurgent Republic posed that question to a bunch of independents who voted for Obama in 2008 but remain undecided for 2012. It’s an interesting exercise, but we fail to understand why Obama’s biggest fan described him as a Ford Taurus. Not even a Focus, dude?

• Folks in the LGBT community — particularly the gays — often get pegged as fans of pint-sized rides like the Fiat 500. And maybe we are, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make them sound like lean, mean sportscars, courtesy of our smartphones. Added bonus: unlike Ferrari drivers, most of us aren’t compensating for any shortcomings. Are we, fellas?

If you visited the Javits Center yesterday, you know that the fur was a-flying at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. To celebrate National Pet Day, dogs, cats, and other non-human companions were on the floor, barking and growling and hissing their approval (or perhaps disapproval?) at many new car models.

National Pet Day was started by Colleen Paige to raise awareness about the plight of animals in shelters. Paige and her colleagues encourage animal-lovers to adopt pets rather than buy them from breeders. They also ask fans to support spaying and neutering programs across the country.

Which is all well and good, but why would the New York Auto Show host National Pet Day events?

We don’t have details right from the horse’s mouth (pun intended), but we’d guess it has something to do with America’s outsized love for pets. Roughly 39% of U.S. households count at least one dog as a family member, 33% contain one cat, and many more contain hamsters, parrots, and exotics. Plenty of us like to travel with those pets, and automakers like Subaru have even built brands around their pet-friendliness.

In addition to yesterday’s non-human visitors at the New York Auto Show, there were quite a few pet-oriented amenities on view, too. Here are three items that may help you prepare for those upcoming summer road trips with Rover.

Dura-Ruff Folding Dog Crate: The best way to travel with a pet is to have him/her/them stowed safely in a travel container like a kennel. The Dura-Ruff model is built with a wire frame and nylon walls, so it pops up like a pup tent, then folds flat for storing.

Auto Friend Car Hammock: If you can’t afford a kennel — or if you can’t fit one in your car — a car hammock can be a good substitute. It’s comfy for your furry friend, and it offers some protection in the event of hard stops.

Ultralight Bifold Ramp: Heiresses with Chihuahua fetishes can get their hounds in and out of the car with one hand. But for folks who love bigger breeds, helping them into or out of the back seat or cargo area can be a hassle. At just 10 pounds, this ramp is super light, and it folds in half for easy storage.

Speaking of Chihuahuas, here’s one more shot of Pet Day before we go.

Adorbs, no?

The 2012 New York International Auto Show has spawned a lot of noteworthy news items. While our man in the field is sorting through all the reveals and press conferences, we’d like to report on a slightly different story coming out of the Javits Convention Center: the 2012 Brand Image Awards, presented yesterday by Kelley Blue Book.

The Brand Image Awards rank auto brands on topics ranging from vehicle design to overall “coolness”. Where does Kelley get the data to determine its winners? From 12,000 visitors to KBB.com, all of whom are researching their next ride.

The Brand Image Awards are meant to give us — and automakers, too — a sense of how various brands perceived by the general public. And we’re very happy to report that gay-friendly companies took home nearly all the 12 awards up for grabs.

Here’s a rundown of the big winners:

BMW: Best Exterior Design Brand, Luxury

Cadillac: Best Interior Design Brand, Luxury

Cadillac: Best Comfort Brand

Ford: Best Exterior Design Brand, Non-Luxury

Ford: Best Interior Design Brand, Non-Luxury

Ford: Most Family-Friendly Brand

Ford: Most Rugged Truck Brand

Honda: Best Value Brand

Honda: Most Trusted Brand

Mercedes-Benz: Most Prestigious Brand

Note that every single one of those companies sits on Gaywheels’ gay-friendly list. And the big winner of the day — Ford — recently scored a perfect 100 on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.

In fact, the only non-gay-friendly company to make the cut was Porsche, which took home statuettes for Best Performance Brand and Coolest Brand. Curiously, Hyundai — a non-gay-friendly brand that has been making huge strides in the U.S. market the past few years — was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be that LGBT-friendliness is now an asset — something that customers value in the brands they buy? Could be, if Starbucks’ recent dust-up with the National Organization for Marriage is any gauge to go by. Maybe the four hold-outs on our non-gay-friendly list will clue in soon.

For an overview of the Brand Image Awards and a few blurbs about the winners, visit KBB.com.

In the 1980s and 1990s, you weren’t a star unless you’d been photographed by Herb Ritts. As portrait photographers go, few artists — maybe Diane Arbus, possibly Alfred Stieglitz — have been able to capture personalities in 1/100th of a second as well as Ritts did.

It’s fitting, then, that the J. Paul Getty Museum has just launched a major retrospective of Ritts’ work, spanning the fields of celebrity portraiture, fashion, and fine art photography. After all, the Getty has built its reputation on photography, and Los Angeles has been home base for the star system for nearly 100 years: where else should Ritts’ photos be?

It’s also entirely appropriate that Lincoln has signed on as the lead sponsor for the exhibition. Lincoln is looking for ways to buff up its high-end, luxury credentials, and aligning itself with the Getty is a great way of doing so. It doesn’t hurt that the folks most familiar with Ritts’ work are early Gen Xers and late Baby Boomers, who are a good match for Lincoln rides like the 2013 Lincoln MKZ (which debuted yesterday, in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition).

In addition to the photography show, Lincoln has also underwritten a ten-minute documentary about Ritts and his work, featuring commentary from many of his famous subjects and colleagues.

Lincoln exec Jim Peters had this to say about the sponsorship: “As we return Lincoln to celebrating the best of premium values, the celebration of the photographic values that made Herb Ritts one of the world’s most renowned photographers is a natural choice for us. His elegant, modern and sophisticated style matches exactly our focus in the reinvention of the Lincoln brand.”

And there you have it.

Ritts was an out, proud gay man, who died from AIDS-related causes at the crushingly early age of 50 in 2002. We’re not exaggerating when we say that his style defined a decade’s worth of magazines, designers, and musicians. If you find yourself within 100 miles of this show, do yourself a favor: make time to see it.

“Herb Ritts: L.A. Style” runs at the J. Paul Getty Museum from April 3 – August 26, 2012. Afterward, the exhibition will travel to the Cincinnati Art Museum (October 6 – December 30, 2012) and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Florida (March 1 – June 2, 2013).

It’s that time again: time to say “so long” to another wearisome work week and dust off our list of household chores — which we will totally take care of this weekend. You know, unlike last weekend. Promise.

But before we head out, here are a few tidbits of news for your Friday lunchtime reading:

• At the GLAAD Media Awards last Saturday, an employee at America’s biggest automaker was front-and-center in one of the night’s top honors. A piece entitled “Black and Gay in Corporate America“, written by Carolyn M. Brown for Black Enterprise magazine, took home the award for Outstanding Magazine Article: “In the article, Brown interviews individuals like cover subject Sabin D. Blake of General Motors, who spoke openly about the challenges of being a ‘double minority’ as you climb the corporate ladder.”

• Our pal Brett Berk has penned another bit of brilliance for Vanity Fair. This time, instead of looking at cars and sexual orientation, he turns his 20/20 gimlet vision to the subject of politics. Our favorite of Brett’s assessments? “Republicans outnumber Democrats more than three to one in the purchase of vehicles with retracting tops, a figure that we believe implies either a deeply bifurcated and unresolved inner psychological struggle or the need to accommodate big hair.” Take that however you like.

• And last but not least: a shout-out to Jen Bekman, one of our favorite online gallerists/fine-art cheerleaders. This week, she’s featuring a couple of fantastic car-themed prints by photographer Phil Jung. Best of all, they’re totally affordable, starting at just $24. If you’re feeling spendy, we’re particularly fond of “588-Verbenas on the Desert“, pictured above. Just so you know.

It’s Friday, which means (a) we’re heading out for a three-margarita lunch, and (b) before we do that, we need to unload the handful auto-related links we’ve been hoarding. See you at the bar!

• The friendly folks at Queers4Gears have taken HRC’s Corporate Equality Index and cross-referenced it with the list of NASCAR sponsors. While we think our colleagues should probably spend a little more time boozing and a little less time poring over Excel spreadsheets, we’re happy to see their results. Of the NASCAR sponsors rated by the HRC, roughly half scored a perfect 100! (Lowes, Goodyear, NAPA, Sunoco, ExxonMobile? Not so much. Shop elsewhere.)

• Our pal at Vanity Fair, Brett Berk, leads a rough life. The poor schmuck had to spend all last week schlepping around the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, sipping mint juleps and looking at beautiful rides like Rita Hayworth’s 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia, which she received as a stocking-stuffer from the world’s richest man at the time, Prince Ali Khan. If we were the thoughtful type, we’d fire up a Kickstarter campaign to help Brett find a decent gig.

• Scion of Manhattan recently held an LGBT Expo, and FOG (“Friend of Gaywheels”) Karter sent us a nifty clip of Miss Crystal Demure, slipping into something more comfortable on the showroom floor — namely, a Scion iQ. We can’t say for certain if Crystal is a big girl or if the iQ is just a tad small, but we have our theories. Behold:

Back in January, we told you that an LGBT advocacy organization called the Indiana Youth Group had finally been approved for a specialty license plate, after numerous rejections from the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

A couple of weeks ago, we provided an update to that story, mentioning that the plate was in jeopardy thanks to new legislation proposed by Republican representative Ed Soliday of Valparaiso. Thankfully, Soliday’s bill arrived late in the legislative session, so it looked as if the plate would stick around — at least until next year.

But like all lawmakers, Indiana’s Republican conservatives have a way of effecting change in other ways. Furious that our community would have access to an LGBT-friendly license plate for a full year, Republican State Senate President Pro Tempore David Long found an alternate means of canning the plate.

According to Bilerico, the Indiana Youth Group granted a few low-number plates to its major donors, which violated the contract that the group signed with the BMV. The BMV’s former communications director, Graig Lubsen, says that “traditionally, the BMV has allowed group to give out low-numbered plates as thank-you gifts to donors”. However, such activity is technically illegal and was grounds to cancel the contract, thus ending the sale of the group’s plate.

Just so members of the LGBT community don’t feel as if they’re being singled out — though we totally are — the BMV also revoked plates for Greenways Foundation and the Indiana 4-H Foundation due to similar infractions.

Our take?

We don’t have access to the contract that the Indiana Youth Group signed with the BMV, so we don’t know exactly how it’s worded. However, given the number of times that the group’s application for a specialty plate was rejected, it should have been very familiar with the contract and followed it to the letter. Surely the staff understood the GOP’s animosity toward the Youth Group and must’ve forseen the possibility that its contract could be revoked due to the slightest violation. Bending the rules — even if it was in keeping with “tradition” — wasn’t a bright move.

On the other hand, we’ve been around the block often enough to know when a rule is being selectively enforced. Given Lubsen’s comments, we’d be very surprised if conservative organizations hadn’t engaged in the same practices (and are now scurrying to cover their tracks).

The good news is that during the two months that the plates were available, 669 were sold. That’s 669 middle-finger salutes to backward-looking politicians like Soliday and Long. And for member of the LGBT community who didn’t manage to get one in time, you can always show your support with a charitable donation to the Indiana Youth Group and a well-placed rainbow-flag bumper sticker.

One last word of advice to conservatives who continue to express this kind of hatred toward the LGBT community: keep it up, and your days in office are numbered.

UPDATED: see below

It’s been a quiet week here at Gaywheels, with many of our automotive acquaintances stuck at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show. (Life’s rough sometimes.) Still, we found a couple of tasty news nuggets for car nuts. Savor them as you count down the minutes until Miller Time — or cosmo time, if that’s your thing:

• Racing fans will be happy to hear that Toyota has announced its star-studded list of participants for the 2012 “Glitz, Glamour, and Glory” pro/celebrity race on Saturday, April 14 in Long Beach, California. Non-racing fans will be happy to hear that uber-daddy Christopher Meloni (of Oz, Law and Order, and soon, True Blood) will be among the celebs on the track, racing Scion tCs for fun and philanthropy. Horsepower and hunks: everybody wins.

• Remember how we told you that the LGBT-friendly license plates in Indiana had been spared? Well, not so fast. Bilerico is reporting that someone has resurrected the bill to nix them – along with all other specialty plates — as an amendment to another piece of legislation. Typically, that sort of thing isn’t supposed to happen in the last few days of the legislative session, but clearly, conservatives have ditched manners in their desperation. We encourage you to give the legislature a call — especially if you’re a resident of Indiana. Ring (800) 382-9842 to leave a message for House leadership, or (800) 382-9467 to reach state Senate leadership. Now, please. [h/t John Voelcker]

• UPDATED: The bigots in Indiana may have found a loophole allowing them to kill the LGBT license plate while leaving all others intact. What a frustrating way to end the week.

Remember when we told you that Indiana was adding an LGBT-friendly license plate to its roster of specialty plates? Well, that didn’t sit to well with conservative lawmakers in Indianapolis. In fact, Republican representative Ed Soliday of Valparaiso was so sickened by the idea of tolerance and harmony that he introduced a bill to nix specialty plates altogether.

The good news is that Soliday has now pulled that bill. Given the drubbing that social conservatives have taken over the past few months — from Rick “frothy mix” Santorum to Rush “we wanna watch” Limbaugh — we’re going to assume that Soliday’s GOP colleagues asked him to focus on less divisive matters. You know, for the good of the party.

The bad news is that Soliday has promised to introduce the bill again next year.

Indiana readers: let us know if you have any special insight on this one. And by all means, keep us posted!

If you’ve got a little time to kill this Thursday, and you’ve already slogged through the endless array of “Sh*it People Say” videos and Angelina Jolie legbombing pics, maybe you should pay a visit to FirstCarStory.com.

FirstCarStory allows car nuts like yourself to share the story of your very first ride via a short, animated cartoon. It’s clever, it’s really well-designed, and since it’s sponsored by Subaru, it’s totes LGBT-friendly.

To get the ball bearings a-rolling, pick out the model, color, and condition of your first car. (Or, you know, totally make it up.) Clicking the “Bring it to life” button allows you to log into the website using Facebook Connect, which will come in handy if you plan to incorporate Facebook friends into your story. Or you can choose to skip that part. Your call.

Next, you’ll pen a 150-word story about your first car. We suggest a fun anecdote about all the fabulosity that happened in said ride, but you’re the Hemmingway here.

When writing that story, you can use the highlight function to draw attention to certain words that you want to figure prominently in the animation. The site will automatically pick some words of its own, too — including “gay” and the acronym “LGBT”.  If you happened to log in through Facebook, you can rope friends into the story using the tried-and-true “@FriendsName” formula.

Almost done. Now all you have to do is pick a backing track. (Note: the one at the top of the list is disco. We say go for it.) If you like, you can also record your story, so people will hear you narrate it.

When you’re done, FirstCarStory.com will slap all the info you provided onto a storyboard and animate the heck out of it. Like what you see? Share it on Facebook, Twitter, and with others via email.

Apart from the fact that FirstCarStory.com seems like great way to kill some time on a Thursday afternoon, we love the fact that Subaru has anticipated and made plenty of room for its LGBT fans. (In our own test clip, a big ol’ rainbow popped up when the story reached the word “gay”.) Then again, should we expect anything less from the automaker that brought us an LGBT-specific badge for our bumper?

We also like the fact that Subaru has built this as such a soft-sell for the 2012 Impreza. (Scroll over the bottom-left corner to see the ad.) Even though the money to build the site almost certainly came from Subaru’s advertising budget, it feels less like an ad and more like a present to fans. And really, who doesn’t like getting presents?

The past couple of weeks have been slow on the car news front but great for LGBT Americans.

We scored marriage-equality victories in Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, and when Chris Christie vetoed that New Jersey bill, he was roundly, soundly booed for being on the wrong side of history (as we now say). What’s more, if the recent Prop 8 verdict stands, it would seem that once couples begin marrying in Maryland and Washington, there’ll be no going back.

Even better, a U.S. District Court in California declared the controversial 1996 Defense of Marriage Act — which prevents federal recognition of same-sex marriages by agencies like the IRS – to be unconstitutional. Naturally, John Boehner & the Bigots have appealed, and the case will likely be challenged all the way to the Supreme Court. However, it’s an encouraging start.

Oh, to be a fly on Maggie Gallagher’s wall right now.

But we have to wonder: why the sudden movement? Why this lurching forward? It may have something to do with Millennials, who are beginning to come into their own, and whose decidedly pro-LGBT marriage stance is beginning to play out in the larger culture.

That effect is perhaps most visible in the workplace, where it’s increasingly common for businesses to draft non-discrimination policies to protect their LGBT employees. Here’s a quote from a recent issue of The Economist:

What caused this corporate revolution? Pressure groups such as HRC and Britain’s Stonewall can take some of the credit. But mostly it happened because changing attitudes in society at large have reduced the cost of being gay-friendly, and raised the rewards. A generation ago in the West, creating a gay-friendly workplace might have upset heterosexual staff. Now it probably won’t. But failing to treat gays equally is very likely to drive them to seek employment elsewhere. Since they are perhaps 5-10% of the global talent pool, bigotry makes a firm less competitive.

So, it seems like we’re experiencing a perfect pink storm: more LGBT individuals are coming out of the closet because more of their straight counterparts either accept or don’t care about their sexual orientation. Eventually, those LGBT individuals want — and win — the same rights as their straight colleagues. And then, things begin to snowball.

The shift in mindset has been thrown into sharp relief over the course of the Republican presidential debates, which have ratcheted up the debate on social issues like marriage equality. All of the major candidates except Ron Paul (who’s not perfect on LGBT issues, either) have come out swinging against same-sex marriage and said that they’d support a constitutional amendment to protect “traditional marriage” — whatever that means. In turn, they’ve been criticized by many of their fellow GOPers for veering so far to the right, for being so out of step with an American public that is increasingly LGBT-friendly.

Of course, that’s not to say that President Obama has been front-and-center, pushing for marriage equality like New York’s Governor Cuomo (whom we should probably expect to see in 2016). He’s clearly, repeatedly hedged his bets. But you can’t argue the fact that Obama helped abolish “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and he has refused to defend DOMA in court. If Americans voted solely on social issues (note: we don’t), Obama might be looking at a near-certain victory come November.

We don’t mean to be overly optimistic. We know our LGBT history. We know that the community seemed poised for similar gains in the late 70s and early 80s, just as HIV/AIDS began to ravage our ranks and opened the door to decades of discrimination. Things can go wrong. Things we can’t predict.

But for now — whether we live in a state that has marriage equality or one that’s criticized for not having it — it’s a good time to be an LGBT American. Not a great time, but good.

It’s Friday, and Gaywheels’ New Orleans office is preparing for a long weekend of Carnival balls, parades, and beads (as well as some inclement weather and the inevitable assortment of homophobic bible-thumpers telling all the gays that we’re doomed). But before we break out the bedazzler to spruce up our party gear, here are a couple of news bits you might find interesting:

1. Stupidity can’t fully explain homophobia. True, a recent study did find parallels between low IQs and homophobia — in fact, 68% of people with below-average cognitive abilities had homophobic tendencies. (That’s mimics a separate study on racism, which found 62% of males and 65% of females with below-average intelligence had racist tendencies, while only 35% of males and 38% of females with above-average intelligence felt the same.)

But the folks at BigThink offer some clarification:

The authors of this study have been quick to point out that they are not suggesting that everyone who has conservative beliefs are all stupid or that everyone who has liberal beliefs are all smart. Instead they are arguing that an ability to form your own beliefs, rather than taking those from an authority on faith, requires a confidence in your ability to think intelligently. In that respect, they are essentially arguing that left-wing liberal ideologies necessarily exclude people who lack the confidence to form their own opinions.

2. Speaking of bigots: Victoria Jackson equates riding the bus with communism. In a rambling tirade spewed to Huffington Post reporters at the recent hate-fest known as the Conservative Political Action Conference (which this year decided to ban even the most self-loathing gay groups), Jackson had this to say.

“The people of California voted that they did not believe that gay marriage — no gay marriage,” she explained to HuffPost Gay Voices. “They voted that. A judge, probably gay, activist judge, overturned that. That’s what I’m talking about — communism.”

She explained further that it could lead to living in pods. “Do you know what the housing is going to be like when we all live in a pod?” she asked. “And we all take public transit? It’s going to be Russia. It’s going to be Cuba.”

First of all: what?

And second of all: what?

Now don’t get us wrong: we appreciate Jackson’s implied love of cars, and although we don’t have anything against subways or ferries or other forms of public transportation, we know how much of a bummer it can be to take the bus when your car’s in the shop.

But seriously: gay marriage, communism, pod people, and mass transit, all in the same breath? Give that woman a round of applause.

One day scientists are going to get their hands on Victoria Jackson’s brain. Will they uncover the answers to the universe’s most pressing questions? Or just a heap of cat food held together by bits of string and twist-ties? We can’t wait to find out.

Last week, we told you about the sad state of Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Suzuki. We told you about how they refuse to offer workplace protections to their LGBT employees. We told you about how they avoid answering our questions, like, “When will your employment policies catch up to the rest of us in the 21st century?”

If you’re the sort of person who puts her money where her mouth is, that could be enough to put you off those brands for a long time to come. After all, there are plenty of other fish (and four-door sedans) in the proverbial sea.

But what if you’re not so political in your shopping habits? And what if you really dig a ride like the Hyundai Accent (which we’ll review tomorrow)? How can you reconcile terrible, regressive corporate policies that conflict with your own deeply held beliefs — policies that implicitly devalue you and the rest of the LGBT community — with your need for a good car? How can you make a deal with the devil?

It ain’t easy, but it can be done.

Look, in a perfect world, we could spend all our time shopping at places like J.C. Penney (now known as jcpenney) and bypass Target altogether. We wouldn’t have to stay at hotels like the Manchester Grand Hyatt. We could pick up stakes and move to one of the growing number of states that allow gay marriage.

But the world isn’t perfect– if it were, Ryan Gosling would bat for our team and Maggie Gallagher would develop a lifelong case of laryngitis. Sometimes, we just have to close our eyes and think of England’s more progressive legal protections.

Case in point

This isn’t just idle chatter. One of our readers recently wrote in and asked, in essence, “How ‘gay-unfriendly’ are the four companies on your ‘non-gay-friendly’ list?” He needed a new ride, and he was looking at the Kia Rio SX, but as he said, “I really don’t want to support a company that doesn’t understand that LGBT people should have the same rights as everyone else.”

Our advice was that he contact his local Kia dealership and see what its policies are. As we mentioned in our interview with GM’s Eric Peterson, each dealership is unique, since dealer’s contracts with automakers don’t get into specifics like employment policies.

Long story short, our reader found a Kia dealer in his area that had a history of supporting LGBT causes and had even participated in a local AIDS Walk. That made him feel better about purchasing a car made by a company that still doesn’t “get it”.

But what about you? Have you run into this problem in looking for a new car? Has it been a major sticking point? How did you overcome it? Drop us an email, or leave us a note in the comments below.

Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Suzuki offer no protections or benefits for their LGBT employees.

There are two ways of looking at that.

On the one hand, you could say that of the 37 car companies Gaywheels has surveyed, a whopping 33 are gay-friendly (at least to some degree). Considering that most of those automakers have added pro-LGBT policies within the past decade, that’s swift progress. Only four lagging behind? Not so shabby.

On the other hand, you could also say that in this day and age — when every single firm on Fortune’s list of Best Companies to Work For has a non-discrimination policy to protect its LGBT employees — it is appalling that any automaker remains so clueless.

We can appreciate both arguments, depending on our mood and caffeine levels.

In an effort to keep Gaywheels’ list of gay-friendly automakers up to date, we’ve contacted Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Suzuki to see what steps — if any — they’re taking to make their companies more LGBT-friendly. During the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, we even followed up with three of those companies in person. Here’s what we learned.

HYUNDAI/KIA: Still not gay-friendly
We’ve reached out to Hyundai/Kia on several occasions, asking for updates on their LGBT employment policies. To date, our calls and emails have been ignored. In Detroit, on our first visit to the Hyundai/Kia booth, we were told that no one on-site could respond to our queries, but if we stopped by later in the day, they’d have some answers. We did. They didn’t.

Hyundai’s website isn’t any more helpful or encouraging. Under “diversity“, the company says one of its goals is “To hire and retain an executive management and employee staff based on equal participation and opportunity for all, regardless of race, gender, age, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected characteristic [emphasis ours].” Sigh.

That said, we would be very, very surprised if Hyundai/Kia didn’t get on the LGBT equality train very, very quickly. The sisters from South Korea are working overtime to grow market share in the U.S., and if they want to do that, they’re going to need to maintain a workforce that is as diverse and creative as the ones managed by competitors like Toyota, Honda, and Detroit’s Big Three.  Hyundai/Kia won’t add LGBT-protections because it’s “the right thing to do”; they’ll do it because they need the talent of LGBT employees and the bucks of LGBT customers.

Want to make your voice heard? Send a note to Hyundai at consumeraffairs@hmausa.com (Kia doesn’t make it that easy), or call 800-633-5151 (Hyundai) and 800-333-4542 (Kia).

PORSCHE: Still not gay-friendly
When we stopped by the Porsche booth at the Detroit Auto Show, the front desk attendants were all smiles. “Is there someone we could talk to about Porsche’s policies toward its LGBT employees?” we asked. One happily went off in search of an appropriate staffer.

The PR rep who came out to meet us, however, was definitely not eager to chat. In a nutshell, her response was a curt, “We don’t comment on internal policies” — a response she repeated several times. She was kind of like the bouncer at a nightclub telling an intoxicated patron, “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

We left all right, and much like that drunk, we were not happy about it.

After we’d calmed down a bit, we tried to give the rep the benefit of the doubt. The auto show is a hectic place, after all — maybe she’d just had a bad day. We followed up with her a couple of weeks ago to see if she’d be willing to elaborate. Not surprisingly, we were ignored.

But despite her reluctance to comment on personnel policies, our PR rep and the rest of the Porsche team will likely be dragged kicking and screaming into the era of LGBT equality — and soon. There’s no question that Porsche suffers from a bad case of elitism, but that’s the very attitude that got Porsche in trouble when it recently tried to take over sister company, Volkswagen. Now that VW is running the show, rumor has it that Porsche has begun a slow process of adding LGBT protections, bringing it in line with VW, which landed an impressive score on HRC’s 2012 Corporate Equality Index.

Want to make your voice heard? Porsche has practically no contact information on its website, but you could try reaching out to Nick Twork, Product Communications Manager, at nick.twork@porsche.us or 678-323-6975. (He’s not the right person to hear your grievances, but he’s listed on recent press releases. Better than nothing.) We’d give you the email address of the PR rep we spoke to in Detroit, but that would probably be an exercise in futility. And frustration.

SUZUKI: Still not gay-friendly
As with Hyundai/Kia and Porsche, our queries to Suzuki have gone unanswered, and the company was a no-show in Detroit. Short of sending a letter by registered mail, we don’t know what else to do.

But whatever. Rumor has it that Suzuki isn’t long for the Western World anyway. The Kizashi helped improve the brand’s standing a bit, but it’s has its share of critics, too. (We’d add that if you’re trying to draw attention to your car company with a halo model, betting the farm on a mid-size sedan may not be the way to go.) We wouldn’t be surprised if Suzuki packed up its toys and went home in a couple of years.

Want to make your voice heard? Given the lack of email addresses on Suzuki contact page, we’re guessing the company doesn’t like to communicate that way. (Which might explain why our emails have gone unanswered.) If you feel passionately about Suzuki and want to see it stick around, try calling 800-934-0934.

But what if you love the Hyundai Santa Fe? What if you can’t live without a Porsche 911? Next week, we’ll talk more about these four not-so-gay-friendly brands and what to do if you’re bound and determined to buy a car from one of them.

Last month, we told you about the Human Rights Campaign’s 2012 Corporate Equality Index, which scored companies according to how well they treat their LGBT employees. Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota aced the study, with General Motors, Subaru, and Volkswagen following close behind.

Nissan, however, was a disappointment. The automaker does have a basic non-discrimination policy (though it doesn’t cover gender expression), and it offers health/medical coverage to same-sex partners of its employees, but it lacks many other benefits for LGBT workers. In the end, Nissan scored 30 out of a possible 100 points.

We wrote Nissan to ask about its 2012 CEI score and how the company plans to make its workplace more LGBT-friendly. Within less than 24 hours, we received this thorough and thoughtful reply from Paula Angelo, the Director of Corporate Communications for Nissan North America:

Thanks for getting in touch with Nissan regarding the recent CEI report. This score is very important to Nissan’s overall diversity efforts, and it’s useful to understand where we have opportunities for meaningful progress on LGBT issues. Nissan is committed to raising its score to the level achieved by other automakers.

Nissan has a long-standing commitment to providing a diverse, inclusive work environment for all stakeholders, including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The company strives to develop, promote and recruit at all levels of the organization so that our workforce represents the diverse communities and customers we serve, and to create an internal environment where everyone’s background and perspective are respected. In addition, all Nissan employees who are eligible for and enroll in company benefit programs may enroll a same-sex domestic partner for medical, dental and vision coverage, and same-sex domestic partners are eligible to participate in the company’s employee lease-vehicle program.

At Nissan, we view diversity and inclusion as a path, rather than a fixed destination – and while we know we can do more to ensure a welcoming environment for everyone, we have taken some strong steps forward on this issue during the past 12 months. In May 2011, our company launched the Nissan Americas Diversity Office and, soon after, created the Nissan Americas Diversity Council. Both entities are intended to accelerate Nissan’s progress toward being trusted in the Americas as a leading car company for diversity and inclusion by 2016. The Diversity Council is supported by external advisors that include Corbett Doyle of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Under the Diversity Council’s direction, in November 2011, Nissan’s corporate policy on diversity and inclusion was updated to incorporate language directly referencing sexual orientation. The next Diversity Council meeting, which is scheduled for later this month, specifically includes a discussion of our 2011 CEI scores on the agenda.

Finally, I want to reiterate that Nissan is on record in opposition to Tennessee HB600/SB632 [Ed. note: referenced here]. The legislation was initially presented to Nissan and other members of the corporate community as a measure to cultivate a consistent, business-friendly climate; however, once its consequences for diversity and inclusiveness became clear, the company took a public stance that reflects our values on this issue. While I know your initial story indicated that Nissan did not oppose the legislation until after the Governor signed it into law, in fact our opposition was well documented prior to the Governor making his declaration. Those close to the issue know that Nissan was instrumental in soliciting corporate opposition to HB600/SB632 but, unfortunately, those efforts were not successful in swaying the Governor’s decision.

The third paragraph is probably the most important. From where we sit, it roughly translates as, “We’re not there yet, but we’re on-track to get there soon.” That’s great news — though it seems as if transgender equality at Nissan will lag behind policies ensuring fairness for lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees. We’ll post more news about Nissan’s progress as we get it.

Tomorrow, updates on the four automakers on Gaywheels’ non-gay-friendly list: Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Suzuki.

Last week, I wrote about my sit-down with General Motors’ Vice President for Global Diversity, Eric Peterson, who told me about GM’s efforts to reach out to the LGBT community. A few minutes after I wrapped up that interview, I wandered 20 feet across the floor of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and got a slightly different perspective on GM, courtesy of Adam Bernard. (Pictured above at left, with partner, Rich.) As an added treat, we were joined by the lovely and talented Joe LaMuraglia, Communications Manager for GMC and a noted friend of Gaywheels.

Technically speaking, Bernard is GM’s Associate Director of Competitor Intelligence, but for the time we chatted, he wore a different hat — the one he sports as the chair of GM PLUS. “PLUS” is shorthand for “People Like Us”, and it’s GM’s official LGBT employee resource group. Bernard has been involved with the group since 2001, and he’s served as its chair since 2006.

Over the course of our half-hour together, we talked about a wide range of initiatives that GM has undertaken to ensure an LGBT-friendly workplace. Here are some of the high points:

What GM PLUS does
GM PLUS educates GM employees about what the company is doing “right” for LGBT workers and also what the company should be doing. Those education efforts affect all levels of GM staff, from engineers to marketers to the OnStar team to the folks on GM’s assembly lines. PLUS also advises LGBT workers on matters like health care and other benefits for same-sex partners.

The most successful work of GM PLUS
One of the best-received programs of GM PLUS has been its “Can We Talk?” workshops. “Can We Talk?” is a “fishbowl” exercise, and it’s become a common, effective way for workers at many companies to broach sensitive topics. Typically, “Can We Talk?” workshops involve one group — for example, LGBT employees — sitting around a table, discussing issues that arise in the workplace. Another group — say, executives — observes the first group, “eavesdropping” on their discussion. The group inside the fishbowl gets to air some grievances, and the group on the outside gains some new perspectives, and neither group has to deal with the hassle of direct confrontation. Bernard said that the workshops have been hugely successful and raised a lot of interest about GM PLUS within the company.

Bernard also mentioned the “It Gets Better” video that PLUS helped develop for GM. Both he and LaMuraglia described it as a meaningful, moving experience, and frankly, that shows in the clip.

What progress has been made on LGBT awareness within GM?
Bernard said things have changed dramatically within GM over the past decade. One of the most visible examples of that has been the creation of advertising with LGBT-specific content, which began around 2010 when Buick first sponsored the OUT 100. Bernard pointed out that dealers in many markets have been doing LGBT-oriented advertising for years, but now, it’s coming from GM HQ, too.

Bernard added that each of GM’s brands now reaches out to the LGBT community in different ways. GMC, for example, hosts breakfasts with Dot429, the gay and lesbian professional network. (LaMuraglia corrected him: “They’re brunches.” We laughed.) Chevy recently sponsored the “Out & Equal” summit and had a Chevy Volt on display — the only automaker to bring a car to the conference. And of course, Buick has worked closely with straight ally Hudson Taylor on Athlete Ally, a nonprofit that encourages “athletes, coaches, parents, fans and other members of the sports community to respect all individuals involved in sports, regardless of perceived or actual sexual-orientation or gender identity or expression.”

But perhaps the thing of which Bernard is most proud is that in 2007, GM became the first — and to date, only — automaker to support a fully inclusive ENDA. Bernard attributes this in part to the workshops that GM PLUS has conducted with executives, which have led to more than a few “aha” moments. During those workshops, Bernard tells attendees that if they didn’t work for GM, they could legally be fired for being gay or even being perceived to be gay. “If you wear too many pink shirts and your boss thinks you’re gay, they can fire you, and you have no legal recourse. And the jaws just drop around the room.”

What’s been your most rewarding experience?
Bernard said that there have been lots of great experiences working with GM PLUS, but one of the most recent involved a workshop held at a manufacturing facility in Indianapolis. He and his colleagues were a little nervous going into the meeting, not sure of what to expect, but their preconceptions quickly dissipated when they found the vast majority of workers to be very welcoming. In fact, many had close LGBT connections — gay brothers, transgender sisters, and so on.

The highlight of that day came when they were speaking to a manager who said quite frankly that on a personal level he didn’t fully “understand” homosexuality, but that he wanted to create a comfortable, welcoming environment for his employees. It was rewarding and inspiring to see that this man was able to leave his personal opinions at home and look out for the needs of his workers.

What about on the customer front?
Around seven years ago, PLUS helped convince GM’s internal research group to begin collecting data on LGBT customers: “Until that point we’d ask, are you married and how old you are and all that stuff, but we didn’t ask anything about sexual orientation or gender identity.” In that short span of time, GM has already begun to debunk some stereotypes about LGBT shoppers, while reaffirming others. For example, LGBT consumers don’t necessarily earn more than their straight counterparts, as commonly believed. However, they do typically have more disposable income. (That might be because of the “double income, no kids” factor, although as Bernard pointed out, the “no kids” part of the equation is starting to change.)  Bernard also said that LGBT shoppers have a greater tendency to purchase a vehicle based on its personality, because it expresses who they are.

What’s next?
Bernard said that keeping up with the HRC’s criteria for the Corporate Equality Index is a big priority for GM. He and others hope to address some of the company’s shortcomings on transgender issues — particularly where health benefits are concerned — before the end of 2012. With some hard work and a little luck, GM will be back at a full 100 score in time for the next CEI.

He also said that internal education is increasingly important, especially at a global level. PLUS aims to lay the foundation for consistent treatment of LGBT employees and their partners as they move throughout GM’s worldwide network.

Continued support of ENDA is also on the PLUS agenda. And Bernard isn’t just adamant about it because it’s good for GM employees — it’s also good for business. As Bernard pointed out, the LGBT community supports the companies that support it.

Finally, Bernard said that GM is considering ways to gross up the salaries of LGBT employees to compensate for the imputed tax on domestic partner health benefits. This is a new field of discussion taking place at companies across the country, and GM hasn’t yet determined how best to resolve it, but the talks have begun.

Why does this matter?
Bernard said that at most GM PLUS workshops, someone typically asks, “Why do we need to know this? I don’t want to know what goes on in your bedroom.” And Bernard’s response is, “We don’t want to know what goes on in your bedroom either. This is about respect, particularly respect of relationships.”

At the end of the day, a workplace that is welcoming and sensitive to the needs of LGBT employees makes for a better, more efficient company. As Bernard tells LGBT colleagues, “You shouldn’t come to work trying to figure out which lies you spun to which coworker about what you did over the weekend, because that’s not productive. You should come to work focused on your job, and you should be able to put a photo of your wife, partner, or whomever on your desk.”

Here are a couple of quick news items to spice up your Super Bowl weekend. We’ll see you on the other side…

1. The folks at Kaggle wrote in to share the results of their used car study. Kaggle works a little like Innocentive, harnessing the power of the cloud and the crowd to answer challenging problems. In this particular study, Kaggle asked the folks to identify cars up for auction that are most likely to be defective (aka “kickers”).

The winners – Marcin Pionnier of Sollers Consulting and Xavier Conort of Gear Analytics — identified a couple of important tell-tale signs. Some of those had to do with the brand of the vehicle up for auction, others had to do with the vehicle’s color. Here are the study highlights:

Allowing for factors such as the age of the vehicle and the sheer volume of examples, they found GMC-made autos were the most reliable choices followed by Honda, Toyota, Isuzu and Chevrolet. Convertibles and coupes were the most risky and, colorwise, red and purple should be avoided. In contrast, orange colored cars may be rarer but tend to be more reliable and with fewer faults.

Other factors that should flash a warning light to an auto dealer include accessories and add-ons that the owner probably thought was an improvement but may prove to be the opposite, such as alloy wheels, an ear-piercing sound system, sports seats and up-rated suspension.

Unfortunately, Kaggle isn’t too good at explaining how the winning team arrived at its conclusions. Still, the basic findings seem like good common sense. You might take those into consideration when looking for your next used car.

2. As you probably know, the Super Bowl is this Sunday night. Midway through the game, you might be inclined to flip over to watch the Puppy Bowl‘s halftime show, featuring kittens. If you leave the clicker right where it is, though, you’ll have a shot at winning two new Toyota Camrys– one for you, and one for a friend.  Be aware, however, that you’ll also need to watch Madonna do her latest number on the 50-yard line. (We’re talking about “Give Me All Your Luvin’”, obviously, not her new boy toy.) We’ve embedded it below, just so you know what you’re getting into.

Frankly, we suggest following Subaru’s lead and taking your dog for a walk (which is not a euphemism). If you’re feeling conflicted, maybe you could both zip down to the Starvin’ Marvin for more beer — so long as you’re the designated driver, of course.

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to land an interview with Eric Peterson, General Motors’ Vice President of Global Diversity. Despite the fact that he was very busy and that we were in the middle of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show — literally in the middle: we chatted at a table between two GMC displays — Eric gave me nearly half an hour to ask questions about GM, its brands, and the company’s views on LGBT employees and customers.

Here are some of the high points of our meeting.

The role of diversity at General Motors
Peterson is a big believer in workforce diversity, and not just because it’s part of his job title. Speaking of General Motors as a whole, we talked about the creative, productive environment that the company tries to foster through its employees: “Diversity and inclusion, it’s really been part of our DNA — whether it’s in the LGBT market, or whether it’s ethnicity, women, what have you.” (For specifics on Peterson’s efforts within General Motors, check the “diversity” section of GM.com.)

The HRC’s 2012 Corporate Equality Index
General Motors typically earns high marks on the CEI, but this year, the automaker’s score slipped to 85 out of a possible 100. After we ran our post on HRC’s 2012 rankings, Joe LaMuraglia, GM’s LGBT Liaison for Communications, contacted us to say that GM was aware of the situation, which may have resulted from changes to HRC’s scoring criteria.  He and other GM team members were looking into it.

By the time the Detroit Auto Show rolled around a few weeks later, the GM staff had reached more solid conclusions. Specifically, Peterson attributes the 15-point slippage to protections for GM’s transgender employees — protections that do, in fact, exist, but need to be more clearly articulated to meet HRC standards: “We have the appropriate coverages in place, but they aren’t stated very specifically, within all of our benefits… And that’s being corrected.” Peterson said that he has already met with GM’s employee resource group to discuss ways in which the company can rectify the situation.

Protections for employees at dealerships
Protections for corporate employees are one thing, but I wanted to know if  there were any protections for LGBT employees at General Motors’ network of dealerships. Is there any stipulation in GM’s contract with dealers that prohibits discrimination against LGBT staff?

Peterson responded that GM’s anti-discrimination policies apply to a wide range of employees — from white-collar to blue-collar, from hourly to salaried. Unfortunately, there’s nothing in GM’s sales and service agreement with dealers to force those outlets to adopt such policies.

The problem, he explained, is that GM dealers aren’t franchises, they’re individually owned and operated companies that contract with GM to sell its products. In that sense, dealerships are a little like department stores that contract with Calvin Klein to carry the company’s underwear: the dealer is an authorized outlet for GM sales, but it’s not technically part of GM.

However, Peterson said that GM trains dealers “to respect all people who walk through their door, regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender” and so on. We’d imagine that such policies are gradually improving, as more dealers go through training programs like the one GM recently launched at Disneyland. Still, though we’re not lawyers, we’d be surprised if GM couldn’t drop something into its sales and service contract that stipulates LGBT non-discrimination policies. Plenty of municipalities have such regulations in place, so why not corporations?

Marketing to LGBT consumers: Buick takes the lead
I asked Peterson if GM had identified particular brands or vehicles that were being targeted to LGBT consumers. He prefaced his response by saying that every customer is different, and that interests vary based on region, income, and other factors. However, GM has a finite number of advertising dollars, so it regularly challenges its four brands to focus their marketing efforts on key demographics.

Buick very quickly identified the LGBT community as a good match for its products. It’s more upscale that Chevrolet, a bit more expensive, and it recently unveiled some very stylish new rides (including the new Verano and the Encore SUV). Given Buick’s renewed efforts to attract younger customers, aiming for LGBT shoppers — which are, like it or not, often considered trend-setters — could be a way of achieving that goal. Expect to see Buick at the center of some hip, new, gatherings for influencers in 2012, kind of like the parties we saw in 2010 for the Buick Regal.

Why Buick and not Cadillac? They bear a number of similarities, after all. The simple answer is, Buick asked before Caddy did. That doesn’t mean that you won’t see Cadillacs at LGBT events, but they’ll probably be fewer and further between, since each brand has to focus its marketing efforts.

Parting shots:

Peterson’s favorite reveal of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show?
The Cadillac ATS. He was particularly happy to see it take place at the College for Creative Studies, which has produced scores of students who’ve gone on to work at GM. (In fact, over 20 of them worked on the ATS.) Peterson sees the ATS as Cadillac’s first truly competitive entry-level vehicle. Expect to see it in showrooms during the third quarter of this year.

The future of Pontiac
When GM whittled down its family of brands from eight to four, Pontiac was the only marque that never went up for sale. Performance junkies miss loud, proud models like the Pontiac G8, so I asked if there were any chance of Pontiac being dusted off one day down the line.

Peterson explained that because of today’s competitive market, there’s not the sales volume to feed any more “kids”. In fact, thanks to its leaner, meaner focus, GM is now selling more vehicles with four brands than it did with eight. So although he wouldn’t say “never”, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Pontiac return anytime soon.

European developments
More than one of our readers asked about GM’s European plans. Peterson admitted that although it wasn’t entirely his area of focus, he could say with certainty that Chevrolet would have a significant presence across the pond and that Cadillac will grow — in fact, the ATS may be front and center in that market. Unfortunately, although Buick’s doing very well in China, there are no plans to hype the brand in Europe, and of course, GMC’s big, brawny silhouettes will remain on this side of the Atlantic. And don’t forget Opel: it’s also a significant seller for GM, too.

Stay tuned: we’ve got one more interview from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. This one comes from a chat with Adam Bernard, the Chair of General Motors’ People Like Us group (aka the “PLUS group”), GM’s “affinity group for direct, contract and retired employees of GM Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates, in support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) workplace equality”.

We’ve got a long, work-filled weekend ahead of us, full of code and comparison drives. (Oh, the things we do for our readers). But before we dive headlong into all that, here are a couple of news items we thought you might find interesting:

• Twitter is great for many things — sharing status updates, facilitating meet-ups, posting funny pictures of cats. But one man in Madison, Wisconsin decided to try buying a car with it. It’s an interesting experiment, but, well, is it just us, or does the shopper come off like a bit of a jerk? And if he really wanted local dealerships to fight for his business, why didn’t he just use CarWoo?

• Remember the Rimac Concept One electric supercar and Zach’s interview with designer Mate Rimac? If you can’t swing the car, maybe you should consider the Vilner Concept One home audio system it inspired. No word on availability yet, but to judge by Vilner’s Facebook page, it may beat the Concept One to market — and it’ll probably be a few bucks cheaper, too. [via Cnet]

We’ll see you next week. In the meantime, stay in touch by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

A guest post by Friend of Gaywheels, Michael Oroszi:

The most important purchases you’ll ever make are likely to involve a roof or wheels. Here are seven helpful tips to make you a pro at one of those:

1. Narrow your list to fewer than seven options
Start by keeping it simple. Choose candidate cars that match your lifestyle. Seven choices will give you flexibility in the market and not cause your head to explode. (Need some suggestions? Check out KBB.com’s “Ten Best Used Cars Under $8,000“.) Do your research and get informed — we promise, it’ll take less time than it takes to check your friends’ Facebook updates.

2. Determine the vehicle value
You don’t want to go home and realize you’ve just paid too much for that perfect vehicle. Edmunds and TrueCar are great tools to determine fair market values. You’ll be able to negotiate with confidence if you know the going price for your car. Keep in mind that market values vary by region and even by season. You may be able to score a better deal on that convertible in the winter than in the summer.

3. Pull comps
Check out the listings for your car on sites like Autotrader and Searchtempest (which searches all of Craigslist). This is a quick way to fine-tune your negotiating strategy. Check the supply and demand for your target vehicle. You can negotiate more aggressively on more common cars and play one seller off the other Knowledge is power!

4. Vehicle history reports
Get the vehicle history report for any car that you are seriously considering. Autocheck and Carfax are greate sources. Vehicles listed on eBay Motors that are newer than 1981 come with a free Autocheck report. The folks at Popular Mechanics put out a pretty good vehicle checklist when you’re ready to inspect your car.

5. The test drive
This is crucial! Bring an extra set of eyes and ears whenever possible — especially trained ones. We don’t mean someone who can pick a color or likes the shape of the Audi A7, we mean a real enthusiast! A passenger can give great feedback on ride and performance, and she might also notice some of those little noises and vibrations that could end up costing you down the road. Don’t forget to go through the vehicle service history file. Anyone willing to go through this process with you is either a great friend or relationship material.

6. Pre-purchase inspection
This should be done before negotiating the final price of a vehicle. Pre-purchase inspections will always come up with something and will often give you an edge at the bargaining table. They typically cost $100 – $200 and are performed by certified mechanics. Any vehicle repair facility is capable of a pre-purchase inspection.

7. Paperwork
Run or skip or fly away if any title says “Salvage”, “Reconstructed”, “Branded”, or “Lemon Law Buyback”. Ask to see the vehicle title. Make sure the vehicle owner matches the name on the title. Double check the VIN number on the vehicle with the VIN on the title. VIN numbers are usually located on the upper left hand side of the dashboard, inside the drivers door or B pillar which is that post thingy that the door latches into. Know your state laws for what is required when purchasing a used vehicle. Any state motor vehicle website will have this information. If the seller has financed the vehicle and there is still a loan on it, be sure and deal directly with the bank and vehicle owner. Dealer transactions are easier in this case. Dealers are required by law to make sure paperwork transactions run smoothly, though they do charge a documentation fee or processing fee for this.

These helpful tips should keep you behind the wheel of the right vehicle (at the right price!) for years to come.

The Citroën DS4 has been voted European Gay Car of the Year 2012. The title was awarded by website Legorda.fr, which devotes itself to promoting gay and gay-friendly car clubs and events around the world. Past European Gay Car winners have included everything from the wildly expensive Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which starts at more than $200,000, to chic urban runabouts like the Mini Convertible and Fiat 500. In France, the entry-level DS4 costs approximately $27,500.

Based on the Citroën C4 hatchback, the DS4 includes more upscale features, a slightly sportier exterior, and a posh cabin with leather seats and metallic trim sprinkled on the dash and center console. This is the first time a four-door has won European Gay Car honors, rather than a more traditionally seductive coupe or convertible. Citroën nearly took top honors last year with its DS3 hatchback, but fell one point short of the curvaceous Peugeot RCZ coupe.

According to Legorda.fr, “Citroën does help a bit by calling the DS4 a 4-door coupé and by concealing the (handles of the) rear doors.” At a glance, the DS4 has all the style of a coupe, yet with the added functionality that comes with those extra doors and rear hatch. There are six engines available, three gasoline and three diesel-powered, and the most economical models deliver more than 50-mpg during highway driving.

Visit Citroën’s (French) website and “configurez” your own DS4 here.

Before we head out of the office for a much-needed weekend break here are a couple of news items that crossed our desks over the past 24 hours:

• Take a spin through the nearest parking garage, and you’ll see a number of specialty license plates. Most come announce the driver’s support for a particular college or, occasionally, advocacy group. Due to the conservative nature of government, those groups tend to live on the right side of the political spectrum, but now, Indiana and South Carolina have become the second and third states, respectively, to offer specialty licence plates supporting LGBT equality. (Maryland got there first, way back in 2008. Woot!) I’ve already posted about this news elsewhere, so rather than repeat myself, click here to read the full story.

• Rosie O’Donnell has been in the news a good bit lately, waxing nostalgic about yesterday’s top-secret lesbian parties and blasting most of the GOP presidential candidates for their virulent, anti-gay remarks. But our friends at Queers4Gears picked up on something else Rosie recently said: she assured Piers Morgan that Tom Cruise is straight as a board. How does she know? Because he drive race cars. Oy. Catch the write-up here.

Have a great weekend, and drive safely!

Acura NSX, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Last week, Richard Read gave his picks for the best of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show last week, and earlier today, Nick Kurczewski had his say. Now, Casey Williams is putting in his two cents. Hey, we’re nothing if not opinionated. Be sure to check out the gallery at the bottom of the page.

Ford Fusion
Had to be the star of the show – a Jaguar for commoners. Euro styling, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and an available 100 MPGe plug-in hybrid are difficult to top. Camry better watch its lunch.

Chevy 140S Concept
I shrieked like a schoolgirl and almost wet myself when it rolled out. Based on the Chevy Cruze, the exotic-looking 140S is one possibility for a $20,000, 40-MPG sport coupe. The rear-drive Camaro-inspired 130R is another, but not so much. Vanna, give me an S.

Acura NSX
Imagined as a mid-engine successor to the original NSX, this one will be V6- and hybrid-powered with electric AWD. Acura needs a car like this to regain traction. More surprising, it will be built in Ohio, circa 2015.

Buick Encore
Designed for China, built in S. Korea, and right for America, the 2014 Encore anticipates a trend towards compact luxury crossovers from non-pretentious automakers. Crafted interiors and an array of technology will make it desirable on any continent.

Dodge Dart
It looks like an Americanized Alfa Romeo (which, it is), comes with efficient engines, and praise Sergio, is not a Caliber. As the first Fiat-based Chrysler, it promises to be a winner and sweet justification for saving Chrysler.

Pleasant Surprise – Lincoln MKZ
Lincoln must find a style that works and stick with it for more than one iteration. MKZ, a close sibling of the new Fusion, has Lincoln’s bow wake grille, but is sleek with a full glass roof, wide taillamps, and contemporary technology. If this is the shape of Lincolns to come, there’s hope in saving the storied brand.

Ugly Dudling – Coda
The supposed 150-mile all-electric range is impressive, but it is cool tech in a throw-away wrapper. Mid-90s Slovakian chic won’t cut it. Although cleverly assembled in CA with Chinese- and American-sourced components, nobody is going to choose this dud over a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Focus Energi, or any number of electrics on the way. DOA.

Ford Fusion, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Chevrolet Tru 140S Concept

Acura NSX, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Buick Encore, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Dodge Dart, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Lincoln MKZ concept

Coda sedan, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Volkswagen E-Bugster concept, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

The 2012 North American International Auto Show — aka the Detroit Auto Show — is still going strong, and if you’re fortunate enough to visit between now and closing time on Sunday, here are a few of the rides you ought to check out, courtesy of our editor, Nick Kurczewski. (FYI, scroll down for pics.)

Cadillac ATS
This is Cadillac’s latest attempt at taking on the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4. We’ve been down this road before, except this time Caddy has done its homework. Refined styling doesn’t break any new ground, though you could say the same about its German rivals. Turbocharged 4-cylinders and an optional V-6 with more than 300-hp could give the ATS all the right moves in this competitive market.

Dodge Dart
When is the last time a small Dodge earned its place on your shopping list? The Dart is based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta – that’s a good thing – and comes with a choice of two “Tigershark” 4-cylinders, along with a turbocharged MultiAir engine that should be the economy champ of the range. It looks great, the $15,995 starting price is spot-on, and the secret storage under the passenger seat is way cool.

VW E-Bugster
An electric-powered VW Beetle could have been seriously underwhelming. Lo and behold, the E-Bugster has a zero emission powertrain and a hint of retro Porsche 911 in its chopped and lowered lines. Electrics are coming to the Volkswagen range soon. Here’s hoping the Bugster is too.

Ford Fusion
Placing an Aston Martin grille onto the front of a midsize Ford sedan turns out to be a very good idea. Aston’s legal department might not be pleased, but judging from the buzz in Detroit it’s hard not to argue that the Fusion wasn’t the hit of the show.

Chevrolet Tru 140S Concept
With Honda and Toyota having lost the plot recently in terms of youth-oriented sport models, Chevrolet has a great opportunity with the Tru 140S Concept. Edgy and futuristic, with the right engine (probably a turbo 4-cylinder) this car could be awesome. Now Chevy has to simply build it – and mothball the horrid Code 130R also shown in Detroit.

Pleasant Surprise – Acura ILX Concept
The new Honda Civic has been totally underwhelming. So expectations were pretty low when news came that Acura was going to build a small sedan based off the Civic. But to my surprise, the ILX Concept is a slick little 4-door that could help Acura regain some swagger. Too bad the door handles are too big, and look like they’re upside down. It’s not NSX Concept, yet the ILX is an overdue move in the right direction for the brand.

Ugly Duckling – Lexus LF-LC
Disclaimer: I actually liked the Lexus LF-LC. Unfortunately for Lexus, I seemed one of very few in Detroit who appreciated this big bruiser of a coupe. The details are exaggerated, especially the mammoth grille. But I like to see Lexus take some chances and, with a few refinements, the LF-LC could become the brand’s halo sports coupe. I’m (fairly) convinced. Now Lexus needs to work on everyone else.

Cadillac ATS

Dodge Dart, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Volkswagen E-Bugster concept, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Ford Fusion, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Chevrolet Tru 140S Concept

Acura ILX concept

Lexus LF-LC concept

Need a break from the non-stop auto news coming out of Detroit? Have a look at this clever commercial, courtesy of French automaker Renault.

The ad is for the Renault Twingo — a three-door city car that, from some angles, can look almost as sporty as a Chevrolet Sonic or Volkswagen Golf. What’s curious is that the clip is in English, the speakers have vaguely North American accents, and the Twingo featured in it is a left-hand drive model, so we’re not sure which market the ad was built for. After all, Renaults haven’t been sold stateside in decades, and the ones found across the U.K., South Africa, and Australia would be right-hand drivers.

But whatever: it’s a pleasant, 30-second diversion for a Friday. Have a look:

Ford Fusion, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

Walking the floor of the North American Auto Show in Detroit, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Staff from each company rattle off details about their newest rides and how they differ from the competition. With all that minutiae running around in your head, you could begin to think that each automaker works in a vacuum.

But take some time to relax and view things from a distance, and you’ll see trends emerge. Here are the six most common themes I saw running through this year’s auto show.

• Electric cars & hybrids
The auto industry has come a long way since the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Toyota RAV4 EV launched over a decade ago. Most of the world’s other automakers laughed at those vehicles, but now, nearly every major brand has at least one hybrid on the lots and an electric car waiting in the wings.

The success of hybrids (and to a lesser degree, electric cars) is due to several reasons. Some consumers are drawn to these vehicles because they reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Others like the environmental benefits hybrids and EVs provide. But as gas prices continue to rise, one thing’s for sure: customers will drift toward electrics and hybrids because of the savings they offer at the pump.

Nearly all automakers agree that hybrid technology is a stopgap solution and that electricity is where things are headed. However, there’s heated debate as to whether future electric vehicles will run on plug-in powered batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or something else.

• Smaller, more efficient engines
Some eco-enthusiasts want the world to change overnight to hybrid and electric technology, but that’s neither feasible nor possible — not here, and certainly not in the developing world. Combustion engines will be with us for a good while longer, but to improve the performance of those engines, companies are making them more efficient. As a result, thirsty V8s are becoming a rare breed, replaced by slim, turbocharged, four-cylinder models.

For proof, look no further than the 2013 Cadillac ATS that debuted in Detroit. This new compact sedan comes with three engine options: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a 2.5-liter direct-injection four-cylinder, and a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6. Surprisingly for a luxury car, there’s no V8 to be seen, and GM is betting that the turbocharged four-cylinder will be the model’s best seller.

• Smaller cars
To make hybrid, electric, and small combustion systems feasible, automakers are scaling back on vehicle size. But that doesn’t represent a sacrifice in safety — in fact, the pint-sized 2012 Honda Fit is one of the IIHS’s Top Safety Picks. It simply means that these new powertrains can be more productive, since they’ve got less weight to move around. The fact that more Americans are living in congested urban areas also contributes to the shrinking U.S. vehicle.

• Smartphone integration
At the moment, some automakers are trying to push proprietary infotainment systems, with brand-specific apps and such, but it seems to me as if smartphones are the winning bet. Think about it: we deal with our phones all day long, and we carry them with us wherever we go. In the near future, it looks like those devices will be the means by which drivers enjoy music, navigation, and other features. Down the line, as more data moves to the cloud, this may change, since we’ll be able to enjoy music, apps, etc. from anywhere just by logging in.

• Thinking globally
The world is shrinking, and competition between automakers is getting stiffer. To get ahead, car companies have to create vehicles that appeal to shoppers across continents and cultures — otherwise, automakers get mired in creating very specific cars for very specific markets, which is a losing game. The new Ford Fusion is a great example of this global outlook in action.

• LGBT-friendliness
I noticed two things when I spoke to company reps about the vehicles on display in Detroit: (1) they were familiar with Gaywheels, and (2) the LGBT factor was a non-issue for most of them. According to my colleagues, the situation was very different just five or six years ago, when some executives laughed in the faces of gay journalists.

However, there were exceptions. In one case, a company spokesperson was pretty brusque and condescending. (More about her later.) And there were two instances in which people asked, “Why do gay shoppers need their own car site?” My response was that LGBT consumers often feel intimidated in the very straight-male world of automobiles, and Gaywheels provides a comfortable space for them to get the information they need.

Furthermore, only three automakers have scored a 100% rating on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. Until that’s addressed, LGBT employees at most companies are subject to discrimination. LGBT consumers often choose to spend their money with equality-minded organizations, and it’s Gaywheels’ job to explain which companies those are.

Did I miss anything? Let me know if you spotted other trends, either from visiting the Detroit show yourself or from reading online coverage of the event.

Technically speaking, there are only two press days at the North American Auto Show, but there’s so much to see and do in those 48 hours, by the time you leave Detroit, it feels as if you’ve been here a week. After walking the floor countless times — alone, with friends, and with experts — I’m pleasantly exhausted.

Overall, I’d say that the tone of the show was one of excitement. Though there were a lot of concepts on display — perhaps more than usual — there were lots of very real cars, too, which we’ll soon see in showrooms and on the roads. The Buick Encore, Dodge Dart, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord are just a few new rides that are primed to become popular with shoppers.

I also had the chance to chat with some folks at the corporate level about LGBT equality. While I’m compiling those interviews and collecting my thoughts, have a look at these rides that caught my eye on Day 2. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to check out the gallery. If you missed my Day 1 recap, you can find it here.

Acura NSX hybrid concept: The NSX was killed off around 2005, but Acura may well revive it —  and to judge from the reveal of this concept in Detroit, the press is really excited. The unveiling was backed by thumpa-thumpa electro beats, and there was bona fide applause when the drapes came off (which is kind of a rarity).

Buick Encore: GM sees a growing demand for small SUVs and crossovers, and the new Encore is meant to appeal to shoppers in that market. Since Buick is particularly focused on drawing in LGBT consumers (more about that later), expect to see the Encore make appearances at special events throughout the country soon.

Buick Verano: If the Encore isn’t your thing, maybe the Verano sedan will do the trick. We should see more of this one soon, too.

Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition: Okay, including this one is pretty gratuitous. But scroll down and check out that paint job. Who wouldn’t like a blazing green Camaro?

Chevrolet EN-V concept: If you keep up with the  auto news, you’ve probably seen the EN-V concept before. It’s meant to be a people-mover for urban areas, and it runs on electricity. The EN-V is designed using a system of gyroscopics, so it’s a little like motoring around in a two-seater Segway. Added bonus: it’s autonomous, so once you tell it where you want to go, you’re free to relax and check out Facebook.

Ford Fusion: This is a real beauty of a sedan — and it’s great to see Ford develop a vehicle with true global potential. Personally, I was never blown away by the previous Fusion’s design, but this one’s entirely pic-worthy. And no, you’re not the only one who sees more than a hint of Aston Martin in that grille.

Honda Accord coupe: Honda has suffered a few dings lately. In particular, the revamped Civic took a lot of hits thanks to its low-budget interior, and Honda has fast-tracked a refresh to fix it. The Accord coupe keeps Honda moving in the right direction. The lines of this model are great, and I wish you could seen that paint job in person. Jungle red!

Honda Fit EV: One of Honda’s most highly praised models in recent memory is ready to be electrified. We couldn’t imagine a better car to meet that end: the Fit is cute, it’s got personality, it’s very safe, and it’s just the right size.

Maserati Kubang concept: Maserati is owned by Fiat, which also owns Jeep. Which explains why Maserati rolled out an SUV concept based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Nice, but will it see the light of day? If it does, let’s hope Maserati finds a better name for it.

Mazda Miata Spyder concept: This hot little number rolled out in November at SEMA, but it’s the first time I’ve gotten to see it in person. Like the Miatas that already roam the roads, it looks like a real blast to drive — though perhaps not in Detroit in January.

Scion FR-S: For years, Toyota and Subaru have been working together to develop a new sports car. Now, each company has officially rolled out its own version of the mythical “Toyobaru”: Subaru’s was the BRZ mentioned yesterday, and the FR-S is Toyota’s model. The lines are strong and very sexy, and it borrows Subaru’s flat-four engine for the powertrain. We’re not sure how big a seller this will be, but it’s sure to be a halo car that will pull non-owners into Scion showrooms.

Mercedes-Benz SL300 vintage: The vintage SL300 is drawing a lot of attention these days. For starters, Mercedes-Benz won its first Le Mans race 60 years ago, and it did so in an SL300. It was also a popular car among the Hollywood elite, including Natalie Wood, whose accidental death case was recently reopened by the LAPD.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG roadster: I suppose there’s nothing special about the SLS AMG — except, of course, it’s a work of art. The fuel economy of 14 city/20 highway is pretty dreadful, but if you’ve got nearly $227,000 to blow on a ride, that’s probably not a concern.

Tesla Model S: This is Tesla’s newest electric car, and it’s set to be fairly competitive with other electrics on the road. At roughly $50,000, it’s around $10,000 more expensive than the Nissan Leaf and the electric hybrid Chevy Volt, but it’s full of luxury touches to justify the extra dough. Also, the battery pack can be upgraded to offer a range of 300 miles — far more than other EVs — though that upgrade pushes the price well beyond $70,000.

Toyota NS4 concept: This plug-in hybrid is a real looker. Around the same size as the Ford Fusion, we’d much rather see folks motoring around in this sleek sedan than the Toyota Avalon, which can be a little dull. Like the Accord coupe mentioned above, the paint job on this was a knockout — provided you like plums.

Volkswagen E-Bugster concept: German automakers have been late to the hybrid and electric vehicle game. (Remember when Audi’s head honcho called the Chevrolet Volt “a car for idiots“?) And yet, here we have Germany’s largest automaker debuting yet another electric concept. (Audi launched its own e-Tron concept some time ago.)  The irony, she is sweet.

Chevrolet Code 130R concept, 2012 Detroit Auto Show

It was a long first day at the 2012 North American International Auto Show — and frankly, day #2 isn’t going to be any easier. While I’m gearing up for another series of reveals and interviews, I thought I’d share a few images of rides that caught my eye during the show’s first 24 hours.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I’m a guest of GM at NAIAS. But although I’ve been scheduled to attend a number of unveilings and to interview many outstanding employees (including GM’s North American president, Mark Reuss), the company has also given me loads of time to wander the floor and see what else is going on in the automotive world. Bottom line: I feel like I’m getting a pretty balanced perspective on the Detroit show’s offerings.

Here are a few of the more interesting sights so far. There were many, many others, but unfortunately, the huge crowds prevented me from getting clean shots of some of them. Scroll to the bottom for a peek at the gallery.

Audi e-Tron electric car concept: Previous versions of the e-Tron (an unfortunate naming choice, if you happen to speak French), have been based on smaller Audis. This one — modeled on the larger A3 — wasn’t drawing much attention because it had already been revealed at another auto show, but a product professional told us that it was the concept’s U.S. debut.

Audi R8 spyder: No matter how you slice it, the R8 is a looker. Perhaps best of all, the R8 says “badass” without looking quite as desperate and, um, compensatory as some other supercars (e.g. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc.). This model wasn’t much different from the existing R8 convertible, but the blue matte paint job was stunning.

BMW i8: If you’ve seen Mission Impossible (or pics from European auto shows), you’ve already seen the i8, which is scheduled for model year 2014. We were prevented from actually sitting inside the ride, but even from a distance, it’s a thing of beauty.

Cadillac ATS sedan: This reveal took place Sunday night, and it marks the arrival of Cadillac’s new, entry-level model. I wasn’t initially bowled over — at least not as much as Brett Berk was — but judging from the way that everyone in attendance was swarming to get next to it, the ATS has a very bright future ahead of it. We were told that the ATS will earn over 30 mpgs, which is the best of any Cadillac to date. As an added bonus, the designers have toned down the severity of the creasing. That’s big in my book, since some of the recent Cadillacs have looked in need of some editing.

Chevrolet Code 130R concept: This was one of two concept rides designed specifically to appeal to Millennial shoppers. That’s a tricky demographic to hit, since studies have shown that over 50% of them don’t care much at all about cars. But for the 40% who do, this could be an interesting choice. Still, it’s not as interesting as the…

Chevrolet Miray concept: Like the R8 spyder, the Miray wasn’t drawing much attention, despite its stunning silhouette. We were told that it had already debuted in South Korea, and that GM wasn’t doing much to hype it here in Detroit. In its current form, it’s far too “concept-y” to make it into production, but we can dream, can’t we?

Chevrolet Tru 140S concept: Like the Code 130R, the Tru is geared toward Millennials. Of the two coupes, I liked the lines of this one better — though since there was no interior to speak of, it was impossible to get a sense of what the whole package might entail. However, both rides fit the key needs of Generation Y that GM identified — namely, their desire to travel and occasionally take friends along for the ride.

Coda sedan: This all-electric ride comes from China, though it’s technically built here in the U.S. That pedigree is interesting, but aesthetically speaking, the car is decidedly meh. For now, it’s available only in California.

Dodge Dart: Dodge has revived the storied Dart name as a new, small performance sedan (kind of like the old Neon, but butcher). From the way this reveal was talked up, I’d hoped for something a bit more stylish and muscular, but the final product left me slightly underwhelmed. Still, since it’s based on an Alfa Romeo, the Dart could be very, very fun to drive. I’d be curious to know what you guys think of the design.

Ford Escape: The new Escape looks great, no question about it. Sitting inside, the cabin felt a little small (and I’m just under 6′), but in fairness, I didn’t tinker much with the seat adjustment. The revised model packs a lot of style into something that clocks in just over the $20,000 mark.

Ford Focus Electric: Like the Escape, the Focus looked great — though as far as I could tell, it’s practically identical to its more conventional twin. (Maybe that’s the point?) And the data indicate it’s got a range equivalence of over 100 miles.

Lexus LFA: Nothing new to report here, since the LFA has been around for a while. Still, it was great to see this supercar up close and personal. The center stack screen was perhaps the most interesting part: at roughly 12″ across, it looked like the designers had embedded an iPad in the dash. Size doesn’t really matter, but it was impressive.

Smart for-us concept: Smart is tanking in the U.S. market. Maybe it’s because the fortwo doesn’t perform quite as well as consumers would like, or maybe it’s because gas prices seem to have stabilized, so people aren’t as keen on small cars. As a result, smart is dreaming up new ways to appeal to American shoppers, and one of those ways is apparently with the for-us concept. The for-us basically turns the fortwo into a truck — a truck that can barely contain a bicycle in the bed. It’s cute, but it looks like it’s made for Weebles.

Subaru BRZ: In terms of pure aesthetics, this was easily one of the sexiest cars on the floor today. It looked a bit like an elongated Nissan 370Z (which was, by sheer coincidence, positioned about 20 yards away), and the extra length added a lot of oomph.

Toyota FCV: I’m a tech nerd at heart, so I love the thought of a mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. We’re years — nay, decades — away from the infrastructure needed to make FCVs viable for the mainstream population, but as an experiment, it’s pretty exciting.

Stay tuned for more cars from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show tomorrow. I’ll also be posting some interviews with GM personnel, who talk about the important role of LGBT workers at the company.