Take a silver coupé, give it 225 bhp, gull-wing doors, race-car style re-fuelling, an oil change every 31,000 miles . . .most males are seduced.
Throw on some run-flat tyres, sensors to tell if it will fit into a space and a steering-wheel that parallel parks - handy, well occasionally. Next, machine-washable seat covers and a grooved headrest to accommodate a ponytail. Suddenly, the average male shudders.
This is the YCC - Your Concept Car. This Volvo concept car is designed mainly by women for an upscale female segment and is due to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Recently, wooing female drivers has come to be seen as vital. Statistics suggest women buy between 40 and 47 per cent of new cars but have an input into potentially 80 per cent of new purchases when cars bought for them and joint-buys are included. So car companies want to know what women want.
The YCC is designed to be virtually maintenance-free. Lifting the bonnet is for the mechanic only, so the washer fluid has been placed beside the petrol tank. Petrol goes into an opening with a roller-ball valve to prevent gas and fumes escaping.
The wide gull-wing doors are for better access behind the driver's seat. An electric hand-brake frees space in the front. Paint and glass is dirt-repellent and seat-covers and carpets come in a variety of styles.
Though designed with women in mind, Volvo hopes the prototype will appeal to both men and women on the basis that "when you meet women's expectations, you often exceed the expectations of men," says project spokeswoman Tatiana Butovitsch.
Whatever the merits of that, men and women want a lot that is similar in a car. The look is probably important to all buyers. It's often the most important thing to females, especially younger buyers, according to Mary Schwer-Foley, editor-in-chief of Autowoman, though it's followed closely by reliability.
The Celtic Tiger appears to have caused a sea change. "Young women have aspirations. They want style. The car is part of the image. Companies are bringing in more sporty cars and convertibles - career women want prestige brands."
The trick must be to design cars that appeal to women without alienating men. About 64 per cent of Peugeot 206 buyers are female, and its general popularity is attributed to styling. On the other hand the new Citroën C2 appeals to males and this, ironically, also sends a cue to females who follow suit.
But it's not just about the look. MPVs are the fastest growing motor segment here. "They are hugely popular with women on the school run because they're very practical and versatile," says Schwer-Foley. "Women like the high driving position in MPVs and also in SUVs. It gives terrific visibility and a feeling of safety."
The detail of the interior is probably of greater interest to women than men, so improvements here should benefit all drivers. "There are still some cars with fiddly controls, poorly-lit boots, or without a safe storage area for a bag or file, things which can be so easily remedied," says Schwer-Foley. "Women also place a huge emphasis on safety and airbags and things like ABS."
The YCC includes pedals which collapse to the floor in an accident to prevent gashing the legs. Other engineers and designers, with women in mind, are working on electric-pedal extenders for shorter people, more versatile seating, better interior storage and layout, greater reliability, and longer service intervals because most females do not relish the experience of car service and repair.
But it's often thought that price is where women and men differ most when buying cars. "Women are very switched on to price, value for money, running economy, and insurance costs," says Schwer-Foley.
Declan Foley, brand manager of Ford Ireland, agrees: "They know their budgets and stick rigidly to them. There's less resolve by males who can be swayed by shiny wheels. Women do their research. It seems they're influenced by word of mouth and by what they see other women driving."
Research by Citroën shows that women rank price as the most important factor when buying, but men rate residual value.
It also seems that, while women like solid, nippy cars, 0-60 and "sub-four second" performance may not feature high on the priority list of many female buyers, according to Schwer-Foley.
Most drivers start small, but many males move to bigger at the first opportunity. When it comes to company cars, women select what their position deserves, with the emphasis on interior and badge - men focus on engine size, bhp, speed and alloys, according to one fleet manager.
You hear of male millionaires with stables of exotic cars, but it's rare to find a female with a garage of powerful wheels. Bidders at performance car auctions are men and it's unlikely that any of the rumoured five orders here for the new Mercedes SLR McLaren is by a woman.
Still with concepts such as the YCC from Volvo, who knows what's down the road? While the car may never make it to production, though it's said to be a theoretical car for 2010, some of the ideas may filter into other Volvos.
Described as "looking good, but not girly or effeminate", it's thought the YCC may be a coupé, but not as we know it. If it has hints of the C70, it could be a stunner. If it has the intelligence of the XC90, Volvo's most recent product which involved women designers, it will be a hard act to follow.
Just let's hope it's not like "the Homer", that other car built from a checklist, packing in everything the average man wanted, including three different horns.
Five women motorists talk about the cars in their lives
YVONNE KEATING model
Car: Mercedes ML Jeep
"My first car was a Polo. I had a coupé but got this because it's practical, has seven seats and takes the children and their friends. When it comes to buying cars, I think many women don't care as long as it's got four wheels, but there's a minority as fussy as men. Ronan loves old American classics - he thinks I won't drive them because the steering's on the left. Most men would probably padlock the steering rather than allow women drive their cars! But, from looking at new cars, it's obvious they're being designed with women and families in mind."
EDWINA FORKIN producer/managing director, Zanzibar Films.
Car: Ford Orion (replacement for new Renault Megane)
"I chose the Megane for safety thinking of my child. A colleague needed it for a week so I put him on the insurance and he wrote it off on day two, hence the Orion! I love cars, especially old classics like the Mercedes 190 and I wanted to buy a baby-blue 1956 Ford Mustang convertible used in one of my films. It was gorgeous, did 10 miles to the gallon and would've involved huge maintenance. A boy-band bought it instead. Women with kids have to think practicalities - men have more freedom to choose what they like."
CARMEL FOLEY Director of Consumer Affairs.
Car: VW Golf
"I bought it from a reliable Garda sergeant who changes his car every two years. I'll keep it until it stops and will always be a second-hand car owner. Last year I was whisked to Galway in a Mercedes convertible and it's the kind of thing that could turn a girl's head, but cars are more practical for us. Men seem to have a closer relationship with this lump of metal treating it like a pet, a toy, or a significant other. Garages can help by clearly displaying service pricing and information to give women more confidence."#
MIRIAM O'CALLAGHAN Presenter, Prime Time.
Car: Chrysler Voyager
"I share a car with my husband and we picked it as it fits all the kids. I've never had a flash car in my life. But men and women probably look for different things when it comes to cars - men love the speed. It makes them feel attractive and sexy. Women are earning more and expect to be treated as equals when buying a car and I think this has forced the motor industry to change."
DOROTHEA DOWLING Chairperson of the MIAB.
Car: Jaguar XJ6
"I got my first car, a Mini, atschool. Since my 21st I wanted to own a Jaguar. I love old Jags and the fact that there's a lot of metal for protection. Before this, I had a 13-year-old XJS but decided it was time to grow up and drop the sporty image. Men, probably more than women, like ostentatious cars as they think it makes them look sexy but the women they attract are just interested in the car."