Could the car you drive really boost your social life? It could if you choose the right model according to new research into online social networking.

Research published this month by Carcraft, the UK’s longest established used car hypermarket chain, found that many thousands of car owners are joining Facebook groups set up specifically to exchange messages and advice with fellow owners of the same make of car.

Mini Cooper drivers were the friendliest of all, according to the Carcraft survey, with more than 20,000 drivers networking across more than 300 groups.    

Barry Nightingale, managing director at Carcraft, says: “It is interesting to see that cars are not only viewed as a symbol of wealth and status but they are increasingly becoming a crucial part of people’s identity and social life.   This is reflected online with large numbers using sites such as Facebook to network with like-minded drivers.

“The website is even encouraging the trend by introducing a ‘garage’ application, which allows users to publish the make and model of their car on their personal profile page.”

Since it launched four years ago, Facebook has become one of the most popular social networking sites, with more than 61 million active users and countless special interest groups.

Frances Brown, a 26-year-old Mini Cooper driver from Manchester has discovered that car interest groups have a number of uses besides boosting her tally of Facebook friends.

She explains: “Facebook groups are a good way to chat to likeminded people and to discuss different car makes, as you can read about people’s actual experiences.  They can help you save money and keep you up to date with new launches.  I regularly post messages to other Mini drivers in the group to share information on anything from repair costs to different models and new accessories.”

The top 10 ‘friendliest’ cars according to Carcraft’s research* are:

*Research based on the top 30 makes and models of car and figures calculated in March 2008.