Women Purr for Maserati Engine Sound. VW Polo? Not so Much

LONDON — In what is sure to be the least surprising study result ever, a British insurance company found that women are sexually aroused by the engine sounds of Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari sports cars. On the other hand, the sound of the Volkswagen Polo's engine has the opposite effect.

Why the Hiscox insurance company wanted to know this is another story. However, the company did carry out research, playing a 20-minute tape of each car being revved to a group of male and female volunteers.

The researchers then collected the saliva of the volunteers and tested it for testosterone levels, Sky News reported. Interestingly, every one of the women tested had a "significant" increase in testosterone level in their saliva after listening to the Maserati — compared with 50 percent of the men. For the Lamborghini, 60 percent of male volunteers showed increased testosterone levels. Women showed increased levels of the sex hormone for all the cars except the Polo, which caused a dip in testosterone levels for all the female volunteers.

What this means to you: Apparently those loud engines are capable of rattling more than windows. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent