Does “woman driver” have a special meaning other than female driver?

Rush Limbaugh’s “wrong choice of word” is causing a big fuss. And I was puzzled to find the following statement of Limbaugh from www.rushlimbaugh.com that was made 4 days ago:

The reaction that they are having to what I said yesterday about Susan Fluke -- or Sandra Fluke, whatever her ... Look, at least I didn't call her "a woman driver," and I'll tell you this, you people on the left: I'll happily buy her all the aspirin she wants.

and the quote of Limbaugh in www.doonesbury.com:

We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch. [...] Absolutely hilarious... Look, at least I didn't call her 'a woman driver.'
_{— Limbaugh, on uproar over his comments}

Limbaugh called the Georgetown law student a slut and a prostitute, but he at least didn’t call her a woman driver. What's wrong with woman driver? Why is "a woman driver" bracketed? It sounds like the word, “a woman driver” is more insulting than calling a woman a slut and prostitute.

Does “woman driver” have a special meaning other than female driver?

I'll answer this one because it doesn't seem anyone else is really addressing OP's actual question. OP's age and "internationalist" background make it unlikely he needs to be told about the fact of sexism - he's just asking why "woman driver" is more "sexist" than "female driver".

Given "female driver" is a relatively new replacement for "lady driver", it's clear "woman driver" is derogatory mainly because using it means you're not using the standard "neutral/positive" form.

In many contexts, "woman" has always been a less respectful term than "lady", but that latter has now become quaint and dated. You still sometimes see the once-coveted label "one lady owner" applied to second-hand cars, but it's largely fallen into disuse. Arguably it's just as sexist to talk about "boy-racers" who drive cars aggressively and thereby reduce their future resale value, but somehow that side of the "sexist/ageist language" debate doesn't get so much attention.

Some men seem to believe that women are worse drivers than men, and that the roads would be safer if women were not permitted to drive. These men often complain about “women drivers”. If they are inconvenienced because they have to wait for a woman to reverse her car into a parking space, they might grumble about “Woman drivers!” and toot their horn aggressively.

(Interestingly, these men usually have to pay rather more for their car insurance than their wives do.)

I can’t tell you why they say “women” rather than “female”, but “women” is what they say, so “woman driver” comes with all of these connotations that “female drivers” does not.

So calling somebody a “woman driver” is rather sexist. Rush Limbaugh is trying to make a joke about his earlier use of sexist language. It’s not a good joke.

These answers are all right, they explain why some men think such things. This is an English question, though, not a cultural one. We need to address why "woman driver" is pejorative but "female driver" is more neutral.

So this is a question about word choice.

To be neutral in describing a driver who is a woman, in the US at least it would be best to use the term "female driver", which has a more descriptive sense. It merely states that the driver is female.

"Woman driver" has a negative or derogatory sense, implying that the skill of the driver is tied to the fact that she is a woman.

There are two cautions with this approach. First - any phrase can be derogatory if intended to be. If Mr Limbaugh had said "female driver" in the context, it would have been pejorative. Second, it is always best to not refer to the gender of the driver unless it is relevant.

Some people think that women make worse drivers than men. Rush Limbaugh appears to be one of them. He is making a joke that "slut" and "prostitute" are lesser terms of abuse than "woman driver". In other words he is implying that he regards women drivers as worse than sluts and prostitutes, although this sentiment may have been intended to be humorous.

Woman driver is a comedic stereotype similar to dumb blondes. I don't think many people really believe that women are worse drivers but if you search online you'll find a lot of humor surrounding the subject. Often when a woman makes a mistake in a car it becomes a 'woman driver' joke. Of course men make mistakes in cars too but it doesn't end up being labeled 'man driver'.