Men Buy Porsches to Attract Women, But They See Through It

Men before you buy a Porsche, you may want to know what it is saying about you.

Like a peacock shows its feathers to attract a peachen, a study by faculty at Rice University, the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) and the University of Minnesota found that men buy Porsches to attract women. This was no surprise, but what was surprising, was that women were able to see right through this.

Women saw men who drove a Porsche as someone interested in a short-term noncommittal sexual relationship, rather than someone they could see themselves marrying.

Turns out, men in economy cars may be more attractive for long term relationships, because of what their car says about them. Women find men who are faithful, can provide, be a companion, and make a good father as more attractive mates for marriage. So, maybe spending money frivolously — especially in this economy — is sending the wrong message to women.

And what does this say about women who buy Porsches? Not the same thing. Women are not buying these cars to attract men. Apparently, they just enjoy nice things.

The study surveyed nearly 1,000 subjects over the course of four studies. It is called, “Peacocks, Porsches and Thorstein Veblen: Conspicuous Consumption as a Sexual Signaling System,” and is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.