Most ridiculous/jealous of car with L plates you've seen.

[Moonpie21]

So on my drive to work today I noticed a lovely looking mid 90's green Nissan 200sx with L plates on.

It got me thinking is that:

1) Crazy ridiculous
2) Genius
3) Am I just jealous because I learnt in my dads F reg 1.3lx Nissan Sunny

I mean I see a lot of ridiculous cars with L plates on like new Mercedes ML's and just sneer with derision as it just seems ridiculous to learn in automatic behemoth like that. I mean what are you going to learn apart from maybe special awareness and a bunch load of bad habits.

But the 200sx was a 2 litre turbo rear wheel drive bundle of relatively powerful fun. I mean I don't know how you'd even insure a learner on it but what a great car to learn in.

Cars are my thing and I guess that car is from my childhood want list so I just don't see it for a learners/cheap way into motoring.

I'm confused... what will my son learn to drive in some 15 years in the future.

[Johnny 89]

I remember about 8 years ago that the 200sx was strangely affordable insurance wise for young drivers.

My L-Plate car and the one I passed my test in was a V6 Mazda MX-3. Not bad for a 17 year old.

[Moonpie21]

Nice, I liked that V6 MX-3 it was a little quirky, good for a first car in my books.

Out of the Nissan Sunny I worked hard and got a Suzuki Samurai 1.3 van body for my first car. It was awesome, went nowhere quick but was different to the clios and fiestas my friends had.

Maybe I will save my NA MX-5 for my son.

[RB Will]

House near me has a 66plate Audi S3 with L plates on thats not bad.

[caelite]

Local instructor here used to use an R56 Cooper S. Think he/she has moved onto a Citroën DS3 now.

[48Valves]

There used to be a driving instructor on my mates street who used a black Nova SRI. From the outside it was mint.

Probably not the most exotic but as a teenager of the 90's it was a car I wanted to own. And eventually did a couple of years later.

[Alex_225]

I can't recall seeing a car I'd really like as a learner car but have seen a few where I've thought was a stupid idea it is to try and learn in that car.

I'm sure I saw something like a Range Rover or similar SUV/4x4 with L plates on, not exactly ideal when you're still trying to get to grips with spacial awareness on the road.

[djdest]

I remember in the late 80's/early 90's in Peterborough there was a driving school called XR and all they had were XR3i's, the lessons with them were double what everyone else was charging!

[W99KSY]

Yesterday I saw a Tesla Model S covered in Learner school advertising and often see S3/Golf R's with student drivers - Zurich is like a different planet though!

[Moonpie21]

W99KSY said:

Yesterday I saw a Tesla Model S covered in Learner school advertising and often see S3/Golf R's with student drivers - Zurich is like a different planet though!

You'd have thought going EV they would have started with a Nissan Leaf and progressed to Model S. I really would like an s as a daily.

[ModernAndy]

Not fast or cool or anything like that but I loved learning to drive in my mum's Ford Transit.

[raceboy]

I'd be tempted to call 'Bulls***' on this one due to the 'L' not even being the right way round on the back, and sorry for the Daily Fail link but....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009641/L-...

[Martin typeR]

Many moons ago there was a driving instructor in my village with a fiesta RS turbo, it looked funny with the RS graphics down the side and the learner triangle on the roof

[HTP99]

ModernAndy said:

Not fast or cool or anything like that but I loved learning to drive in my mum's Ford Transit.

I think that is awsome.

I always a bit perplexed as to the cars that learners learn in now; they are modern with hill start assist, parking sensors, stop/start and if you stall it all you need to start it again is a quick prod of the clutch, they are too easy to drive.

Then the kids pass and go into a £500 KA with none of the above; I don't know what the answer is but it doesn't seem right to learn in something so modern when many start off in something so old.

Edited by HTP99 on Tuesday 21st February 12:23

[ModernAndy]

HTP99 said:

ModernAndy said:

Not fast or cool or anything like that but I loved learning to drive in my mum's Ford Transit.

I think that is awsome.

I always a bit perplexed as to the cars that learners learn in now; they are modern with hill start assist, parking sensors, stop/start and if you stall it all you need to start it again is a quick prod of the clutch, they are too easy to drive.

Then the kids pass and go into a £500 KA with none of the above; I don't know what the answer is but it doesn't seem right to learn in something so modern when many start off in something so old.

Edited by HTP99 on Tuesday 21st February 12:23

I'm with you on that. I drove a number of things before doing my test but the Transit in particular made you think a lot more about driving. There's a huge blindspot to your left so you need to be at a right angle to see down a road you're crossing, you needed to think ahead to keep the momentum up, the steering was over assisted and the pivot point was much different from a city car so you had to be a lot more careful with steering inputs, you had to be aware of van speed limits, you really had to use the mirrors properly to know what was behind you, etc.

t'was an excellent experience.

[jonwm]

Rags to riches family by me (small family business got huge contract with DFS) got their twin daughters Audi A1's brand new on their 17th birthdays, 1 black 1 red, S line specs neither has moved that I have seen since being delivered to the house last October.

On a side note, parents are hugely humble and down to earth, daughters are spoilt little *****

[Ste1987]

Bill Plant's fleet is just silly in general. I've also seen a Nissan Leaf being used as an instructor's car

[lufbramatt]

Moonpie21 said:

W99KSY said:

Yesterday I saw a Tesla Model S covered in Learner school advertising and often see S3/Golf R's with student drivers - Zurich is like a different planet though!

You'd have thought going EV they would have started with a Nissan Leaf and progressed to Model S. I really would like an s as a daily.

I get the impression that learning to drive in places like Switzerland and Germany is a lot more structured than it is here, with proper bricks and mortat driving schools with a fleet of cars rather than one man band operations. They often start off in something small for city driving and work up to bigger vehicles. When my wife was living in Germany you'd often see base spec Porsche 911s and Boxsters in driving school liveries for autobahn lessons.

[Davey S2]

My mate in college learnt to drive in a Ferrari Mondial.

There would usually be a few learner cars waiting outside the college late afternoon to take pupils on driving lessons, usual learner cars like Micras, fiestas etc.

My friends father was a car dealer and used to pull up in the Ferrari get out and slap L plates on it before my fiend drove home.

[snowandrocks]

I taught my gf to drive a couple of years back in a diesel 80 series Land Cruiser. We were given a really wide berth by other drivers but it was cheaper to insure than any of the other cars I had at the time.

I think it was actually beneficial, driving smoothly requires skillful use of the controls unlike a modern supermini and being able to parallel park a Land Cruiser means the Honda Accord estate that she chose as her first car is easy!