If you thought kissing, shopping, and watching Game of Thrones gives you the chills, a study conducted by Ford revealed that none of those activities compare to driving a sports car. The preliminary research showed that driving a sports car on a daily basis ranks as one of the best ways to boost a person’s sense of enjoyment, wellbeing, and emotional fulfillment. Riding a roller-coaster emerged as the only activity that surpassed driving a sports car in the study.

The study was conducted to determine which activities generated what Ford described as “buzz moments.” The automaker worked with neuroscientists to study volunteers and their physiological reactions to certain activities. Heart rates and galvanic skin response were monitored to find the level of buzz a person gets during a specific activity. In the end, riding a rollercoaster topped the study with an average of three buzz moments. Driving a sports car came in second with 2.1 buzz moments while kissing, dining, and Salsa dancing generated zero buzz moments.

Despite garnering top results, Ford argued that riding a roller coaster doesn’t give the same daily enjoyment as driving a sports car, largely because nobody goes to theme parks every day or has a roller coaster in their backyards. Driving a sports car on a daily basis is far more attainable, as is the buzz that comes with it. "This study shows how driving a performance car does much more than get you from A to B. It could be a valuable part of your daily wellbeing routine," psychologist Dr. Harry Witchel said.

To further prove its point, Ford dressed up a Focus RS with sensors to detect the emotions volunteers had when they’re driving the hot hatch that was christened with the name “Ford Performance Buzz Car.” The sensors came with 200,000 LEDs and 82 display panels that were hooked up to a gaming PC. When a driver exhibits an emotion, the Focus RS’ exterior lights up to show the driver’s reaction. The Ford Performance Buzz Car is also being used as a research tool to detect emotions like fatigue and stress, two key elements that could help the automaker develop better driver-assist systems in the future.

Activity

Buzz Moments

Roller Coaster

3

Driving

2.1

Shopping

1.7

Game of Thrones

1.5

Football Game

1.5

Kissing

0

Salsa Dancing

0

Dining

0


References

Ford Mustang

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt.

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