Anyone with experience of LHD cars on UK roads?
02-13-2006, 07:05 AM
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Anyone with experience of LHD cars on UK roads?
Does anyone have day to day experience of running a LHD car in the UK?
If so, how did you find it? Is visibility when overtaking a major issue? Is it just too much of a PITA to be worth considering?
The reason I ask is that I happened across one particular interesting 993 but it's left-hooker. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have looked twice at a LHD car, but it's not your run-of-the-mill car and has been tweaked quite substantially from stock, including having the 3.8 litre lump from the 993RS (the hardcore track version) dropped into it.
With the exception of a few laps on the track in a Diablo and in a Viper, I've never driven a LHD car before. I suppose I could adapt to changing gear with the "wrong" hand. What I wonder about however is just how much more difficult it would be to live with in terms of positioning on the road, visibility etc.
I'm aware of the impact on residuals and difficulty in shifting it on. I'm really just interested in first-hand experience of driving one on our roads.
(Idle curiosity more than anything else. I suspect it's not going to come to anything, but it's another thing to throw into the mix and consider.....)
If so, how did you find it? Is visibility when overtaking a major issue? Is it just too much of a PITA to be worth considering?
The reason I ask is that I happened across one particular interesting 993 but it's left-hooker. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have looked twice at a LHD car, but it's not your run-of-the-mill car and has been tweaked quite substantially from stock, including having the 3.8 litre lump from the 993RS (the hardcore track version) dropped into it.
With the exception of a few laps on the track in a Diablo and in a Viper, I've never driven a LHD car before. I suppose I could adapt to changing gear with the "wrong" hand. What I wonder about however is just how much more difficult it would be to live with in terms of positioning on the road, visibility etc.
I'm aware of the impact on residuals and difficulty in shifting it on. I'm really just interested in first-hand experience of driving one on our roads.
(Idle curiosity more than anything else. I suspect it's not going to come to anything, but it's another thing to throw into the mix and consider.....)
02-13-2006, 07:18 AM
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driven a few and my dad had a fiat barchetta which was lhd only. the overtaking thing isn't too bad if you do most of you driving on roads you know plus you can get extra mirrors which you can stick on to let you see past that. You quickly get used to changing gears with your right hand, and it is often a nicer drive as most european cars are primarily designed for lhd. Becomes a pain if you encounter a lot of ticket barriers and toll booths though (sometimes you don't have time to walk round put the ticket in and drive out) though you can usually reverse up to them. Drive throughs would be a pain too though not very many 911s cruise to mcdonalds 
02-13-2006, 07:18 AM
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Yeah, I had considered that, Ade.
It would be a weekend toy really, with a second car for more mundane journeys. I can't see me having to worry too much about parking it. Chances are 'Er Indoors would be with me in any event if I had to worry about grabbing a car park ticket.
It would be a weekend toy really, with a second car for more mundane journeys. I can't see me having to worry too much about parking it. Chances are 'Er Indoors would be with me in any event if I had to worry about grabbing a car park ticket.
02-13-2006, 07:22 AM
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Having driven RHD cars on the continent I found quick, 'opportunist' overtaking manoeuvres on busy smaller roads where difficult and one or 2 hastily aborted attempts resulted in my passenger not talking too me for significant periods of time............
02-13-2006, 07:26 AM
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How much do you trust Jenny?
She'll do most of the go/don't go decisions for you, as you won't be able to see much. My passenger a couple of years ago for Le Mans was very nervous and indecisive, leaving me stuck behind lorries etc. for large amounts of time - became a real PITA. In the end I just went unless he categorically stated not to.
As a weekend toy, it'll be B road blats you're after - LHD may turn out to be a real pain in the bum.
She'll do most of the go/don't go decisions for you, as you won't be able to see much. My passenger a couple of years ago for Le Mans was very nervous and indecisive, leaving me stuck behind lorries etc. for large amounts of time - became a real PITA. In the end I just went unless he categorically stated not to.
As a weekend toy, it'll be B road blats you're after - LHD may turn out to be a real pain in the bum.
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02-13-2006, 07:30 AM
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Mark, I think this one 'may' be our malehood senses overtaking again, trying to justify something we want so badly. 
Maybe a second car, but once the 'inital burst' of excitement has gone, the annoying things are going to build up, and LHD is gonna be a biggy! Not to mention the speeds you will be going at, the overtaking on back country lanes will be extra tricky I think.
I've taken a good look at some porkers this week, not for me, but just interests wise. I have to say 993 tubros are my favourite of them all. I know nothing about its performance but it just look so gorgeous. Even better looking than the new 997 IMHO.
Timeless...
Maybe a second car, but once the 'inital burst' of excitement has gone, the annoying things are going to build up, and LHD is gonna be a biggy! Not to mention the speeds you will be going at, the overtaking on back country lanes will be extra tricky I think.
I've taken a good look at some porkers this week, not for me, but just interests wise. I have to say 993 tubros are my favourite of them all. I know nothing about its performance but it just look so gorgeous. Even better looking than the new 997 IMHO.
Timeless...
02-13-2006, 07:38 AM
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With regards to overtaking. If you were to follow the correct rules for overtaking, it wouldn't make any difference with the "box" overtake. Also, with an RS engine in there, it would take pico seconds to overtake anyway. So it's going to be other concerns that I would concentrate on. I didn't find France to hard to overtake my S.
02-13-2006, 07:45 AM
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Originally Posted by MarkB,Feb 13 2006, 04:26 PM
How much do you trust Jenny?
Just kidding. I trust her implicitly. But it's a good point you make. I'm not sure how keen I would be to have to rely on someone else's judgment as a matter of course.
Mark, I think this one 'may' be our malehood senses overtaking again, trying to justify something we want so badly.
I agree entirely about the Turbo. They're safely outside my budget though so I don't dwell on them
