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According to a new study conducted by marketing research firm Harris Poll, most women think that men with fast or exotic cars are arrogant -- or worse, that they're insecure and compensating for their shortcomings. If you're looking for attention from the opposite sex, you should probably re-think your game plan. Harris' study was conducted online in March, fielding answers from 2,167 American men and women 18 and older. The survey didn't uncover anything especially interesting about men's opinions, although 38 percent said that women who drove fast cars were likely show-offs, and a small number -- six percent -- suspected those women were "emotional" (whatever that means). Among women, however, the findings were far clearer: 56 percent of women say that men who own exotic or fast cars are arrogant, and 17 percent see them as insecure. 48 percent say that a car is a reflection of a man's economic status. 46 percent say that a car reflects a man's image of himself. 32 percent say that a car can reveal what kind of family man a guy will be. In other words, among women looking for long-term relationships, a Lexus sedan may score you more points than a Lotus roadster. According to Lawrence Cervantes at AnastasiaDate (the site that commissioned the study), "It's no surprise that men fantasize about driving an exotic car with a beautiful woman in the passenger seat, but this new data proves that fantasy is better left for a weekend with the guys. When it comes to dating, women want a grounded man, and his car is a clear reflection of this." This shouldn't be terribly shocking. Several previous studies have shown that women tend to prefer frugal cars and that they're not drawn to high-end rides (except Porsches, for some reason). That said, we know that old habits die hard, and for some of you, giving up the hod rod simply isn't an option. If you insist on being "that guy", Harris offers a sliver of hope, because there are a handful of women who will be turned on by your car. According to the poll: 21 percent of women say that they've found a man more attractive once they've seen the kind of car that he drives. 10 percent say that they would date an unattractive guy if he had an exotic car. Those small numbers mean that the pickings will be slim, though, and the competition may be fierce. What do you think?

Ever so often, I spot a head-turner along our business or shopping districts and I stare lustfully admiringly as it zooms off, leaving me wondering about the day when I can lay my hands on a beauty just like her. And other times, I spot owners of magnificent machines pottering along at a snail's pace on a B road where I would have let her rip and I can only wonder if I would be a more deserving owner/driver. Sigh. It is tough being a car nut with the bank account of a church mouse. So, on days when the boss is droning on and on, I tend to let my mind wander and think about what would be in my garage if I ever struck it rich enough. And after countless internal debates and struggles, I have assembled my "dream team" of the 3 cars (currently on sale) that I would have in garage. At risk of extreme ridicule from you guys, here it is: 1) Maserati Granturismo S With its hot screaming Italian supermodel looks, picking this baby is a no-brainer. This is my idea of car pornography and pretty much takes the cake when it comes to car design. This car turns heads as well as (if not better) than super cars that are twice its price. And have you heard the exhaust note? The closet attention whore in me says that this absolutely has to be the centerpiece in my dream garage. Nuff said. 2) Mitsubishi Evo X No, I am not kidding you with this entry. I think that no garage would be complete without a JDM monster and my pick is the Evo X. The Evo X provides a vastly different form of driving experience from the Maser. It would function as a road legal track machine for weekends spent at the track. And with the large number of after-market parts and support from Japanese tuners for the Evo X, this would be a car that I can totally modify and customize to my heart's desire (or LTA's legal limit). And deep down, I am just a Singapore beng. Techno and blue lights anyone? 3) BMW 335i Convertible My dream garage is complemented by a BMW 335i as the more practical daily driver. With terror car parks being par for course these days, it would be absurd to consider driving the Maser or the heavily modified Evo out to work. And on occasion, I would probably need to ferry passengers around in greater comfort than the Evo can offer. So the final entry has to plug this gap of practicality. But at the same time, it would still need to be a classy and good looking ride that I would enjoy looking at. The 335i checks all the above boxes; plus it has enough brute force to see off ricer boys and crazed taxi uncles. Perfect. What would be your 3 picks for your dream garage?