AND she was in a car with no cup holders. It wasn’t a standard feature in sports cars in the 90s. She had borrowed it from her son.

https://www.capitalone.com/cars/learn/managing-your-money-wisely/remembering-the-ford-probes-role-in-the-infamous-mcdonalds-hot-coffee-lawsuit/1299

And you’re right that it didn’t change coffee temps that much:

“During the Liebeck court proceedings, McDonald’s said it served its coffee between 180 and 190 degrees,” according to The New York Times. “The company has refused to disclose today’s standard temperature, but Retro Report shows a handbook for franchisees calling for temperatures 10 degrees lower.”

If it doesn’t sound like much, it’s because it’s not. McDonald’s chooses to keep their coffee scaldingly hot because, according to attorney Butch Wagner, hot coffee stays fresh for longer. They save money by doing this (millions per day, in fact, across their US franchises alone), even if it means paying out for other hot coffee settlements—of which there are plenty.

https://thedieline.com/blog/2019/2/13/drink-at-your-own-risk-how-a-90s-lawsuit-changed-or-failed-to-change-coffee-drinking