Brucelee
06-16-2008, 14:31
Macho Movers: Male Drivers' 10 Favorite Vehicles
Men want cars that exude power, performance and exclusivity. Vehicles with the highest percentage of male drivers are among the flashiest, loudest and most expensive models on the market. By Bengt Halvorson, ForbesAutos.com provided by:
The same goes for other attention-getting sports cars, chauffeur-worthy sedans and burly sport utility vehicles that make up our list of the Top 10 Vehicles Driven by Men.
When it comes to cars, men want to be seen — and heard. Specifically, they want to be seen in a vehicle that others can’t have, says Milton Pedraza of the Manhattan-based Luxury Institute.
That’s why rare cars like the Dodge Viper, of which only 435 were sold in the United States in 2007, are driven mostly by men. This two-seat sports car ranks fifth on our list, with 89.97 percent male primary drivers, according to CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., which conducts thousands of surveys each ear on car-related topics.
The “powerful, predatory look” of cars like the Viper attracts male buyers, Pedraza says. “Men have a greater need to show off their power.” The Viper can be a mechanism for that, not only with its flashy looks but also with its brawly engine sound.
Dodge’s own data shows that up to 95 percent of Vipers are owned by men, who use it mostly as a weekend vehicle. “Vipers tend to be driven on the track more than any other sports car model,” says Kathy Graham, a spokesperson with Dodge’s parent company, Chrysler. In general, relatively few women participate in driving activities on racetracks, she says.
Men’s desire to showcase power and aggression with the vehicles they drive stems from an “animal nature,” says Imre Molnar, dean of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Men decorate and embellish themselves with their automobiles as if it’s “mating season,” he says.
That helps explain why many vehicles — and especially those on our list — have masculine styling cues, which Molnar says include big wheels pushed to the corners of the vehicle, flush or protruding wheel faces, a high “shoulder line” (at the bottom of the side windows), and taut lines that look like tensed muscles.
Vehicles that sit higher at the back tend to look like a predator “ready to pounce,” Molnar says. High haunches have become the norm on nearly every sedan.
Automotive Accessory
Statistics show that most women prefer vehicles with understated styling and an opulent, comfortable interior. (Read more about women’s top car choices in our ranking of Vehicles Most Driven by Women.)
Rather than cars, women use jewelry, high-end fashion and expensive handbags to create a distinctive look, says Luxury Institute’s Pedraza. When it comes to creating an image of wealth and influence, men have fewer choices in attire and accessories — that's where the cars come in.
“Men don’t wear a $100,000 necklace with their $100,000 car,” Pedraza says. He points out that music-industry mogul Simon Cowell, a judge on the television show “American Idol,” dresses conservatively but drives a Bugatti Veyron, which has a starting price of $1.5 million.
You “can’t beat the accessory value of a Veyron,” Pedraza says.
Other high-priced “accessories” on wheels include the Maybach 57 and 62 and Rolls-Royce Phantom, which are the most ostentatious and exclusive luxury limos available.
The $340,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom has the fourth-highest percentage of male primary drivers, 90 percent, and the $335,000 Maybach tops our list with 95 percent male primary drivers.
"The Maybach brand is only five years on the U.S. market and the high percentage [of male drivers] likely represents top automobile enthusiasts who purchased the initial production,” says Rob Allan, product manager for Maybach, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz. Only 156 Maybachs were sold in the United States last year.
“Over time, as with [Mercedes’ high-performance division] AMG, the percentage of female owners should rise,” Allan says. “Maybach marketing — primarily events-based
Men want cars that exude power, performance and exclusivity. Vehicles with the highest percentage of male drivers are among the flashiest, loudest and most expensive models on the market. By Bengt Halvorson, ForbesAutos.com provided by:
The same goes for other attention-getting sports cars, chauffeur-worthy sedans and burly sport utility vehicles that make up our list of the Top 10 Vehicles Driven by Men.
When it comes to cars, men want to be seen — and heard. Specifically, they want to be seen in a vehicle that others can’t have, says Milton Pedraza of the Manhattan-based Luxury Institute.
That’s why rare cars like the Dodge Viper, of which only 435 were sold in the United States in 2007, are driven mostly by men. This two-seat sports car ranks fifth on our list, with 89.97 percent male primary drivers, according to CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., which conducts thousands of surveys each ear on car-related topics.
The “powerful, predatory look” of cars like the Viper attracts male buyers, Pedraza says. “Men have a greater need to show off their power.” The Viper can be a mechanism for that, not only with its flashy looks but also with its brawly engine sound.
Dodge’s own data shows that up to 95 percent of Vipers are owned by men, who use it mostly as a weekend vehicle. “Vipers tend to be driven on the track more than any other sports car model,” says Kathy Graham, a spokesperson with Dodge’s parent company, Chrysler. In general, relatively few women participate in driving activities on racetracks, she says.
Men’s desire to showcase power and aggression with the vehicles they drive stems from an “animal nature,” says Imre Molnar, dean of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Men decorate and embellish themselves with their automobiles as if it’s “mating season,” he says.
That helps explain why many vehicles — and especially those on our list — have masculine styling cues, which Molnar says include big wheels pushed to the corners of the vehicle, flush or protruding wheel faces, a high “shoulder line” (at the bottom of the side windows), and taut lines that look like tensed muscles.
Vehicles that sit higher at the back tend to look like a predator “ready to pounce,” Molnar says. High haunches have become the norm on nearly every sedan.
Automotive Accessory
Statistics show that most women prefer vehicles with understated styling and an opulent, comfortable interior. (Read more about women’s top car choices in our ranking of Vehicles Most Driven by Women.)
Rather than cars, women use jewelry, high-end fashion and expensive handbags to create a distinctive look, says Luxury Institute’s Pedraza. When it comes to creating an image of wealth and influence, men have fewer choices in attire and accessories — that's where the cars come in.
“Men don’t wear a $100,000 necklace with their $100,000 car,” Pedraza says. He points out that music-industry mogul Simon Cowell, a judge on the television show “American Idol,” dresses conservatively but drives a Bugatti Veyron, which has a starting price of $1.5 million.
You “can’t beat the accessory value of a Veyron,” Pedraza says.
Other high-priced “accessories” on wheels include the Maybach 57 and 62 and Rolls-Royce Phantom, which are the most ostentatious and exclusive luxury limos available.
The $340,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom has the fourth-highest percentage of male primary drivers, 90 percent, and the $335,000 Maybach tops our list with 95 percent male primary drivers.
"The Maybach brand is only five years on the U.S. market and the high percentage [of male drivers] likely represents top automobile enthusiasts who purchased the initial production,” says Rob Allan, product manager for Maybach, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz. Only 156 Maybachs were sold in the United States last year.
“Over time, as with [Mercedes’ high-performance division] AMG, the percentage of female owners should rise,” Allan says. “Maybach marketing — primarily events-based