Five cars to inspire romance

carsales reviewer and self-proclaimed romantic Feann Torr puts together his list of cars which he believes will spark romance...Whether or not they actually do is yet to be seen. Disclaimer: Feann Torr is not a professional relationships counselor and 'advice' given in this article is for pure entertainment and should be taken with grain of salt like the experts on Married at First Sight.

Back in the day – and more often the night – the humble motor car was not only a mode of transport but a place of contemplation, privacy and - even romance.

Stoking the fires of passion for more than a century, the front seat (and sometimes the back seat) were places where forbidden love could blossom, where dangerous liaisons could flourish, or where the view was better than the four walls of a cramped bedroom in your parent’s house. Here are five cars to spark a little romance on date night.

Top of any red-blooded Aussie list must be the Sandman HJ panel van. Kitted with the obligatory wire-cord window curtains, oversize esky and bootleg cassette player, the Sandman needed only a double mattress up the back to make it the bogan lounge-lizard’s favourite seduction location. The optional addition of bumper stickers: “If She’s Rockin, don’t come Knockin” complete the outfit, as seen in a thousand footy oval carparks across the nation come sobering Sunday mornings.

If the Sandman approach isn’t to your taste, drivers can flaunt their touchy-feely side and charm the ladies (or gentlemen) with the fantastically gender-neutral pink Mitsubishi Mirage. Its lurid pink paintwork and comfy interior is guaranteed not to intimidate, and the quirky 3-cyclinder lump is a favourite for showing off your individual yet practical approach to life… and maybe love. If the date goes sour, the colour will match your face! Perfect.

For the more boastful driver, the Hyundai iLoad recommends itself. Even if you ignore the name, Hyundai’s tagline “Room to Move” suggests a broader horizon for active Tinder and Grinder swipers. Want to get together with the local swingers club? Open the van's back doors and invite them all in. As Hyundai so accurately puts it, the iLoad is “engineered to perform, no matter what you throw at it (or in it).” Perfect for the active social mover then.

For real road-movie romance however, the VW Kombi has no equal. Bonus points come from the provision of cooking and cleaning equipment for pre and post-romance needs. Lots of doors make a quick exit easy in case of an unexpectedly uneasy atmosphere, and the sheer number of cubby-holes and storage spaces make hiding stuff a breeze. The only downside is that the ‘drive you home’ offer usually comes with hearing impairment from the luftwaffe-era engine, but it’s true you can’t have everything in love.

But the top of our list must be the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabrio. This is the car to turn heads and make eyes go wide when you press the button and the top slips away into its holster. It is soooo sexy, especially in red. Of course you can do the Dukes of Hazzard thing too, and jump nimbly over the door into the driver’s seat to display your athleticism and readiness for action. And once the deal is sealed (or promised) simply press the button again, and privacy is yours as the sun slips below the horizon and the stars wink their approval.

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