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With That Saucy Swagger, She Must Drive a Porsche
New York Times ^ | June 13, 2006 | BENEDICT CAREY

Posted on 06/13/2006 12:30:15 PM PDT by Sabramerican

With That Saucy Swagger, She Must Drive a Porsche

Some people seem a perfect fit for the cars they drive, like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Hummer, Michael Jordan and his Ferrari. Yet most drivers' faces and bearing give away clues that tip off their favored model, a new study has found.

Psychologists at Julius-Maximilians University in Wurzburg, Germany, report in a recent issue of the Journal of Individual Differences that students correctly matched photographs of male and female drivers to pictures of the cars they drove almost 70 percent of the time.

The drivers' age and wealth were the most helpful cues, the researchers reported.

...

In the study, the psychologists took photographs, from the waist up, of 60 men and women at a rest stop who agreed to participate in the study. Their cars, also photographed, included luxury models, modest family sedans and compact cars, from BMWs and Audis to Opels, Fords and Volkswagens.

The students looked at 60 sets of three photos, matching one of a driver to one of two car pictures — either the correct one, or one belonging to another driver.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: cars; psych
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To: RexBeach

I think she drives a 20 mule team, and it is difficult to figure out which one smells better, the mules or Helen!


61 posted on 06/13/2006 1:12:32 PM PDT by geezerwheezer (get up boys, we're burnin' daylight!!!)
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To: JoeSixPack1

i thought you sounded familiar!


62 posted on 06/13/2006 1:12:41 PM PDT by xsmommy
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To: DCPatriot

I drive a mini van, but in my heart I'm a Jeep Cherokee kinda gal.

Although that BMW sounds nice.....

Husband and I used to have a conversion van with velour seats and a couch/bed in the back. Closet, cooler, the works. Oh, that was nice sometimes, when the kids got restless. Some people go in the bathroom and shut the door and the world out. We went out to the van. ;D


63 posted on 06/13/2006 1:13:32 PM PDT by Shimmer128 (I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.)
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To: xsmommy

Long time, no talk! Missed ya. :-)


64 posted on 06/13/2006 1:16:23 PM PDT by JoeSixPack1
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To: rlpfly

Helen would not be caught dead in an AMERICAN Motors Pacer. Her ride of choice is a Zil, willed to her by her Uncle Joe.


65 posted on 06/13/2006 1:16:49 PM PDT by diogenes ghost
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To: DCPatriot
I'll admit that they're girly cars. I've had mine for over 11 years now and it's by far the best built car I've ever had the pleasure of driving. It's also a lot of fun to "zoom, zoom, zoom" around corners with the top down!
66 posted on 06/13/2006 1:16:57 PM PDT by MissEdie
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To: Sabramerican
>With That Saucy Swagger, She Must Drive a Porsche


67 posted on 06/13/2006 1:21:07 PM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: theFIRMbss

Thanks for that link -- awesome!


68 posted on 06/13/2006 1:33:39 PM PDT by nicollo (All economics are politics)
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To: theFIRMbss

Actually, it's not a Porsche, it's a Bugatti.

So much the better.


69 posted on 06/13/2006 1:36:22 PM PDT by nicollo (All economics are politics)
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To: DCPatriot
I drive nothing but stick shifts.

I've never owned an automatic, and was pissed when I found it's very difficult to rent a stick in the US from the regular rental services. Through two VWs, four Fords, and one of each Opel (German GM), BMW, Lotus and Honda, never an auto. Never.

Which is killing me in trying to buy a family mover. The only stick I can find that seats seven is the Suzuki XL7, and that was a recent option (before, you got the auto if you got the rear seat). And I don't really like it.

70 posted on 06/13/2006 1:38:18 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: JoeSixPack1

a 1967 Merkur ?? Were you in Germany>

I owned a Merkur xR4Ti in the 80s. Fun car, 'distinctive' styling, great grand touring manners. 155 KPH was its favourite speed. Atanta to Charlotte in less than 3 hours ;-)


71 posted on 06/13/2006 1:40:31 PM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: RexBeach
I wonder what Helen Thomas drives?

Old commie-era Skoda? A friend in the Czech Republic had one, what a piece of junk.

72 posted on 06/13/2006 1:40:46 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: HeadOn

I've always said you could do the same thing with shoes. Give a person two pairs of shoes to pick from (not distinguishable in size, etc.) and I'd bet they could be reliably matched to a photo of a person.


73 posted on 06/13/2006 1:41:10 PM PDT by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: DCPatriot

"I drive nothing but stick shifts."

Same here. The first car I learned to drive had a stick and I hated it. Once I got it down, I was hooked. Many years later and because of traffic, I said my next vehicle would be an auto but I just couldn't do it once the time came. I'm hooked, although I sometimes worry about resale.


74 posted on 06/13/2006 1:42:42 PM PDT by JZelle
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To: saganite

I used to put Mr. Wouldnt's worn out boots in the garbage and, I'll be darned if I wouldn't come home and find them back in his closet, big as life.


75 posted on 06/13/2006 1:43:12 PM PDT by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: wouldntbprudent

Snicker. It's a guy thing.


76 posted on 06/13/2006 1:44:40 PM PDT by saganite (Billions and billions and billions-------and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: ASA Vet

WOW! Nice machine.


77 posted on 06/13/2006 1:47:09 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: Blueflag

NYC. it was a fun car and my first automatic! :-)

But back then we considered it as a 'boxed' VW. Didn't hold on to it but maybe 6 months.


78 posted on 06/13/2006 1:51:20 PM PDT by JoeSixPack1
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To: saganite

Yep, I learned!


79 posted on 06/13/2006 1:53:59 PM PDT by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: HeadOn
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

I drive this. Which places me in the category of 'seriously disturbed'.

80 posted on 06/13/2006 1:57:21 PM PDT by Fatuncle (Of course I'm ignorant. I'm here to learn.)
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