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Texas student drives Barbie Jeep to school after DWI

A Texas college student who lost her license when she was charged with a DWI this spring found a creative way of getting around campus. Tara Monroe, 20, is a student at the University of Texas at Austin. She had her driver's license automatically suspended when she refused a breathalyzer test after leaving a Waka Flocka concert on March 4. He dad took her car away and left her with a bike. But that just wasn't classy enough for Monroe. "Riding a bike around campus sucks," she told MySA.com. "Like really sucks." She searched Craigslist to find an alternative and settled on a bright pink Fisher-Price Barbie Jeep Power Wheel toy to help lug her stuff around campus. She named it after the original owner, a little girl named Charlene. The unorthodox ride has turned Monroe into a minor celebrity. Pictures of her slowly making her way around campus in the toy car have been popping up on social media. "This is the best way I could have gotten my 15 minutes of fame," she said. "Basically, it was the best decision I've made in college, yet..." The Barbie Jeep has a 12-volt battery and only goes about five miles per hour. Monroe says she loves the attention she is getting from her immature hijinks. If you enjoy the sight of adults crammed into Power Wheels check out our attempt to cruise around the Autoblog office in a tike-sized Ford F-150. News Source: mySA.com Humor Weird Car News Jeep Driving Electric Videos college power wheels student barbie

Ford extends shutdown, Stellantis confirms layoffs due to chip shortage

Ford and Stellantis this week announced new production cuts due to the global semiconductor shortage, with popular models including the Ford F-150 and Jeep Grand Cherokee facing cuts. Stellantis plans to temporarily lay off workers at one facility as production is curtailed.  According to Automotive News, Ford is extending shutdowns at some of its North American facilities into May. The Blue Oval has been forced to reduce or idle production of both its redesigned F-150 pickup and the popular Explorer due to the chip shortage. The Mustang, Transit, Edge, Lincoln Nautilus and Aviator will also continue to be affected. Stellantis is planning to temporarily lay off workers at a Jeep plant in Detroit during April and May due to a shortage of semiconductor chips. The company will cut two work crews at its Jefferson North plant in Detroit for three weeks starting April 26, then call them back and lay off a third crew from May 17 through the week of May 31, according to a schedule obtained by Bloomberg News. The plant on Detroit’s east side normally operates two shifts with three work crews six days a week to keep it running 20 hours a day. “Stellantis continues to work closely with our suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply chain issues facing our industry,” company spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in a statement. “Due to the unprecedented global microchip shortage, Jefferson North will adjust its production schedule through the end of May.” Jefferson North employs about 4,800 hourly workers and makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the top-selling Jeep model last year, and the Dodge Durango SUV. A redesigned version of the Grand Cherokee is scheduled to start production in August, according to researcher AutoForecast Solutions. This article contains reporting from Bloomberg. Plants/Manufacturing Ford Jeep Lincoln Technology chip shortage

These three automotive Lego kits deserve your suppoort

Lego has been quite good to car enthusiasts over the past few years. We've seen traditional kits for the classic VW Microbus, Mini Cooper, and the Caterham 620R, as well as an elaborate Technic kit for the 911 GT3 RS. But why stop there? The Lego Ideas page, which allows users to submit ideas with the chance to see their kits reach production, has many more cool car kits we'd love to see. Check them out below, and be sure to log on to vote for them. If a submission hits 10,000 votes, it is considered for production. That's how we got that Caterham kit, so it's worth your time to show your support. Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 This is a submission aimed at becoming one of Lego's Speed Champions kits. These are very small mini-figure scale car models, and the series has included the Ford GT, Audi R18 Le Mans racer, and more. This kit features a tiny version of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, a Group B rally racer that gave Peugeot World Rally Championship titles two years in a row. The kit has a well-executed version of the car and its massive rear spoiler on the hatch. It also comes with a big dirt crest for it to fly over, along with amazed spectators on the sidelines. Porsche 911 Turbo 930 We love the GT3 RS Lego kit, but we think it's a little lonely as the only Porsche kit available. Such an impressive Porsche deserves an impressive companion, like this 911 Turbo. It's the 930 version, which is arguably the most famous classic 911 with its turbocharged power, whale-tail wing, and scary driving dynamics thanks to considerable turbo lag and rear-engine handling characteristics. This model is quite large at 1:10 scale, and comes with a detailed interior and exterior. The best part is the remote-control components underneath that allow the car to be driven. Jeep Wrangler JK Moving off the beaten path again, we have this highly detailed Wrangler kit. Actually, we have two kits, as the creator designed both two-door and four-door versions. They both feature removable hard tops, detailed interiors, and big tires. They also come with an assortment of off-road accessories such as auxiliary lights, an off-road jack, winch, gas can, roof rack, and off-road bumper. You can also find various fluid reservoirs and engine details under the opening hood. Related Video: Image Credit: AbFab1974 / Lego Ideas, brickmasterno1 / Lego Ideas, RREYES77 / Lego Ideas Auto News Toys/Games Jeep Porsche Peugeot Lego