bolly girl

Bibs - The link doesn't appear to work

BingoKing - numpty question, how did you update the firmware etc?

Training a pup - loads of internet advice out there. My tip - crate the dog and timing. What goes in must come out and dogs don't like to mess in their dens (crate). Feed the dog and learn it's 'toilet' behaviour then you have a rough time from in to out. Next feed take him out at the right time, praise on production, play short time and then crate for rest. Wake dog up outside for production time, play and then crate etc etc. The crate is seen as a den and must NOT be used for punishment, it's a safe place to keep pup when you go out, it's a safe place to keep pups teeth away from your prized belongings. Next step - find a dog trainer appropriate to yours and your dogs needs ie pet, working or otherwise and get it started early on a structured life that gives you leadership status - NEVER EVER knock a dog back, there's no need with the right pack leadership skills. BTW: proud owner of an Irish Red Setter who was crate trained, toilet trained at 4months for the house, is gun dog retriever trained, has achieved Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold award status and won Best in show yesterday at a local dog show. He even has his own Facebook page (Irish Billy) - sad I know Enjoy your puppy - it is your responsibility to give it a good life

We're on our third Alpine at moment and just before it went back to the garage for the A/C fix it decided to lock onto a position that we had been sat outside with engine running for 10mins (friends house so knew where we were and so switched system off). Next day system required and it wouldn't unlock from previous 'holding fix' . Anyway, long story short no amount of 'messing' could resolve it and it went to garage for said AC fix and was there for nearly three weeks. On return Sat Nav worked beautifully - why???- but only for first hour of journey when battery promptly died on me - why???? - had taken portable out to use in other car. Had they disconnected the battery for three weeks I wonder or had it been left inadvertently 'on' inside the dash unit and the short journeys it made only enough to charge it for an hours worth? Our answer has now been to remove it from docking station and stash in glovebox for use only in event of being in Evora on a long journey, remove it at the end and ensure switched off manually - also, carry an old fashioned paper map!!

I'm 5'6" and have no problems fully depressing clutch on standard seat fittings. I would suggest though that the view from the seat is a little lower than you'd expect so maybe an 'adult' booster could help here.

The current anthracites may be replaced with black

Kerbed alloys!! - him indoors is taking it as an excuse to have them recoloured black, pending an executive board decision

1. Doors open very very very wide (nod to Beady) 2. I'm 5'6" and the seat is slid back all the way every time to get in/out 3. Always park at end of spaces to allow room for doors, 4x4 owners and avoid cars with rear child seats - if not go home 4. Garaging in double width garage helps tremendously with tight spaces 5. "Does my bum look big in this?", only in the wing mirrors - if you can reverse park into spaces you have no problem with width judgement The biggest inconvenience I'd say is the front overhang - many a time I've parked too far over a kerb to find I'm clearing it only by <1cm as the kerb slopes upwards only ever so slightly

Al - didn't realise you couldn't reset it, had already found this little screen of info when stuck on A1 having a fiddle as a passenger. Will have a look at ours later - just returned from the garage because it wouldn't give vision with moving map and to resolve another hard reset was completed - fingers crossed otherwise it's another replacement unit required.

Sorry - but that is pretty good acrobatics by your mum and had to titter, a little... Will try to post a photo tomorrow if I can get in there (the car that is) to make up for the laughter

Did it for a laugh - offered £38K for our lovely car What's yours...

Oddly enough I was at a car audio specialist the other day (sat nav broken .......again ) and mentioned this very problem. They were of the opinion that the lack of a solid base plate + fibre glass body negated any decent 'tracking/radio' reception, also that the Alpine unit isn't necessarily the best at coping with tracking of stations. Inserting a hidden aerial in the roof lining would not provide a workable solution, the only real resolution would be from a stonking aesthetically unappealing aerial bolted onto the external roof area. At this point I politely thanked them for their insight and said I'd live with the issue. In a nut shell - this problem cannot be resolved. Lotus HQ have it as a 'known' issue from day one, but have no immediate fix in the pipeline - if ever

Have spotted this car parked on the driveway of a house and wondered if anybody knew of it's lineage? Any takers? Have been very tempted to drop in on spec on more than one occasion

venevidivici - sorry to hear of your problem, I believe that your must be fairly unique since most owners have not had an electrical fault like yours. It appears that most of the earlier model faults appear to be the central door locking (thankfully resolved), although uniformly it is agreed the Alpine Unit is pants for radio reception. They work perfectly at the factory but not in the real world... Happy motoring

Buy it and never look back... Bought it and haven't looked back, despite a few niggles At 39 we could never have afforded it since we had just bought house, got married and had child - had to wait until the pennies accumulated again. Then we decided to do it before we got to looking too old to be driving that sort of car