[azfordman]

It personalizes it and gives it a level of importance above just an object. If I am talking about someone's car or anything else, I do say "it". "It" has a nice paint job, for example. I have always referred my own things as "she", be it a cobra, truck, gun, etc. Talking about my .44 I will say, "She's my big girl..." As far as she versus he, saying something like, "I want to push her to the limit...." sounds a lot better than the other way around.