Recent research has revealed that British men are often more keen on getting down and dirty under the bonnet than they are between the sheets. The research carried out by Peugeot under the heading the 'RCZ Study' polled over 2,000 people and found that 50 per cent of men find their partners more difficult to maintain than their cars and that 1 in 10 prefer the alluring curves of their automobile over those of the fairer sex.

"We've long known that the British are a nation of petrolheads but by the looks of things, the balance can often tip a little in the wrong direction," commented behaviour and relationship expert Dr Pam Spurr, who collaborated with Peugeot on the study. "It seems that the pleasure we derive from our cars is one that we have greatly underestimated. It's incredibly surprising to think such pleasure sometimes surpasses the enjoyment a car owner derives from their partner!"

The RCZ Study also found that us men are three times happier splashing the cash on our motors than our partners while the research revealed that 18-24 year olds are more likely to have more meaningful relationships with their wheels rather than their partners - a quarter of the age group's longest relationship was with their car.

Car Enthusiast will tomorrow release the 'Jimmy Choo' Study*, which reveals that women of all ages find their extravagant shoe collections more important than their partner and, given the choice, they would rather file for divorce than hand over those oh-so-cute black slingbacks that go with every outfit and were a snip at £495.

* We won't actually release a 'Jimmy Choo Study' nor carry out a 'Manolo Blahnik Poll' and we certainly will not be conducting any 'Louboutin research'.