Study: Maserati appeals to the basic instinct

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And we all thought guys bought sports cars to compensate for being less well-endowed in other areas. Turns out that the female of the species seems to be turned on by the rumble of a Maserati. Hiscox, a British auto insurance company, commissioned a study of 20 men and 20 women (between 22 and 61 years old) to test their reactions to the sound of various cars -- the aforementioned Maserati, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini and, at the other end of the aural spectrum, a subcompact VW.

After being exposed to each car’s soundtrack, the participants had their saliva measured for testosterone. (It was also measured before to get a baseline reading.) They also were given a set of questions. The upshot: The Maserati was the biggest hit with women, with all 20 of them secreting significantly higher levels of testosterone, a hormone produced during arousal.

Not so much with the men. Only half of them responded with a rise in testosterone levels. They were more excited by the Lambo (60%). The intriguing thing was that many of the women in the study professed to be not really interested in cars. Another interesting result: Each woman exhibited a decrease in the hormone when hearing the VW.

David Moxon, the psychologist who conducted the study, said: “We can confidently conclude that the roar of a luxury car engine does cause a primeval physiological response.” Strangely, the report neglects to mention how the Ferrari fared, since Maserati engines are sourced from there. Still, here at Up to Speed, we heard the message loud and clear: Men should all buy more sports cars; we owe it to our womenfolk.

-- Colin Ryan