Driving Instructor Using A Golf R!!!

Driving Instructor Using A Golf R!!!

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Vocht

1,630 posts

163 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
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I suspect the instructor might just be doing it as a side-line job where getting the maximum profit he can isn't the priority. Maybe a retired old boy looking for a part-time job?

Ayway, You can easily get 30mpg combined in the R, and if he got one of the cheap lease deals (£6500 over 2 years with 10k miles per annum), mixed with a little man maths then it's not that wildly unrealistic as an instructor car.

He'll only need to do 2 x 1 hour lessons (£25?) a day to more than cover his costs and make himself a little extra cash.

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
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culpz said:
"Clever" way of getting business i suppose. I've used inverted commas there as for someone who has a genuine love for cars i just die inside knowing there's a Golf R out there having its alloys kerbed to hell, paint chipped, wing-mirrors smacked willy-nilly. Saying that i assume that's how some of these lease cars get treated no doubt.

Over the road from my dad's place there's a driving instructor with a black diesel Scriocco. I genuinely couldn't think of a worse modern car to learn in after having one myself for 3 years (petrol however). Awful visibility, blind-spot hell, wide and hard to judge.

I also read an article the other day about a driving instructor with a brand new MK7 Golf GTI PP with the upgraded 19" wheels (ouch). He went on to say that was his daily car aswell as his work car and weekend blast car all in one. It does kinda make sense i suppose as that's what the GTI was intended as an all-purpose car.

Again, i can see how it would attract people to go with them. I'm not sure it's something i'd bother with personally as either the student or the teacher.
As you've touched upon, just because they are an instructor they shouldn't be not able to have fun in their down time!

Goatex

164 posts

146 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
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Great idea - also means that peoples' first experience of a powerful car is(hopefully)under professional instruction.

Steve_F

860 posts

193 months

Tuesday 31st May 2016
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culpz said:
"Clever" way of getting business i suppose. I've used inverted commas there as for someone who has a genuine love for cars i just die inside knowing there's a Golf R out there having its alloys kerbed to hell, paint chipped, wing-mirrors smacked willy-nilly. Saying that i assume that's how some of these lease cars get treated no doubt.
Would you really? Not having a go just seems a bit extreme for a mass produced hot golf, they are nice cars but even the things you describe could be put right for not too much money at the end of the lease.

I learned to drive in a turbo diesel Golf when diesel hadn't really taken hold, most of my mates were learning in 1.1 Saxos or the like so this thing seemed like a flying machine especially with the turbo. Looking back on the figures it wasn't! The instructor's favourite phrase was 'hit the floorboards', really didn't like hanging around off a roundabout or junction. Would have been interesting to learn with him if he'd had an R!

If I was learning now I'd be picking up extra jobs or more around the house just to earn the extra to learn in a Golf R. Serious bragging rights when chatting about lessons down the park/pub. Doesn't seem like a stupid business model at all.

culpz

4,881 posts

111 months

Wednesday 1st June 2016
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Steve_F said:
Would you really? Not having a go just seems a bit extreme for a mass produced hot golf, they are nice cars but even the things you describe could be put right for not too much money at the end of the lease.

I learned to drive in a turbo diesel Golf when diesel hadn't really taken hold, most of my mates were learning in 1.1 Saxos or the like so this thing seemed like a flying machine especially with the turbo. Looking back on the figures it wasn't! The instructor's favourite phrase was 'hit the floorboards', really didn't like hanging around off a roundabout or junction. Would have been interesting to learn with him if he'd had an R!

If I was learning now I'd be picking up extra jobs or more around the house just to earn the extra to learn in a Golf R. Serious bragging rights when chatting about lessons down the park/pub. Doesn't seem like a stupid business model at all.
I'm sorry but i really don't understand your reply at all. What are you getting at and what did you disagree with? I'm not being funny or anything i'm just really puzzled at your response that's all.

Pickled Piper

6,334 posts

234 months

Wednesday 1st June 2016
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It's a very easy car to drive so does the job for a learner.

I guess some man maths at work for the owner, but as others have said it means he gets to run a Golf R as his daily driver.

Turn the question on it's head, "What 300bhp performance car could you own and still earn some cash giving driving lessons?"

Steve_F

860 posts

193 months

Friday 3rd June 2016
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culpz said:
I'm sorry but i really don't understand your reply at all. What are you getting at and what did you disagree with? I'm not being funny or anything i'm just really puzzled at your response that's all.
Apologies! Was just around the just die a bit inside comment, was wondering if anyone really got even remotely upset over a easily available hot golf picking up war wounds from a driving school. It's not something I'd even consider if I saw it being used for that. Just interested really as it wouldn't bother me!

Wouldn't fancy buying one secondhand after a driving school using it right enough as the gearbox and clutch could have a difficult life.

Slow

6,973 posts

136 months

Friday 3rd June 2016
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I would have used it over the stty peugeot thing I did lessons in. Was awful - even compared to the 10 year old focus I was driving around with my mum.

Dont understand why all instructors use the newest smallest cars possible (excluding the Juke localy). Surely when the students pass the test they wont have all the fancy gadgets like dipping wingmirrors when reverse is selected. They will also end up with a larger car at some point in life which they have no experience of - know a few people scared to drive anything bigger than a 3dr hatch!

AH33

2,066 posts

134 months

Friday 3rd June 2016
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I passed my test in 2003 in a Mini Cooper S - the instructor had that for his male students and his wife took the girls out in a normal cooper biggrin

sidekickdmr

5,065 posts

205 months

Friday 3rd June 2016
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I know it's been said already but my mates dad runs his own driving school, and his "USP" was that he always had fun performance cars.

When everything out there is a sea of bland corsa's and focus's's, someone driving a bright Civic type R is appealing to young spotty teenagers, so they used him instead.

bungz

1,960 posts

119 months

Friday 3rd June 2016
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Uninteresting fact the actual Bill Plant taught me to drive when he started out.

I learnt to drive in a absolutely shagged 250K on the clock NA 1.5 dessy Corsa.

Pains me all these Bill Plant franchises and their swanky BMW's!

Bill also came across as hating teaching people (or me) to drive.

vanordinaire

3,701 posts

161 months

Friday 3rd June 2016
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It's not a new thing, back in 1980 when I was learning, our local police sergeant used to do driving instruction as a second job. He changed cars to a Golf GTI and within a couple of months he had such a waiting list among the local teenagers that he retired from the police force and set up as a full time instructor.