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Can a car help you get a date?

From hairstyles to hypnosis, Patti Stanger, CEO of matchmaking service Millionaire Club 123, knows exactly what it takes to make a match.

I caught up with Stanger who also stars in the reality series "The Millionaire Matchmaker" while she was promoting her book "Become Your Own Matchmaker" for advice on the best cars for attracting girls.

Hands down, Stanger recommends a Bentley Continental GT. "It says, I have money and will shower you with gifts and attention," says Stanger. On top of it, it says classy.

Other top contenders include the Mercedes Maybach, which is even more expensive and impressive than the Bentley. "It says Gazillionaire," explains Stanger.

If you're going for the "hip, cool guy" look, consider the Aston Martin DB9 (watch this CNET TV video of the Aston Martin DB9 Volante). It's two steps above the Porsche, said to Stanger, which is typically driven by the 55-year old going through a midlife crisis.

However, she said she's not a fan of Ferraris of any sort--the typical go-to sports car--which screams "little dick" to Stanger.

"If you want to be off-the-beaten-path with a real sports car, you get a Viper," says Stanger.

However, the regular viewers of her show know that the same American muscle appeal doesn't work with yellow Corvettes, which Stanger says are "uglier than ugg." … Read more

WWJBD: What would James Bond drive?

The Aston Martin DB5 is the traditional James Bond movie car, but as we focus on tech cars, we stepped into the present with a look at the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, which includes navigation, Bluetooth cell phone support, and even iPod integration. Still a fabulous-looking car, the DB9 also provides the handling JB would need while outrunning Spectre agents.

Read our review of the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 Volante.

My year as a green-living beta tester

With a competition called the Energy Smackdown, you might expect to walk away bruised and battered. But after a year of trying to "smack down" energy use in my home, I actually feel pretty good.

Almost a year ago, I signed my household up for the Energy Smackdown, a combination of a community-outreach program, contest, and cable TV show.

Teams from three neighboring Boston-area cities were formed and competed to lower their energy use. About 60 households measured their energy use every month, along with how many miles they drove, flew, and how much trash they generated.

There … Read more

114: Our Aston Martin DB9 arrives. Oh yeah.

Driving the Aston Martin DB9, EPA starts a new era of emissions controls, GM is still talking bankruptcy, and Mitsubishi pulls the trigger on an electric car.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• CNET drives the Aston Martin DB9 Volante

• Minicars get crushed by bigger ones

• Mitsubishi prepares to launch its electric car

• Details on big GM recall

• Hitler stresses over his Tesla

Zenn plans to be the 'Intel Inside' of electric cars

Updated at 8:12 a.m. PDT March 30 with details on the CityZenn and Zennergy prototypes from Zenn Motor.

Zenn Motor is expanding its lineup to include a highway-legal electric car and an all-electric drivetrain for other automakers, the company announced Thursday.

Zenn (for "zero emission no noise") has been working on these particular products for some time.

In 2007, the company offered the public a low-speed Zenn car with a range of 35 miles per charge that was limited to the 25mph legal limit for cars in a certain class. In 2008, it improved its all-electric … Read more

GAO calls rush to field F-35 strike-fighter not 'prudent'

The Department of Defense's $1 trillion-plus plan to build and deliver multiple versions of the Joint Strike Force (JSF) aircraft to multiple customers is behind schedule, over budget, and upside down, according to a report from the Government Accounting Office (PDF).

Upside down because the military is accelerating procurement of operational aircraft before it has even taken delivery of test units, according to the non-partisan GAO.

"Procuring large numbers of production jets while still working to deliver test jets and mature manufacturing processes does not seem prudent," the report states.

The JSF program, personified by the F-35 … Read more

Beefy Lagonda concept is flayed--but noticed

GENEVA--Aston Martin's Lagonda SUV was easily the top attention-getter at the auto show here. Few were neutral. Many were outraged.

But Aston design director Marek Reichman says that's what he expected when the concept surprised journalists on the final media day.

Reaction was reminiscent of, say, the debut of the Bangle-butt BMW 7 series at the 2001 Frankfurt show.

"Abomination," blogged Dutch Mandel, editor of AutoWeek. "Please, dear God, you aren't serious!"

Others were more accepting of the massive, jarring vehicle that was crammed onto a tight corner of the Aston stand.

"… Read more

Aston Martin One-77 (video)

Aston Martin's upcoming One-77 hypercar features a 7.3-liter V-12 that outputs over 700 horsepower and they're only making 77 of them. You think Aston's obsession with the number seven has anything to do with a particular superspy?

Join us as we check out the Aston Martin One-77 at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

2010 Aston Martin Vantage V-12 (video)

It's a classic recipe for fun: Take a small car. Shove a big engine under the hood. Enjoy.

However when you're Aston Martin and your small car is the Vantage, the big engine part of the recipe scales to a 6-liter V-12.

Check out our first look at the Aston Martin V-12 Vantage from the floor of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

High-performance GT cars abound in Geneva (photos)

GT cars, the stuff that posters on the walls of high school boys' bedrooms are made of, made a strong showing at the 2009 Geneva auto show, with new examples from Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, among others. The variety we found at the show included standard gas engines, hybrids, and full electric versions, and all boast astounding performance figures.