Ford has some incredible performance vehicles, but how does driving a sports car stack up against other exciting moments in your life?
Ford's European division did some Masters and Johnson-type research recently to see how the human body responds to "buzz moments" - peak thrills that play a vital role in our overall wellness.
As it turns out, driving a sporty car - in this case the Ford Focus RS, Ford Foucs ST, and Ford Mustang - is more stimulating than kissing, salsa dancing, cheering on your favorite sports team, and binge watching your favorite shows.
To measure these events, Ford hooked participants up to a sensors to measure heart rate and galvanic skin response, and of the buzz moments Ford selected, the only experience that ranked better was riding a rollercoaster! And for what it's worth, the research also shows that shopping is a close second to driving.
So what was the point of these tests? Ford wants to know how cars can understand and respond to drivers' emotions.
"We think driving should be an enjoyable, emotional experience," said Dr Marcel Mathissen, research scientist at Ford of Europe. "The driver-state research Ford and its partners are undertaking is helping to lead us towards safer roads and - importantly - healthier driving."
Perhaps the coolest part of the experiment was the creation of the Ford Performance Buzz Car (shown above). This customized Ford Focus RS not only measures the driver's emotions, but can also express them visually using 200,000 LEDs and 110 light strips.
This post was originally published on February 8, 2018.
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