A learner driver spotted behind the wheel of a Lamborghini with a price tag upwards of $900,000 has sparked an uproar online, with bystanders claiming the young motorist was driving the supercar home from school.
The teenager was photographed driving a 2015 black Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV along Melbourne's Eastern Freeway last Friday afternoon, much to the disbelief of fellow motorists.
A snap of the supercar with a yellow L-plate tacked onto its rear was shared to the Facebook page Melbourne Car Spotters, a popular car-spotting community group. Captioning the pic, the page's administrator wrote: "This Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV was spotted yesterday afternoon being driven by a 16-year-old after school pickup."
It didn't take long for the snap to cause a commotion among dismayed motorheads in the comments section, with many arguing that a learner driver doesn't have the skills or experience to safely drive a supercar.
In the Australian state of Victoria, learners are permitted to drive high-powered vehicles, such as a Lamborghini, as long as they are accompanied by a fully licensed supervisor. However, those on their P plates, or probationary licence, are not legally allowed to drive high-powered cars, such as models with engines larger than a V6 or cars with a turbo or supercharger.
"This blows my mind! P-platers are restricted from high powered vehicles, but because you're supervised as a learner it's ok to be given the feeling of the power! Ludicrous," one person commented.
"It's miles beyond their abilities and even adults with years of driving are regularly seen on social media having huge crashes," said another.
"That is ridiculous, an L-plater - who basically is a person that doesn't know how to drive or control a car properly - can drive anything, but a P-plater who has a licence and is a better driver than a L-plater can't drive some normal basic V8 and some turbo cars. Absolute joke," a third weighed in.
Others applauded the young driver for taking the wheel and shared their own stories of learning in their parents' powerful cars, with one woman writing: "Absolutely love this! I learned in a Rolls Royce, Merc, Porsche & Beemer… but our Ferrari was off limits. My kids in a Range Rover and a Merc. It is what it is."
The 2015 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV has a V12 engine with 750 horsepower, a top speed of more than 350 km/h and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. Its estimated price is over AU$880,000, or about NZ$950,000.
