Tough call between this girl and that RCZ. Both win in my book.

The study shows that millions of British men, mostly guys from the South East and the West Midlands, find it much easier to look after their cars compared to looking after their women and that nearly a third of young men spend much more time looking for the perfect car instead of the perfect woman in their lives. They would even prefer to spend their money on their ride instead of buying you gifts and meals out! I sense an imminent attack of girl power coming…

It’s not just your boyfriends that seriously care about their cars though, 14% of single men and women believe that having a sporty car will help them attract their perfect soul mate. Anyone suffering a midlife crisis is just as bad as a fifth of people over the age of 55, who feel that owning expensive sports cars will help attract a lover.

What our car means to us varies across different parts of the country. For instance, if your man is a Londoner and you decide to dump him, the survey says he wouldn’t shed a tear yet if his car was stolen there would be waterfalls coming out of his eyes. A Yorkshire man would say his car is better looking than you and Welshmen spend much more time with their cars than with your lovely selves. Don’t panic ladies, us lads here at Car Throttle aren’t that bad, honest!

Seriously fellas, listen to cupid who in this case is behavior and relationship expert Dr Pam Spurr. Balance your car love with the love for your girl. Why not combine them and take her out on romantic drives or take her and the car to an exciting track day?

See, now she’s all angry and mad all because you chose the RCZ over her, stupid tube!

And ladies, you surely understand our love for cars? Hell, some of you even give your cars cute names, fit them with pink steering wheel grips, hang giant dice off the rear-view mirror and put little stickers on the windows.

..I’m just saying..

They say that celebrities are “just like us”. Aside from the fact that many have recognisable faces, assets or voices, it’s fair to say that by definition they also have more wonga than us ordinary Joes, which means they can pretty much buy whatever cars they want. Some of their choices are fantastic, some of their choices may surprise you and some of their choices are just plain stupid in my opinion.

Here are 20 stars and their recent choice of cars:

1. Charlie Sheen

The Mercedes S Class has to be one of the coolest cars ever since this man owns several of them. He also has a BMW X5 and a Maserati GranCabrio. Winning!

2. P Diddy

Seen here in 2009 in a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Interesting that he chose a silver paint job. I personally expected gold, chrome or orange not a subtle silver.

3. Tulisa Contostavlos

Like all the other X Factor UK judges, Tulisa from N-Dubz is seen here getting out of the back of a Jaguar XJL and, like P Diddy, it is rumoured that she also owns a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder but in white.

4. David Beckham

While the X Factor judges get chauffeured in XJs, David Beckham is seen behind the wheel of his XJ Supersport. The most expensive and fastest XJ with a supercharged 5L V8 and prices starting at £91,000 (£3k more if you want a long wheelbase one).

5. Paris Hilton

I don’t think I can ever forgive Paris Hilton for wanting her Bentley Continental GT to look like this. Thankfully, it wasn’t Bentley that allowed this to happen, it was West Coast Customs! Fellow Pimp My Ride Fans will know who I’m on about.

6. Sara Cox

I didn’t expect this one! Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox is seen here beside her Audi RS4. I love it when ladies have cars like this. A completely opposite approach to Paris Hilton’s wheels.

7. Vernon Kay

Another Radio 1 DJ, this one has a Nissan GTR! I’m starting to like these Radio 1 DJs purchases.

8. Jeremy Clarkson

A lot of Top Gear fans will already know what Clarkson owns which is a Mercedes CLK AMG Black Series. This one is the press car though. His one is black. He also currently owns a Range Rover (the one with a big bird dropping on it), a Mercedes 600 Grosser and a 2002 Mercedes CL600 which I think is still broken.

9. Chantelle Hougton

My reaction was ‘what on earth?’ (or words to that effect) as well! This is a former Big Brother contestant trying to put a Christmas tree into the passenger seat of her Audi TT roadster. Mad.

10. Wayne Rooney

I doubt he still has this but he was the Ford SportKa’s one and only celebrity customer. The SportKa was ‘the Ka’s evil twin’ and was made between 2003 and 2008, when the next generation Ka was introduced.

11. Brian Johnson

How can you be one of the world’s biggest rock stars and not have a car like this?! Here’s the AC/DC singer with his Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead.

12. Simon Cowell

In the X Factor USA trailer, he had a nightmare where he said all the contestants where great and that he owned a Chevrolet Volt. He then woke up and realised he hates X Factor contestants and has a Bugatti Veyron. £1 Millon on wheels!

13. James May

A screenshot of May showing the Top Gear fans his and Hammond’s Porsche 911s. May’s most famous purchase is his Fiat Panda, which I think he still has, and Hammond sold his Morgan Aeromax back in March.

14. Carmen Electra

Nice. Model and actress Carmen Electra washing her Dodge Challenger. This is a muscle car based on the Chrysler 300c with a choice of engines ranging from a 3.5L V6 to a 6.4L HEMI V8 introduced this year. You’re still staring at the picture fantasizing aren’t you?

15. Louis Walsh

He may think those X Factor UK finalists Jedward and Wagner are brilliant, which I don’t like, but he also thinks his Maserati GranTurismo is brilliant too, which I like! The latest GranTurismo comes with a 4.2L or 4.7L V8.

16. Michael McIntyre

Comedian Michael McIntyre seen here with his Jaguar XK convertible which he bought last year. Before he was famous he owned a Triumph Spitfire and an Austin Metro.

17. Ryan Thomas

Adnan wrote about the Project Kahn Range Rover at the beginning of the month and it turns out Ryan Thomas (the one that plays Jason in Coronation Street) has one.

18. Hugh Grant

As he famously said on Top Gear, Hugh Grant either has ”tosser’s cars” or “great big w**ker’s cars.” This is his most recent purchase, an Audi R8. Judge for yourself which Hugh Grant class this falls under.

19. Sir Paul McCartney

Former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney with new wife Nancy Shevell in a Corvette C6 Convertible. Very Rock ‘n’ Roll. The latest range of Corvettes have a 6.2L V8 or a 7L V8 in the Z06 version. Sir Paul has also been seen recently driving a Lexus LS600h.

20. Rowan Atkinson

Actor Rowan Atkinson said in an interview that he was going to order his own Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe after filming Johnny English Reborn with the special edition 9.0L V16 one. He also famously owned a McLaren F1 since 1997 although it’s under repair after a serious accident back in August.

So there you have it, a wide range of how some celebrities have spent their earnings. But what cars would you get if you had their kind of cash?

On the lower, more practical end of things, I’d have to spring for a brand-spankin’-new Jetta TDI SportWagon.  Having put about 75,000 miles on a MKV-chassis VW Jetta over the course of 4 years, I can attest that they’re simply fantastic road-trip vehicles.  They have impeccable highway-speed stability, killer A/C and heating systems, generally awesome stereos, and minimal obnoxious road noise.  However those miles were all done in a 2.5L gas-powered 5-cylinder Jetta, which is less than ideal.  It’s only got 5 gears – at least in clutch-equipped form – which means it turns about 3000 rpm at 80mph, which is a little busy for my taste.  Also, the 5-banger has decent grunt but it still requires a downshift for passing power.  Total fuel mileage is usually around 28mpg on the highway with the cruise and A/C on, which isn’t bad.  If you wanted more power (which really just means more speeding tickets) you could spring for the turbo-tastic 2.0T motor, with 200 bubbly horsepower.  But for serious road-trip duty, it’s gotta be the new 2.0L 16v turbodiesel.  It’s not got a ton of power – 140bhp is 10 less than the gas 5-cylinder – but it’s got more torque than either of the gas powerplants, at 236lb-ft.  Furthermore, with an EPA number of 41mpg on the highway, each fillup is probably going to be longer than your bladder can hold out.  Plus, the low-end torque of the turbodiesel makes it great for highway duty.  The wagon doesn’t enact a mileage penalty, so why not spring for the extra cargo space?

If I was being less practical and more ostentatious, I’d definitely spring for a loaded-up Saab 9³ Aero Convertible.  With a 255bhp turbocharged V6, a six-speed manual, and hip-hugging sports seats, it’s a mean ride.  The gas mileage isn’t atrocious either, with 26mpg highway mileage (more with Maptun software, plus a huge extra chunk of power).  But the main appeal would be that when the weather’s nice, the wind’s blowing in your hair and the sun’s shining on your head and you can smell the world around you.  When it’s nasty out, you’ve got a triple-layered cloth top to keep you nice and warm.  And there are three-stage heated seats for anywhere in-between.  Plus, Saabs just make amazing highway cars.

How about you?  Would you rock a first-gen Insight and go hypermiling to California?  Would you pimp it out in a Bentley Continental GT?  Pick your poison, and drop us a note below.

Its one thing for there to be traffic jams on urban highways and crowded city streets, but what about in the picturesque countryside of Spain? That just doesn’t happen. In 2005 López put out a call to people willing to take part and create art. (Corny – I know). The response was great, with 400 people and 160 automobiles lending themselves and their cars to the effort.

The whole exercise was to be an “exhibit” at the Laboral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial in Gijón, Spain, a show designed to show the interconnection between cars and modern art.

Every once in a while I like to post something interesting and out of the ordinary, and I think this certainly qualifies. Take a look below for yourself. Certainly is a stark contrast between the beautiful Spanish landscape and a group of 160 parked cars.

It’s hardly logical.  Even from a practical standpoint, cars suck.  It’s not like horses – treat it right, do the proper maintenance, and a $3,000 horse can become a $30,000 horse in a few years.  No, cars (almost without exception) become worth less the further you drive them.  So it’s sure not a monetary thing.  They suck up a lot of money.  I know that for a fact; my Saab has been abusing my wallet like the proverbial red-headed stepchild lately (motor mount, thermostat, boost pressure transducer, distributor rebuild and timing set, oil changes, gas…)

But here’s the thing.  Life is stressful.   No, to be accurate -life is really stressful.  I think the reason life is such a stress is because you’re never really in control of things most of the time.  If you’re a student, you might be in control of the work you do but you’re not in control of the grades you receive for it.  If you’re in the work force, I’m sure you’re aware that you’re not in control – you do your work but what’s to say you won’t get laid off tomorrow?

But for me, when you’re behind the wheel – you’re truly in control of things.  Or at least as much as is realistically possible.  Sure, some inattentive driver on a cell phone in a Durango might T-bone you to kingdom come while they blissfully run a red light.  But for the most part, all of the consequences you receive are the direct result of your actions.  I find peace with this.  When I’m in my car, I get back exactly what I put in.

Cars reward you for doing it right and punish you for doing it wrong, in equal measure.  They’re mostly predictable; sure, your steering rack might go out for no reason, but mostly if you treat it well it’ll treat you well.  Cars don’t ask you to read their minds and guess what’s wrong with them without any clues.  They don’t act up for no reason.  If something goes wrong, it’s probably your fault.

So I like the control – being the king of your domain when you’re behind the wheel.  I like the way they reward you for hitting the mark and I think it’s fair the way the don’t when you miss.  This is why I’m at peace when I’m behind the wheel – I know what to expect – and why I’m not, well, pretty much all the rest of the time.

Working on a car has it’s own rewards, in the same way.  You put effort into something, and if you do it right you can see and feel the results.  Sweat your shirt through and bloody your knuckles changing out a motor mount, go drive the car and you can feel the engine not rocking around as much, the response of the throttle is sharper, the car just feels happier.  Cause, effect – perfectly direct.

Also, the camaraderie that the car breeds is simply amazing.  So many of my good friends I’ve met because of their cars – Paul, Taylor, Patrick, I’m looking at you – and I’ve met more because of the car I’ve been driving.  Cars bring people together.  Car guys always have SOMETHING to talk about, something they share common ground over – even if you’re a Honda guy and your buddy really digs Camaros, they’ve both got internal combustion engines with pistons, cams, valves, clutches and flywheels, all that – right?  (Exception: Rotary fans.  I know.)

I love the interaction between man and machine, the closeness you get with your car when you’re howling down some curvy road.  Exploring the limits of your sanity and your lateral adhesion, finding the perfect shift points, where to tap the brakes to get the rear end to rotate the tiniest bit, where to go wide-open-throttle during corner exit – it’s fun.  It’s a learning process, and each time you do it you get a little better at it.  A lot of things at life you can continue to work at and continue to be mediocre at, but every second behind the wheel is a second of improvement.

My car brings a smile to my face every time I turn the key, and for a multitude of reasons.  How many other things in your life can you say that about?

I’m sure Paul can set me straight on the year and specifics, but this was one absolutely stunning DeSoto.  This brand as a whole ceased to exist some time during 1960, but it used to be one of the shining stars in Chrysler’s empire of brands.  The two-tone aqua and white paint scheme is charming.

Here’s a mint 1996 Chevrolet Corvette GranSport – the last of the line for the C4′s.  This model came with the high-output version of the iron block LT-1 V8, dubbed the LT4 – which was higher compression, higher revving, and better breathing.  This was basically the model that replaced the ZR-1 at the end of it’s life cycle before the C5′s came into being, and it’s a bit of a rare site these days.

This isn’t something you see every day – a K-car derivative Dodge Rampage pickup converted to a tube-frame rear wheel drive chassis with a giant Mopar race V8.  Oh, and quad side pipes per side – just simply insane.

Here’s the car from the lead image – a rare Saleen Mustang Parnelli Jones edition.  These are my personal favorite new Mustangs, equipped with the tuned RaceCraft suspension, special bodywork (check out those Minilite knock-offs!), a 302ci 4-valve “cammer” naturally aspirated V8, and a shaker hood with some hot hood pins.  These cars are wonderfully anachronous, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting one.

And on the other end of the Saleen scale, here’s a brand-spanking-new Saleen S302E, the top of the line Mustang-based Saleen.  This one’s got a 550bhp supercharged 5.0L 32v V8… which seems like enough.

I have such a soft spot for Chevy Corvairs… there’s just something about an American car with a rear-engined, air-cooled flat six and swing axles.  Oh boy.  Plus they’re a high water mark in the pantheons of automotive styling to me.  More Corvairs ahead…

Here’s something interesting: in 1962, Chevy introduced a first on the Corvair: a turbocharger.  Along with the Oldsmobile F-85 Turbo Jetfire, the Corvair Monza Turbo was the first production car to be available with an exhaust-driven turbocharger.  Take that, 911 Turbo.

Here’s another interesting concept: a Corvair station wagon.  Which begs the question: since it’s rear-engined, does it keep your groceries warm on the way back from the store?

Here’s ane example of the Flying Italian Cadillac, the Allanté, which was partially produced (as well as designed) by Pinin Farina in Turin, Italy.  I’m not so sure about the wheels, but it’s still a sexy shape – even with a blasted tent tied to it.

Last, but not least, for today: an original Studebaker Avanti coupe – a rather forward-looking sports car for it’s day, and a rather oft-copied design today.  Studebaker went under because people weren’t ready for what they were selling – this is a great example.  It’s rather striking, especially in the shade of coffee brown seen on this one.

There’ll be yet more AutoFair coverage tomorrow, so stay tuned!