Flash cars don't reel in the girls

SYDNEY - Men, put away those wallets and save your cash, it seems that more expensive cars do not impress the girls.

And if you are good looking you needn't bother with a car at all.

In some surprising findings commissioned by popular SBS TV show Top Gear Australia, researchers measured changes in the brain responses of women towards a range of men depending on the car they drove.

The study tested reactions to a luxury sports car, a ute, a 4WD, a hotted-up street car and a vintage classic. The results showed that a man having a midlife crisis did not impress with his Porsche, unless accompanied by a beautiful young woman.

The attractiveness of the "average Joe" family man improved dramatically in almost any of the cars, whereas the "good-looking surfer" remained very attractive to women even without a vehicle.

In one of the biggest surprises, the classic MG Roadster was viewed favourably when empty, but failed to impress the minute a man was seen in it.

Peter Pynta from Neuro Insight, which conducted the survey, had this advice: "If you're a good-looking bloke, don't even worry about it."

- AAP