Blink and you'll miss it, mad 400 BHP M400
The shiniest Noble ever to take part, a M12 GTO-3R
A rare blue M400
A in-your face, bright red 3R
This car is simply covered in decalsTo see more gumball nobles from Top Trump packs see link below:
Monday, 31 January 2011
Having a ball: Nobles at the Gumball rally
The Gumball is a 7 day long drive across some of the world's greatest contries. It is full of glamour, style and Supercars, including Nobles, here are some.
Blink and you'll miss it, mad 400 BHP M400
The shiniest Noble ever to take part, a M12 GTO-3R
A rare blue M400
A in-your face, bright red 3R
This car is simply covered in decals
Blink and you'll miss it, mad 400 BHP M400 The shiniest Noble ever to take part, a M12 GTO-3RA rare blue M400A in-your face, bright red 3R This car is simply covered in decals
Sunday, 30 January 2011
A Murcielago, a M12 GTO and a F1 Champion...
...BUT WHICH WILL HE THINK IS BEST? (Click images to read)
Monday, 24 January 2011
Noble M600 to be at peter smith sportscars
Exciting, isn't it, the first M600 on sale, to find out more about peter smith sports cars, see link here: http://noblesportscars.blogspot.com/2010/12/places-where-you-will-be-able-to-buy.html
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Noble car review
In 2001, the Noble M12 had just been released, so Pistonheads decieded to test it, and, well they were rather impressed*
There's a danger that test driving any 300bhp car is going to impress and result in an outpouring of superlatives. Having driven the Noble M12, it's left me scouring the dictionary for a new lexicon to convey the greatness of this car. It is a stunning piece of machiney.
Stylistically it's a great improvement on the M10, which only sold in small numbers. It looks better from some angles than others, with the rear three-quarters in particular looking a little heavy, but overall it's a good looking and head-turning car.
Inside
Lowering yourself into the driver's seat, you're presented with a simple, different looking, yet well designed interior. A roll cage is integrated but thanks to good trimming is inconspicuous. Sat in the race-like seat, complete with optional harnesses, the controls fall easily to hand (steering column is adjustable for reach) and the minute you ease the clutch up and the throttle down, it becomes apparent how easy it is to drive. Unlike some other 300+ bhp cars, the clutch is light, the gear lever slots effortlessly into place and the car eases away without any drama or sense of weight.
That engine!
The engine tone is sporty and not harsh as you might expect given the power output. The Ford Duratec V6 hasn't been messed with dramatically, with most of the work on the internals consisting of strengthening the components. Then of course they added those two turbos. With the engine sat behind your head, you're very aware of its activities, yet with such pleasing tones it's not intrusive. The turbos sound gorgeous, not gasping or rasping but whooshing and whistling like they've got a huge pair of lungs. They're a delight to hear and no doubt owners will soon learn to play them with the throttle like they're musical instruments. Even at idle, the car sounds purposeful with a rortyness emanating from the short exhaust, hinting at what it's capable of.
Civilised
Like Lee Noble's previous creations, the M12 has a well deserved reputation for fine handling. The M12 is of course a fantastic track car, but how does it stand up to the daily grind on British roads? It compromises brilliantly. The lightweight controls and torquey yet free revving engine make this car an absolute breeze to drive in traffic. Crawling through jams in the M12 isn't the drama or effort that can be experienced in other supercars. The car will happily pull from 20mph in fourth gear. Whilst you're positioned quite low in the car, the view is good to the front and sides, although a little impeded at the rear by the spoiler.
Drawing Breath
After crawling through the traffic and hitting faster roads, once again it matters little what gear you're in. The accelerator has a long travel, but squeezing it a little forces the car to propel itself faster at quite a rate even before the turbos kick in. The 2.5 V6 would be fun enough in the 980 kilo car, but once those turbos start drawing breath from around 3,000rpm you rocket forwards, rapidly running out of road yet your foot has barely edged towards the carpet. As for the rev limiter, you'll never get there! British owners could well get frustrated looking for roads to enjoy this car on. The M12 is all about usable power, not outright power and as such feels even faster than the performance figures might suggest.
Back Roads
Hurtling through the Surrey lanes was an absolute joy. Direct, well balanced steering, coupled with a rigid chassis allow you to position the car easily on the road and flying over the undulating B roads proved just how capable the car is. No sparks, no grounding out, no bounce, just the right amount of give in the suspension and a wonderful sense of being at one with the car. There are few road going cars that can provide the sense of rigidity that the Noble does. Yet that rigidity hasn't compromised the ride.
The Open Road
Find yourself a sweeping A road and the car ably demonstrates it's wonderful balance. With no need to constantly swap gears to find the power, you can leave your hands clasping the wheel, guiding the car cross country in a rhythmic trance, engine and turbos singing away behind you in accompaniment.
Boring Practicalities
For many owners this will be their only car. Given the civilised nature of the car and the fact that much of it is based on Ford components, that shouldn't be a problem. However, the lack of storage space will niggle. With no space fore or aft, Noble have provided a range of bags that fix into various positions in the cockpit such as under your legs and behind the seats. Total space is equivalent to a couple of weekend bags but packing for the weekend will require more forethought and you'll have to go to Sainsbury's on your own. Air con will be provided and we suspect it will be badly needed in those few days of hot weather we get occasionally.
Other downsides? The radio is difficult to reach, there's no wind in the hair option and I can't afford one!
TVR and Lotus must sit up and take note of this car as it bridges the gap between the great power of the TVRs and the adept handling of the Lotuses. For enthusiasts seeking TVR levels of power and performance, but in a more friendly package this offers an alternative that didn't exist before.
Lotus owners are queuing up already to try it, either as the next step up from the Elise or as an alternative to the ever more vague promises for the M250. Lotus have some serious competition at last - and they're not ready.
Stylistically it's a great improvement on the M10, which only sold in small numbers. It looks better from some angles than others, with the rear three-quarters in particular looking a little heavy, but overall it's a good looking and head-turning car.
Inside
Lowering yourself into the driver's seat, you're presented with a simple, different looking, yet well designed interior. A roll cage is integrated but thanks to good trimming is inconspicuous. Sat in the race-like seat, complete with optional harnesses, the controls fall easily to hand (steering column is adjustable for reach) and the minute you ease the clutch up and the throttle down, it becomes apparent how easy it is to drive. Unlike some other 300+ bhp cars, the clutch is light, the gear lever slots effortlessly into place and the car eases away without any drama or sense of weight.
That engine!
The engine tone is sporty and not harsh as you might expect given the power output. The Ford Duratec V6 hasn't been messed with dramatically, with most of the work on the internals consisting of strengthening the components. Then of course they added those two turbos. With the engine sat behind your head, you're very aware of its activities, yet with such pleasing tones it's not intrusive. The turbos sound gorgeous, not gasping or rasping but whooshing and whistling like they've got a huge pair of lungs. They're a delight to hear and no doubt owners will soon learn to play them with the throttle like they're musical instruments. Even at idle, the car sounds purposeful with a rortyness emanating from the short exhaust, hinting at what it's capable of.
Civilised
Like Lee Noble's previous creations, the M12 has a well deserved reputation for fine handling. The M12 is of course a fantastic track car, but how does it stand up to the daily grind on British roads? It compromises brilliantly. The lightweight controls and torquey yet free revving engine make this car an absolute breeze to drive in traffic. Crawling through jams in the M12 isn't the drama or effort that can be experienced in other supercars. The car will happily pull from 20mph in fourth gear. Whilst you're positioned quite low in the car, the view is good to the front and sides, although a little impeded at the rear by the spoiler.
Drawing Breath
After crawling through the traffic and hitting faster roads, once again it matters little what gear you're in. The accelerator has a long travel, but squeezing it a little forces the car to propel itself faster at quite a rate even before the turbos kick in. The 2.5 V6 would be fun enough in the 980 kilo car, but once those turbos start drawing breath from around 3,000rpm you rocket forwards, rapidly running out of road yet your foot has barely edged towards the carpet. As for the rev limiter, you'll never get there! British owners could well get frustrated looking for roads to enjoy this car on. The M12 is all about usable power, not outright power and as such feels even faster than the performance figures might suggest.
Back Roads
Hurtling through the Surrey lanes was an absolute joy. Direct, well balanced steering, coupled with a rigid chassis allow you to position the car easily on the road and flying over the undulating B roads proved just how capable the car is. No sparks, no grounding out, no bounce, just the right amount of give in the suspension and a wonderful sense of being at one with the car. There are few road going cars that can provide the sense of rigidity that the Noble does. Yet that rigidity hasn't compromised the ride.
The Open Road
Find yourself a sweeping A road and the car ably demonstrates it's wonderful balance. With no need to constantly swap gears to find the power, you can leave your hands clasping the wheel, guiding the car cross country in a rhythmic trance, engine and turbos singing away behind you in accompaniment.
Boring Practicalities
For many owners this will be their only car. Given the civilised nature of the car and the fact that much of it is based on Ford components, that shouldn't be a problem. However, the lack of storage space will niggle. With no space fore or aft, Noble have provided a range of bags that fix into various positions in the cockpit such as under your legs and behind the seats. Total space is equivalent to a couple of weekend bags but packing for the weekend will require more forethought and you'll have to go to Sainsbury's on your own. Air con will be provided and we suspect it will be badly needed in those few days of hot weather we get occasionally.
Other downsides? The radio is difficult to reach, there's no wind in the hair option and I can't afford one!
TVR and Lotus must sit up and take note of this car as it bridges the gap between the great power of the TVRs and the adept handling of the Lotuses. For enthusiasts seeking TVR levels of power and performance, but in a more friendly package this offers an alternative that didn't exist before.
Lotus owners are queuing up already to try it, either as the next step up from the Elise or as an alternative to the ever more vague promises for the M250. Lotus have some serious competition at last - and they're not ready.
* I know, the image was small, but couldn't get it in bigger size,
Admin
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Latest noble pic
Possibly the coolest M400 around, owned by a guy who goes by the nickname of "Joust"
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Noble at PH/Autosport show
The NEC in Birmingham is massive, and it needs to be to hold all the cars and exhibitions that will be there this weekend, but the only cars we are interested in are the Nobles
This photo shows an early 2001 M12 GTO and a 2004 M12 3R, nice decals
An old favourite of Noble cars.blog was there, a superbly modified 2003 M12 GTO-3 with glorious orange paint.
This photo shows an early 2001 M12 GTO and a 2004 M12 3R, nice decals
An old favourite of Noble cars.blog was there, a superbly modified 2003 M12 GTO-3 with glorious orange paint.The star of the show was the first production M600, since the blue prototype was built 2 years ago the car has been fine tuned to make feel more of a complete package.
The interior received many comments about its amazing interior, almost Lamborghini-ish.
The car has been lightened by 80 KG, so more of that power can be used. The less weight likely means a higher top speed.
The interior received many comments about its amazing interior, almost Lamborghini-ish.
The car has been lightened by 80 KG, so more of that power can be used. The less weight likely means a higher top speed.Friday, 14 January 2011
Latest noble pic
The first production M600 that will be shown tomorrow at the PH autosport show along with other M12's
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Monday, 10 January 2011
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Saturday, 1 January 2011
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