What Detroit needs

The ephemeral brightness of the holiday season is behind us, and the new year looms dark with the threat of credit card debt and home foreclosures. In Washington, politicians struggle to bail out our foundering economy, and in Detroit automakers write their obituaries. It's a sad state of affairs for the U.S. economy.

In 2009, we'll sift through the ashes of the American financial system and wonder how we could have diverted this crisis. For most sectors, there will be no answers. But for the American auto industry, at least, there will be a clear culprit: not enough sex appeal.

My rational? It begins with a coup de foudre. At a stoplight near Interstate 75, I watched a jet-black sports car cruise perpendicular to my street. It sported two doors, chrome trim, and the most sensual lines I'd ever seen. My breath caught in my throat. When the light changed to green, I pulled into the turn lane and followed the exquisite automobile. Finally, I neared close enough to read the silver text scrolled across its bumper: Maserati.

The Italian car designer, who recently re-released its iconic GranTurismo, is not alone in the ranks of sexy imports. Britishorigin Bentley (now made by Volkswagen) has a hot number in the Continental GT, and the new Jaguar, redesigned under Indian auto giant Tata, is show-stopping. As a matter of fact, I got so caught up in the sleek lines of a silver Jaguar during my Christmas shopping that it almost backed into me. "If you're going to get run over," the driver said as he pulled alongside, "it might as well be by a Jag." I laughed and shook my head. What could I say? He was right.

But why is it so important for a car to have sex appeal? According to a study commissioned by the high-end British auto insurer Hiscox, people experience a measurable physical attraction when exposed to desirable cars. In the study, both male and female participants listened to the revving engines of a Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. Then scientists swabbed their saliva and took a reading of the testosterone levels, an indicator of arousal. Every one of the participants showed increased amounts of testosterone after the engine test. Women posted higher levels than men, and the Maserati generated the highest state of arousal (no surprise to me).

What's especially interesting is the study also tested the arousal levels of participants after hearing a VW Polo (the European equivalent of a Ford Fiesta). The results? Decreased testosterone in all of the participants.

Does this mean fuel-efficient cars aren't a turn-on? Not so, says EcoGeek blogger Hank Green. In a post written in May, Mr. Green points to a study that indicates nine out of 10 women would rather chat with a man who drives a fuel-efficient car than a sports car. "That's hot," he says.

Detroit automakers take note: you can make sexy cars and you can make green cars. But those clunky fuel-guzzlers you've been churning out? To quote my new favorite bumper sticker, "That SUV makes you look fat."

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