London - It will come as no surprise to any women who have ever giggled about men’s fast-car fascination.
Porsche owners, though, may be a little taken aback by the research which likens men who drive fast cars to peacocks.
Just as the birds fan their tails to find a mate, men believe conspicuous displays of wealth are the best way to grab a female’s attention.
Women, however, see through their ploy - realising men who flash their cash are more interested in a fling than lasting love.
The US study also holds hope for those men that can’t afford expensive motors, as men with clapped-out cars were seen as good marriage material.
The University of Texas researchers set out to find out why men scrimp and save to buy impressive but highly impractical cars.
Or, as they put it: “The Porsche Carrera GT does not qualify for the list of best buys.
“The vehicle has very little cargo capacity, has only two seats, gets terrible gas mileage and is frightfully expensive to repair.
“Yet, for these people who buy one, these considerations are irrelevant.
“Although showy spending is often perceived as wasteful, frivolous and even narcissistic, an evolutionary perspective suggests that blatant displays of resources may serve an important function, namely as a communication strategy designed to gain reproductive rewards.”
To test their theory, they carried out a trio of experiments in which men and women were asked if they were looking for a fling or long-term love, read romantic stories and given the choice of buying various goods.
This revealed the men who were interested in short-term relationships to have an eye for expensive treats.
Researcher Dr Vladas Griskevicius said: “The studies show that some men are like peacocks. They’re the ones driving the bright-coloured sports car.”
Lead author Dr Jill Sundie said: “This research suggests that conspicuous products, such as Porsches, can serve the same function for some men that large and brilliant feathers serve for peacocks.’
Women, however, see right through them, with a fourth experiment revealing that they were aware that showy men had sex on their minds.
And while they may like a man with a sports car for a date, he is no more attractive as a long-term bet than an ordinary Joe, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reports.
Co-author Dr Daniel Beal said: ‘People may feel that owning flashy things makes them more attractive as a relationship partner, but in truth, many men may be sending out the wrong message.’
The research team added, unlike men, women don’t “woo with waste. Obviously, women also spend plenty of money on expensive things.
“But the anticipation of romance doesn’t trigger flashy spending as it does with some men.” - Daily Mail