UK website polls 10 sexiest cars

It's undoubtedly one of the more unusual motoring surveys conducted during 2007, but the results are interesting nonetheless.

We're referring to a study conducted by UK-based women's motoring website evecars.com, which polled a cross-section of men to discover which cars they'd be most impressed to see a woman driving.

It's not a complete surprise that the top-rated car was the Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster (1955-63 model), a classic ragtop made famous by Grace Kelly, who drove the car in the film High Society.

"The vintage Mercedes SL Roadster is undeniably a beautiful car, which oozes style and class. Buying one isn't cheap, but proves the owner appreciates the finer things in life," gushed the editor of evecars.com, Alex Jenner-Fust.

Also no surprise was the fact the Porsche 911 (no model in particular) slotted in at No 2 in the top-10 list. The rear-engined sportster has been around for over 40 years now and, apart from being something of a style icon, it's always been regarded as a true driver's car.

The Mitsubishi Evo is clearly also a true driver's car, and notwithstanding its sedate looks, the all-wheel-drive turbo rocketship still earned a place in the top three.

However, what's bound to raise many eyebrows is the fact the boxy, utilitarian Land Rover Defender (the Queen's favourite vehicle) was ranked No 4.

Explaining why this was the case, Jenner-Fust said: "The men we polled love the idea of a woman at the wheel of a high performance car, but only if she knows how to handle it."

"That's why the idea of a Land Rover Defender driven by the Queen is far more appealing than a modern Mercedes convertible being driven, or crashed, by the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears." (Er, what exactly are the Queen's driving credentials?)

Be that as it may, another all-paw turbo tearaway, Subaru's iconic Impreza (the poll didn't specifically name the WRX, but we're figuring this is the variant most pollsters had in mind) rounded out the top five.

Somewhat surprising was the fact the stately (but decidedly stuffy) Rolls-Royce Phantom figured at No 6, followed by the Range Rover Sport.

But this was, after all, a British survey, so it shouldn't be alarming that four Pommie vehicles were named in the top-10 list.

The cheeky new Fiat 500 has been a huge hit in Europe and it figured in the top-10 list, placing eighth in the pecking order.

Coming in at No 9 was the Volkswagen Golf R32, a V6-powered all-wheel-drive hatch that we have to agree is rather entertaining to drive.

Undoubtedly brimming with entertainment value is the Caterham (any model), and the marque in general was voted in 10th place.

So there you have it... but the survey emphasises it's not just about the car, you have to be able to drive it well.