Q You have driven a lot of cars in your life. Which one is the best for making an impression on the fairer sex? I ask only out of interest since I am married and drive a Volvo.

JK from Cirencester

A With a name like JK you should be telling me, surely? You’re not short, with a collection of supercars and equally flamboyant hats, are you? Mind you, last time I checked, Mr Jamiroquai wasn’t settling with one lady.

This is one of those questions car journos get asked every time they attend a wedding or pop into the pub for a jar. The more the blokes booze, the closer they flock and the more eager they are to know which car will guarantee skirts and flirts. If only there was a formula.

Last week, Steve Langan from the appropriately named insurance company Hiscox claimed to have worked out which cars turn women on. Research suggested it wasn’t the looks or the price, it was the sound. Apparently the noise of a Maserati being revved saw testosterone levels — an indicator of sex drive — in women soar while the noise of a VW Polo saw them droop.

I’m not sure I believe the findings. For a start, we all know women are all different. Sure, they all have the same inherent habits but they look different. Some have short hair, some like blue toenails. Some think gold hoop earrings are classy. Some watch The X Factor and deny it.

In the same vein, women like different cars. A power dresser might dig flash Ferraris and Tom Selleck face furniture. A born-again hippie may swoon at the sight of a battered Commer motorhome lined with tie-dye cushions. But one thing I can guarantee: 66% of women don’t really give a toss what a man drives.

To prove this, I am in the process of buying a Moskvich. This is a 1970s Russian car that no one finds attractive. The next time Daniel Craig comes to my place for a chat, I’m going to give it to him. He will then drive it for a few weeks and tell me what happens. I suspect that the fact he’s driving a pauper-spec car will not hinder his progress with femmes in any way.

So JK, while I like Volvos I wouldn’t say they were sexy. Unless you happen to have the Saint’s Volvo P1800 you might not find women throwing themselves at you. On the flip side, some ladies find practicality an attractive trait. In which case, the Volvo estate could just be the key to success. If you weren’t married.

Write to Jonny at carshrink@sunday-times.co.uk