If the car hasn't been started and it's in first shouldn't it stall when it starts (as that's what some cars with roughly the same power as the demo cars do), when I press the ignition on LFS the car starts regardless of what gear it's in. If it was in gear with the clutch disengaged then it should stall.

Autoclutch?

as said above check your autoclutch settings. car won't start for me in gear with clutch out.

Quote from Weasley123 :

If the car hasn't been started and it's in first shouldn't it stall when it starts (as that's what some cars with roughly the same power as the demo cars do), when I press the ignition on LFS the car starts regardless of what gear it's in. If it was in gear with the clutch disengaged then it should stall.

I think you mean engaged

I half-agree, I think that they should be able to start with the clutch partially released though. At the moment, the car dies unless you have the clutch 100% in.

I'd also like to see the button actually using the ignition, so that you could keep it held down to keep the starter motor turning. And then the starter motor could eventually die, or the battery could flatten (I believe nKP has something similar, but I've never played it). It's a bit advanced for LFS at the moment, however it would be a nice touch for the future

Indeed the battery is weak in nkp.

Like the others have already said, it will not start if you have the car in gear with the clutch released unless you have auto clutch on.

I usually have the car out of gear to make it easier to know what gear I'm in. I find it strange though as I test drove a car recently that wouldn't let me start it unless the clutch was in. Even out of gear I had to press it in. Of course I took my dads truck out before and scared myself half to death when I tried to start it in gear with no clutch.

I've never had problems starting cars with 1st gear engaged and using no clutch. When the clutch cable snaps or the clutch wont work, for whatever reason, starting the car comes natural. Sure it might be a bit jumpy at first, but it certainly doesn't stall