M400 Track Day Outing
Discussion
Well, car serviced on Wednesday with usual efficiency, so was able to start to play...
Didn't take long, as Thursday was Brands GP. I now understand why Autocar made this their drivers car of the year - the thing is unbelievable.
Some highlights:
- Not being passed all day, apart from cooling down laps which don't count
- Keeping up with a 340R ALL the way round (he wouldn't move over and at the end was amazed I could follow him for over a lap and never move more that 20ft from his rear) - Oh, did I mention he was on SLICKS
- Passsing Paul in his Nitron'd and ZZR'd M12 - Paul's a good driver and when he asked how easy it was to pass him in the corners, I could only answer an honest "EASY", not due to my driving but because of the car. Always knew Lee's creation would be better than the aftermarket, but the difference was still staggering.
- Pick up and power is extreme, it just launches itself every time you press the throttle, which you can do as soon as you hit the apex.
- Being "saved" when I was convinced that I'd overcooked Druids (one of those oh its all going to end horribly moments), then just stayed on the power and the car just gripped and launched me down the road.
I could go on - indeed meant to publish a longer thread, but I've spent the rest of the weekend finding my favourite roads, and I've only just managed to peel the permanent grin of my face!
Truly, the M400 is great on the road, but on the track its EXCEPTIONAL.
I've off to sleep to dream of next weekend when I get to take it out again!!!!!
Scott.
Didn't take long, as Thursday was Brands GP. I now understand why Autocar made this their drivers car of the year - the thing is unbelievable.
Some highlights:
- Not being passed all day, apart from cooling down laps which don't count
- Keeping up with a 340R ALL the way round (he wouldn't move over and at the end was amazed I could follow him for over a lap and never move more that 20ft from his rear) - Oh, did I mention he was on SLICKS
- Passsing Paul in his Nitron'd and ZZR'd M12 - Paul's a good driver and when he asked how easy it was to pass him in the corners, I could only answer an honest "EASY", not due to my driving but because of the car. Always knew Lee's creation would be better than the aftermarket, but the difference was still staggering.
- Pick up and power is extreme, it just launches itself every time you press the throttle, which you can do as soon as you hit the apex.
- Being "saved" when I was convinced that I'd overcooked Druids (one of those oh its all going to end horribly moments), then just stayed on the power and the car just gripped and launched me down the road.
I could go on - indeed meant to publish a longer thread, but I've spent the rest of the weekend finding my favourite roads, and I've only just managed to peel the permanent grin of my face!
Truly, the M400 is great on the road, but on the track its EXCEPTIONAL.
I've off to sleep to dream of next weekend when I get to take it out again!!!!!
Scott.
Yep I'd agree with this. The M400 is astonishing. I posted this below to the Noble owners club list. I thought the grip levels were perhaps a little closer than Scott suggests but then I don't know how hard he was pushing. I was pretty much on the limit most of the time so it seems he had plenty in reserve as well as the extra 110 HP. Whatever it was he was away in the distance in no time whether "I follow you or you follow me". Trouble is we spent so much time comparing I didn't get to have a ride in it. A comparison on the Indy circuit will be interesting and help decide whether its grip + grunt or grunt alone. Now I'm back there on the 15th with Easytrack so who'll be there?
Paul C
Dear All,
I thought Vegantune deserved a dedicated vote of thanks so here’s what else happened at Brands today.
3 Nobles; my 2.5l (Nitrons & ZZRs), Nathan’s 3.0 and Scott’s M400.
Mine spent the morning up on jacks as you’ll read elsewhere. Nathan broke his front upright during the morning so really bad day for him.
That left Scott and I on the road for the afternoon. Scott’s is production M400 number 2? We compared. I think that there's probably little actual difference in pure grip levels, if there is its probably down to the ARB, I roll and he doesn’t. BUT his power advantage was enormous. I'm now regularly foot flat on the floor long before the exit of most if not all of the corners at Brands, my chassis can now take this due to the mods I’ve done but when it comes to putting down the power the M400’s got 110 more horses to put down. He thus exits faster and given just a few yards of straight is off into the distance. We did a back to back “I follow you, you follow me” and on both occasions he was off into the distance after only a couple of laps. I’d summarise with we've (probably) both got grip but he's got grip and grunt.
So my views on the M400 – it’s a stonker.
Regards
Paul C
Paul C
Dear All,
I thought Vegantune deserved a dedicated vote of thanks so here’s what else happened at Brands today.
3 Nobles; my 2.5l (Nitrons & ZZRs), Nathan’s 3.0 and Scott’s M400.
Mine spent the morning up on jacks as you’ll read elsewhere. Nathan broke his front upright during the morning so really bad day for him.
That left Scott and I on the road for the afternoon. Scott’s is production M400 number 2? We compared. I think that there's probably little actual difference in pure grip levels, if there is its probably down to the ARB, I roll and he doesn’t. BUT his power advantage was enormous. I'm now regularly foot flat on the floor long before the exit of most if not all of the corners at Brands, my chassis can now take this due to the mods I’ve done but when it comes to putting down the power the M400’s got 110 more horses to put down. He thus exits faster and given just a few yards of straight is off into the distance. We did a back to back “I follow you, you follow me” and on both occasions he was off into the distance after only a couple of laps. I’d summarise with we've (probably) both got grip but he's got grip and grunt.
So my views on the M400 – it’s a stonker.
Regards
Paul C
Dear All,
As Justin's list doesn't seem to be working here's the other mail I sent after thursday.
Paul C
Dear All,
Huge vote of thanks today to Vegantune.
Track day at Brands on the GP circuit.
07:00am Unlock garage, start car, drive off – grrrrrinnnnnndddddd from rear discs.
07:15am Divert to Mole Valley and wait for staff to arrive for work.
08:15am Go through their parts bin – only front pads (ps thanks for letting me in to rummage around).
08:45 get to Brands, Sinclaires are there to support SELOC but they must have a set of pads? – no.
09:00am phone calls to Mole Valley to get part number – Noble only number, not an AP part number. Ring factory but parts boys out buying parts!
09:30 Ring AP racing they identify part. They have 12 national distributors – none will stock as pads are only sold to Noble Leicester and to factory in SA. Eeek – prospect of track day from the pit lane looms. All seems lost.
10:00 am Ring Vegantune, “Ok we’ll sort something” – they get one of their guys to jump in his car and drive down a set of “used” pads that are to intents and purposes brand new (“used” turned out to mean they squeaked so the owner asked them to be changed) . “have them free, just give the lad some money for petrol” they say.
11:00am The car is up on Sinclaire’s jack with wheels off waiting for the pads.
11:30am the lad arrives – aged 82 years.
12 midday (after short wait in the queue for the jack to get car down) pads fitted and back on track again.
So day recovered and thanks to Vegantune and Sinclaires who got me back on the road. Thanks also to Mole and to the factory for trying their ends as well. This is the sort of support that makes a great car even greater.
Regards
Paul C
As Justin's list doesn't seem to be working here's the other mail I sent after thursday.
Paul C
Dear All,
Huge vote of thanks today to Vegantune.
Track day at Brands on the GP circuit.
07:00am Unlock garage, start car, drive off – grrrrrinnnnnndddddd from rear discs.
07:15am Divert to Mole Valley and wait for staff to arrive for work.
08:15am Go through their parts bin – only front pads (ps thanks for letting me in to rummage around).
08:45 get to Brands, Sinclaires are there to support SELOC but they must have a set of pads? – no.
09:00am phone calls to Mole Valley to get part number – Noble only number, not an AP part number. Ring factory but parts boys out buying parts!
09:30 Ring AP racing they identify part. They have 12 national distributors – none will stock as pads are only sold to Noble Leicester and to factory in SA. Eeek – prospect of track day from the pit lane looms. All seems lost.
10:00 am Ring Vegantune, “Ok we’ll sort something” – they get one of their guys to jump in his car and drive down a set of “used” pads that are to intents and purposes brand new (“used” turned out to mean they squeaked so the owner asked them to be changed) . “have them free, just give the lad some money for petrol” they say.
11:00am The car is up on Sinclaire’s jack with wheels off waiting for the pads.
11:30am the lad arrives – aged 82 years.
12 midday (after short wait in the queue for the jack to get car down) pads fitted and back on track again.
So day recovered and thanks to Vegantune and Sinclaires who got me back on the road. Thanks also to Mole and to the factory for trying their ends as well. This is the sort of support that makes a great car even greater.
Regards
Paul C
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