British drivers go ‘petrosexual’

A new breed of driver is dominating British roads. These drivers, termed ‘petrosexuals’, are not identified by the cars they drive, but by their boots full of shopping and the rock anthems they singalong to.

A study into British driving habits, released by Carmony.co.uk, shows that unlike outdated preconceptions, women and male drivers are now seen to be equals at the wheel, resulting in a new era of ‘petrosexual’ drivers. Women are also edging in on men in the car knowledge stakes, with 57% of women saying they know a coupe from a hatchback, compared to almost two thirds of men (65%). However, BMW drivers seem to be the most aware of what’s under the bonnet, with one in five (20%) saying that they have a similar knowledge to Jeremy Clarkson himself.

Women are still more likely to name their cars, with almost one in five (17%) naming their ‘Fifi Fiesta’ or ‘Andy Audi’, compared to just 12% of men. Renaults are the most likely vehicle to be named, with 20% christened by their owners. ‘Tommy Toyotas’ however, are few and far between, and are the least likely to be given the human touch (12%).

Whilst ‘boy racers’ are easy to spot in their souped-up Subarus and slow ‘Sunday drivers’ identified by their gleaming estates, ‘petrosexuals’ are less concerned about the make of the car that they drive and more about what the car offers them. Music is their number one driving companion and the study shows that today’s ‘petrosexuals’ are most likely to belt out Queen – ‘Don’t stop me now’ when driving.

Top of the ‘petrosexual’ pops
1 Queen ‘Don’t stop me now’ 27%
2 Kings of Leon ‘Sex on Fire’ 16%
3 Meatloaf ‘Bat out of Hell’ 15%
4 Tina Turner ‘Simply the Best’ 13%
5 Girls Aloud ‘Something Kinda Ooh’ 9.5%
6 The Killers ‘Human’ 9.5%
7 Cyndi Lauper ‘I Drove All Night 6%
8 Britney Spears ‘Womaniser’ 4%

Secret booty
While the typical ‘petrosexual’ fills their boot with their latest shopping purchases, the study found that muddy wellies are most likely to be found in the boot of a MINI (24%) and only one in 10 (12%) Brits are likely to have bottles for recycling clanking in the boot. Volkswagen drivers are the fittest in the UK with a quarter (25%) filling their boots with gym equipment and sportswear. MINI drivers however are the least likely to workout (6%) and came bottom of the fitness fanatic poll.

Big girl’s knickers
‘Petrosexual’ Brits are Bridget Jones underwear fanatics, with over half opting for big and comfortable pants when driving. However, the study also found that women over 45 (22%) and ladies that drive BMWs (27%) are the most likely to ‘go sexy’ with their smalls, whilst one in 20 (5%) male BMW drivers wear a thong and older men are more likely than the to wear no pants on at all (8%).

What your car says about you
Whilst almost one in 10 Brits think their vehicle choice makes them seem more intelligent and 12% of male Audi drivers believe their car makes them seem well endowed, the vast majority of drivers (70%) don’t think that their car says anything about them.

Samantha Bedford, managing director, Carmony.co.uk, said: “It is surprising that so many Brits don’t think that their car is a reflection of them, when our study identifies a new type of driver that bridges the gender divide - petrosexuals. We all want and expect different things from our vehicle, some of us need a car for the school run and others need a car to show off at the golf club.”

Bedford continued: “Soccer ace Wayne Rooney recently changed his motor after Coleen announced that she was pregnant. Although he’s swapped a sporty Mercedes for an Audi estate, his car can still reach nearly 200 mph. At Carmony, we aim to match people with the perfect vehicle for their lifestyle, whether you are a football superstar, grandma with two dogs or a city living bachelor.”

Other key findings

Renault drivers are the biggest shoppers in the country, with 57% saying they are most likely to have shopping bags in their boot

Although male drivers in the North East and in Scotland don’t think that their car says anything about their manhood, London drivers are the most likely to think that their car says they are well endowed (12%)

Yorkshire drivers are the least likely to say that their car makes them look intelligent (3%), compared to over one in 10 (12%) in the North West and the East Midlands

Whilst the vast majority of men wear underwear, nearly one in ten male car owners aged 46-55 go commando (8%)

The North East of England’s drivers are the most sporty in the country, with one in five (20%) carrying gym or sports equipment in their boot

For more information on Carmony, visit carmony.co.uk