Sometimes you have to wonder whether psychologists just have a tad too much time on their hands. They just come up with all sorts of studies for the benefit of humankind. Even, if say, the most that they can actually do for most is to amuse us.

Just check out the results of this study they conducted correlating sound from a car’s engine to men and women responses. They took the sounds of a Maserati, a Lamborghini and a Ferrari, and a Volkswagon Polo then collected saliva specimen collected to check testosterone levels. And they found out that the sound does affect bodily responses.

The results found 100 per cent of female participants had a significant increase in testosterone secretion after listening to the Maserati, compared to only half for men.

Men fared better at the sound of a Lamborghini, with 60 per cent showing a testosterone increase.

I wonder how the Ferrari fared. The VW apparently caused a decrease in testosterone levels. Quite unfair for the VW. Even if they didn’t cite the engine displacements on the sports cars, I could only infer that the Polo only sports a 1.6L engine. Imagine what kind of “roar” that makes. That also shows that if you want to get some in-car action, better get the Maserati or better yet, plastic surgery.

Well, my conjecture still stays - the number of decibels the engine dishes out is inversely proportional to the size of a guy’s penis.

Source: The Telegraph

Our sister blog, Money Crashers, ran this post commenting on Smart Money’s take on the 5 Best Cars to Buy for College Students. But who comes up with such kind of “smart” advice anyway?

Come on! Buying a brand new car for your college kid? Sure they based their take on Kelly Blue Book’s list of cars to buy both used and old. But picking brand new cars for their list? Not all parents can afford $40,000 a year and throw in $15,000 (minimum) for a brand new car? This is just the reason why there’s a growing culture of kids expecting cars from their parents.

Gone are the days when getting a broken down Chevy Nova bought for a few hundred bucks complete with the “Sure it’s old, but it’s got character” motivational speech upon handing a kid the keys. No wonder kids are a lot brattier these days.

View Smart Money’s picks with my comments after the cut.

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For some reason, I’ve always hated Forbes for making me feel so insignificant and poor. Yet you have to hand it to them that they make quite the lists. Here’s one for the automotives section ranking the fastest cars in the world. Nope, it’s not the Veyron toping this one, but the American-made SSC Ultimate Aero rated by the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest production car built.

• SSC Ultimate Aero: 257mph - 0-60 in 2.78 secs
• Bugatti Veyron: 253mph - 0-60 in 2.5 secs
• Koenigsegg CCX: 250mph - 0-60 in 3.2 secs
• Saleen S7 Twin Turbo: 248mph - 0-60 in 3.2 secs
• Bristol Fighter T: 225mph - 0-60 in 3.5 secs
• Pagani Zonda F: 215 mph - 0-60 in 3.5 secs
• Spyker C8 Double 12 S: 215mph - 0-60 in 3.5 secs
• Lamborghini Murciélago LP640: 213mph - 0-60 in 3.3 secs
• McLaren Mercedes SLR: 206mph - 0-60 in 3.8 secs
• Silva GT3: 205mph - 0-60 in 3.7 secs

Needless to say, you need to be rich to afford such power and speed.

Source: Forbes

We love lists. While Forbes is the usual list generator for those concerned with cars and money, Time provides us with their own with The 50 Worst Cars of All Time. Time showcased 50 cars split into five generations (that’s more than a century of motoring for humankind) made in celebration of the 50th anniversary of perhaps the greatest lemon of motoring history - the Edsel.

Some might disagree with some of the picks which amazingly, included landmark vehicles such as the Model T and cult icons such as the DeLorean. But hey, can’t argue with the Edsel, right?

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If you’ve driven with your windows rolled down, then you probably have had the rather unpleasant experience of having a rouge bug mess with you inside the vehicle. Annoying buggers aren’t they?

Amazingly, in the UK, insects are said to be the cause of 650,000 accidents according to the DVLA. That’s a disturbing number with the resulting damage amounting to a whopping £44 million.

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Being a Top Gear fan, I always loved it when Clarkson kills vehicles. Sure the ways are too extreme (at least they proved that the Toyota Hilux was one tough mo-fo) but seeing things blow up sure is fun.AutoMotto recently posted this article on The Ways Ford Tortures Its Cars. The word torture caught my attention. (No, I don’t have aggression issues.)

Cars’ test models usually get pretty beat up during testing to make sure that the car’s structural integrity is decent once it hits the showrooms. Just take a look at the ways Ford do their torture tests, this time, on a 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty.

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With all the hoopla about increased fuel efficiency and decreased CO2 emissions, it would be great to know which cars offer the best MPGs and the lowest CO2 emissions.

Auto Express revealed their list of the Top 100 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars. The list features cars rated in ten different categories - executive, family, SUVs, MPVs, sports, compact, superminis, city cars, cabriolets, and hatchbacks.

Here’s the list of the top 10 most fuel-efficient family cars.

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Get posh for less. Who wouldn’t want to drive (or be driven in) a comfy and luxurious set of wheels? But hey, acquiring a car isn’t just necessarily affording the MSRP and paying for it. Owning a vehicle factors in a lot of other things including maintenance costs, gas expenses, operating expenses, depreciation, insurance and taxes.

Money media Forbes released its Ten Least Expensive Luxury Vehicles to Own list. It’s a pretty good list since it factors in all the above-mentioned factors and gives with a five-year ownership expense. Hey, when they say least expensive, it doesn’t mean that we normal people would be able to afford it. Haha.

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After 12 years, Toyota-brand Lexus suddenly finds itself sharing the honors with another brand (a GM brand at that), Buick. This is according to JD Power’s 2007 Vehicle Dependability Study.

The study, which measures problems experienced by original owners of 3-year-old (2004 model year) vehicles, finds that Buick and Lexus tie for the top rank position with a score of 145 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Following in the top five rankings are Cadillac, Mercury and Honda, respectively.

What do manufacturers gain from building dependable vehicles? Well, aside from assuring customer satisfaction, they basically create a positive image that can translate to better sales, not to mention savings on warranty coverages for valid claims for repairs early in the ownership. And who wouldn’t want a car that known not to break down in the simplest of conditions, right?