Lady Elanore

Funnily enough, I wondered about using an extreme ND filter to see the eclipse, but luckily remembered it didn't have any UV protection, so it would still have been potentially dangerous. I was surprised to see a chap on the BBC website saying he damaged his eyes in the last eclipse, looking at the sun through a welder's mask. I would have thought this would have been sufficient, but I've since read they aren't usually filtered enough. Something to do with a rating of 12 or above being needed (I assume this is pretty dark?)

They are worth quite a bit of money, those things. They look and sound tremendous on the rare occasion I've seen one. Well done to the owner for not parking it up in a garage as an investment

On my little A series (it has the current software for touch screen etc) you simply say the word "next track" and it skips. No " hey Mercedes" required. If your car is similar, there are several commands you can use with direct speech too

I had a colleague who had one of these. The engine sounded great and he loved everything about it....except it ate front tyres strangely enough. MB said they often do that. Something to do with the standard alignment (it hopped about at low speed, especially manoeuvring and in cold weather). In the end, he took it to an alignment specialist and they adjusted the car to what they considered a more 'sensible' set up and there was once more peace, in the world.

Maybe "one day in the not too distant future..." ...a man (or woman, it could be a woman) will put a V12 into one of these as a restomod. Happy times will ensue and a lot of spannering

Chris Harris and friends have had a drive in the car and seem genuinely impressed with it. I'm becoming excited that this once great British manufacturer may survive and produce cars worthy of the marque...even if they don't have proper engines

Funnily enough, I have a colleague who is trying to get out of his Taycan, but it is serious negative equity. I suggested that as it's a PCP he might be at the voluntary termination point. It turns out that unlike a personal PCP, the VT point of a business PCP is 85%! Who knew? He still had a good deal at the beginning as he offset his annual Corporation tax for that year, but it isn't going so well for him now. Mind you, it is a stunningly well-made car, even if it has been on the back of a low loader 5 times because of breakdowns. He would buy another he reckons. Obviously, this is utter madness, but there again, his brother buys Range Rovers and has had a similar success story with breakdowns and yet he too keeps buying Range Rovers

Lots of jorno's have now been in a late model prototype and even some have been in the virtually finished car. The one thing that is repeated is the ride is sublime and the car doesn't want for performance. Perhaps the Jag strengths of Power, handling and refinement are still alive. I certainly gives me a lot more hope for the brand than I had earlier, even if it won't sell that many in the UK

Palmer Motorsport McLaren Artura Apparently they take the hybriddiddy bit out first

I wouldn't say it has to be prestige. I've had a Hyundai Kona and a couple of Vitaras in recent history But I agree the Plymouth Speedbird spoiler is comical and if I was keeping the car, I'd have it replaced with the standard spec one. But seriously, the current deals on the A35 are strong (and non-negotiable). I did get an alleged ceramic detail and a full tank on delivery. The car isn't as well built inside as the M135, but it doesn't suffer from the weird FSD bouncy thing that the BMW has going on over lumpy roads. It feels like their boffins got their sums wrong. Having said that, the A35 ride is always busy and firm and feels like a sheepdog wanting to go chase some woolly friends around the place. It does have an amazing "ooooh" factor inside however and the economy on the motorway is better than my PHEV was when it had run out of charge (which was most of the time). The A35s downside (and also one of its strengths) is the way the suspension is bolted to the car (imho). It is very similar to the way BMW does its M cars; a lack of bushes, a shear panel (that's what the blurb says anyway) and a rear subframe bolted directly to the car (get me and my fancy car BS). It creates a lot of road noise and the spec I have is dropped 10mm further which not only gives the car a ground clearance similar to my F Type, but feels like it has compromised the travel of the springs, so much so, that a pothole is quite an adventure. Also, rubber band tyres probably don't help. But it is a long time since I had a proper hot hatch and at least for now, I'm enjoying the chuckability and terrier like approach to handling. And apart from the usual DCT crudeness as the car is coming to a stop and moving off again just as the car is about to come to rest, it is very quick and very smooth. The exhaust note is even quite nice and fruity, a rarity these days and funnily enough the car sounds better than the A45. One huge annoyance and It's not really directed at the A35 in particular, are the nanny systems. The beeps and bongs are ludicrous. Every time you set off you need to go to different menus to disable the speed limit warning, you can stop the bongs very easily as there is a permanent shortcut on the screen, but the speed sign on the dash and head-up display flashes constantly until it too is disabled. Also, the ruddy lane keeping assist resets every time you start the car! You can make shortcuts for things, but they aren't all in the same place....arghhhhh. But another plus is the inbuilt camera that looks for cars in front of you so it can adapt the headlight beam, can be used as a video recorder. You have to pay MB (its a retroactive thing surprisingly, done after I received the car) a bit of extra cash in order to access this function of course but it means no wires or obvious camera to be nicked, sitting on your windscreen. You do have to enable it every time you start (thank you EU nannies), but this can be done with a direct voice command if you like, as you don't even have to use the wake up phrase "hey mercedes". There are several of these 'Direct' phrases like "next track" "increase temperature" and so on. Makes things a little easier and so far works well and understands my accent. Funnily enough, when you increase the temp, the turbine air vents glow red and when you drop the temp, they glow blue Very silly but a nice touch. I had also looked at the Cupra Formentor and the Golf R, but they were out of my price league. So even though the A35 isn't quite the quickest kid on the block, it is great fun and I'm enjoying getting to grips with it.

That A35 is very pretty

A35 (with stupid big roof spoiler). A lot cheaper than the equivalent BMW, VW, Cupra, Audi. It's just a shame Skoda doesn't do a Vrs 4x4.

One of you is very close, probably the 8 speed is the giveaway? (and I suspect you are fully nerded up on these sorts of things). But it isn't a hyper hatch like the RS3/A45. Although given the choice between A45 and Vitara V12, I know which one I'd like to have a blast in. It isn't the i30 nice car though, that it is.

After 4 hours I got the car back. Not washed (I didn't want it washing, but they hadn't asked anyway). So a total of two visits and 6 hours waiting for a bit of plastic trim to be replaced (it is a bigger job than you might think). I've had a gentle but firm word, things will be 'forwarded,' the Sales manager has been strapped to the Rack, the Dealer Principle has been recalled from his around the world cruise and the Area Manager has been awakened from his cryo-sleep....or on the other hand, bugger-all has/will happen.

So far I've spent a total of 5 1/2 hours waiting in total for this bit of trim to be fixed!!!!!