Some of the deeper reasoning behind this desire is revealed more deeply in Edwards' data. "When we escape into the stories of movies, we look for versions of our 'ideal self,' " he says. "Although it doesn't usually happen at a conscious level, we often compare our self-perception to that of our ideal self. The gaps that emerge, we try to fill with things that can help us obtain the ideal. A vehicle often fills that gap. So while I may not be a superhero, when I drive my Audi, I can be Tony Stark. In essence, these vehicles are more than a sidekick, but something that completes the hero."