It’s good for you to drive a sports car
Ford is also concerned with your emotional satisfaction and sense of well-being. Ford conducted a study in order to determine what makes us happy and content. Ford’s findings? You should give up on romance, fine dining and weekend binge-watching. Ford’s study shows that daily driving in a sports vehicle is the best thing you can do to feel happy.
We at One Automoblog Towers have a simple answer: Duh!
Good Vibrations
As a person who has owned and driven a sports vehicle almost exclusively for 20 years, I am able to personally attest to this. I don’t think about it and I honestly don’t drive sports cars to improve my well-being. I drive a sport car because it goes, turns, and stops so well. The “sense-of-wellbeing” that comes with owning and driving sports cars is an unintended byproduct.
Ford is aware of all this but decided to study the data anyway to see where sports car driving falls in terms of “I have to do more” on a spectrum. Ford measured “buzz moments,” peak thrills which play a crucial role in our wellbeing. Ford recruited volunteers to measure their physiological reactions while they did exciting things such as cheering for their favorite football team, or watching an Game of Thrones. Even things like a passionate salsa dance or a passionate kiss were included.
The study found that, aside from the occasional thrill of riding on a rollercoaster, there was nothing better than a daily commute in a sport car. This study was done by Ford in England so it may have influenced the results of “passionate kissing”. You know, I’ve got to say that if there is anything more exciting on this list than then you need to reevaluate what you value.
Ford teamed up with designers and neuroscientists to create the “Buzz Car” – a Ford Focus RS customized with wearables and artificial intelligence technology to animate a driver’s feelings in real time on the exterior of the car. Ford Focus RS is a sports vehicle. Yes, it sounds silly, and many people (including myself) would disagree with that description. But let’s go with it.
Blinded me with Science
Ford and Designworks spent 1,400 man-hours creating the Focus RS Buzz Car. Sensum’s “emotional AI system” analyzed all “buzz moments”, then translated them into an animated luminous animation on almost 200,000 LEDs integrated into the car. The Buzz Car Focus RS was also equipped with a high-performance Zotac VR GO Gaming PC, 110 x daylight-bright 500-lumen light strips and 82 displays panels with 188.416 individually addressable leds. Flashing lights are the best way to express science!
Dr. Harry Witchel is a Discipline Leader for Physiology. He said, “This study shows that driving a performance vehicle can be more than just a way to get from A-B – it may also contribute to your daily health and well-being.” “A rollercoaster is great for a thrill, but not for getting to work every morning.”
The study guinea-pigs, er Participants who sat in The Buzz Car for a typical commute experienced an average 2.1 high intensity buzz moments. Comparing this to an average of three buzz moments when riding a rollercoaster, 1.7 on a shopping spree, 1.5 while watching Game of Thrones episodes or a soccer match, and none while doing salsa, dining out, or sharing passionate kisses. Here’s a joke about Englishmen who are bloodless. Also: Shopping? Really? What’s the buzz?
Healthy & Happy
The Ford Research and Innovation Center, located in Aachen (Germany), received all of this data. The Innovation Center wants to know how cars can understand and respond better to our emotions. This sounds good (at least at this point). Ford is looking into how future in-car system could be informed about our emotions, stress levels, fatigue and distraction.
Dr. Marcel Mathissen is a Research Scientist for Ford of Europe. He said, “We believe driving should be a fun, emotional experience.” Ford’s driver-state research and that of its partners is leading us to safer roads, and most importantly a healthier driving.
Automoblog is aware of all this, and we are not surprised. You could have just asked us. Shopping? Meh. Kissing? Please! Football match? Snore. Half-baked TV show? Not so much. Roller coaster? Why not? Why not? YES!
Tony Borroz is a racing enthusiast who has dedicated his life to antique and sports cars. He is the Author of Bricks & Bones, The Endearing Legacy of The Indy 500 and The Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon Of The Indy 500. Available in paperback format or Kindle .