Be a hit at parties with your Microcar

A recent study, sponsored by GM and the Department of Energy, indicates that the best way to meet girls is to have a fuel-efficient car.

Say what!!! Do you mean all those years of sports cars were wasted -- and that a VW Beetle or a Honda was what I should have been driving?

Well...that seems to be what the results of a recent survey, conducted by Challenge X, a collegiate engineering competition indicate.

Reported by Motor Trend, the study revealed that 88 percent of women would prefer to talk to a man with a new fuel-efficient car than a new sports car. You'll be more popular at parties too, as 80 percent of car buyers would prefer to talk to someone with a fuel-miser.

The survey also found that 36 percent of Americans on the fence about buying a hybrid would be pushed to seriously consider one if gas rose to $4.00 a gallon, and that rising fuel costs will be a factor when choosing a car for 73 percent of car buyers. There's also apparently lots of interest in a reality show similar to "Project Runway" that is about designing stylish fuel-efficient and emissions-free cars, with the nearly three quarters of survey respondents saying they'd tune in.

On a broader front, 86 percent of car buyers say that the country has some catching up to do when it comes to fuel-efficient cars and 97 percent agree that the spirit of innovation should be encouraged in young people because they often bring a fresh perspective.The Challenge X Survey was conducted by Kelton Research. In total, 500 interviews were fielded online that surveyed U.S. consumers, ages 18 or older, who plan to purchase or lease a car in the next two years.