It was a beautiful day... M15 First Drive
Discussion
For those with limited time, I’ll keep it simple – the M15 is an epic, epic car.
For those that want to know more, please read on – I make no apologies for the length and gushing nature of this, but having had the privelege of being the first one outside the factory to drive the M15 (yep, the proper chassis, body, engine and all, not the mule!) I need to share...
I’ve had the original M12 2.5 (chassis #18), then the 3R, and lastly the M400 which had to be the finest drivers car I’ve ever experienced. Every one has been ordered as soon as I stepped from a run in Lee’s prototypes. The M14/M15 was different as to me it promised exactly what I wanted, looks (yeh, I did actually like it), power/torque, and improved refinement – so I ordered it with no experience of actually driving it.
So today (with a little time on my hands and driving down the M40) thought I’d give the factory a call and stop by to see progress... got through to Lee himself and he said yeh, come in and have a look. When I got there he simply gave me the keys and said let’s go for a drive. It was a beautiful day from then on; I was grinning from ear to ear, though I did have to concentrate as I didn’t want to bin Lee’s pride and joy in a field in Barwell...
As aways, Lee was very keen on feedback from the target customer base, and as you’ll see from the pictures below, he does actually listen as the car has been changed somewhat based on the feedback on PH. So well done, and keep the comments coming (though be nice!). Having driven it, I couldn’t really find much to complain about, but Lee reckons there still a lot of improvements to come... me, I just wanted to take it home!!
Exterior Mods
Well, we asked for it! Not the final version, and still in matt black (car will be repainted before Motorshow, and all black bits will be body-coloured).
For me, the car is one of the most striking I’ve seen. I’ll be having it in black, and I think it will look very aggressive and purposeful. Have to say it doesn’t photograph as well as it looks in the flesh, though I’ve tried to capture some pictures with normal cars in the background (e.g. my Golf GTI), to give it some more perspective. The magazine pictures (and press photos) have done it no favours – get yourself down to the motorshow and see it in the flesh and I’m sure you’ll be convinced. Really it’s not that much bigger than an M12 and it feels tight and compact, just the right size for UK roads.
Take a look at the pictures below, you’ll see a few things have changed, particularly around the rear. Basically, the square plate on the M15 was a bit of a screw-up and Lee always intended the centre part to be able to fit the number plate – now it does, and it looks a lot meaner for it. There will be mesh to hide the transmission and silencer boxes and the diffuser has still to be reshaped.
From the side, the twin strakes through the side intake and bodywork behind the side window has been cleaned up, and to me, made simpler and cleaner for it. Much more integrated and doesn’t distract from overall profile of the car as it did. And then to the rear three quarters... personally I didn’t have that much of a problem with it before, but the wheel arch has been reprofiled (basically the wheel arch apeture is now wider). Have to admit it looks better now, and the tyre:wheel arch gap is more even front to rear – which has softened the visual impact of the larger tyre profile at the rear.
Otherwise, it’s minor things: gap behind front wheel clam and front edge of the door has been filled in (to stop stone chips up side of car), rear view mirrors have been raised (helps rear visibility a lot), and the wheels are now 5 stud (though those pictured aren't the final article).
Interior
Not a massive change in here, so just some comments on how it works as you are driving. There is a lot more space in this compared to the M12. I know it is only a few inches in reality, but the way the cabin is shaped, there is a lot more room to play with. The lower and narrower central console makes getting comfortable behind the wheel a lot easier (always found my knee in the way when doing a tight left in the M400), and undoubtedly the adjustable steering wheel helps.
Could do with some ability to tilt the seat back as I was slightly upright, but Lee reckons this could be done, as could shortening the rear view mirror stalk to put mirror closer to roof (improving gap between top of dash and bottom of mirror so you can see more as you take sweeping left curves). That is the extent of my criticism of the interior by the way!
The rest of it just works. Air con is actually able to freeze you (it wasn’t on lowest setting either), and the vents are well positioned. Seats are massively comfortable, hand-brake and seat belts take a little getting used to but actually do improve liveability in it. View to the rear is actually not too bad (thanks to moved mirrors that are very stable). Electric windows work well, and have a “wow” factor in how they open. All the switches are easy to hand, and there was no glare down on the instruments pach (I had thought the dash would need a cowl to keep sun off the speedo/rev counter, but no).
As for the speedo/rev counter, they are now black, rather than silver framed, which helps a lot, and makes the dash look more joined up for some reason. Lee tells me that the rev counter still does the blue/pink/red stuff, but to be honest, every time I floored it today I had to look forwards not down at the instruments – frightening, but more below.
Driving Impressions
Let’s start with a reality check. This was a one-off prototype, it was 4pm on a Friday and the roads were busy. I was driving and had Lee in the passenger seat. I wasn’t about to thrash the nuts off his car, but there was the odd occasion where we were able to stetch its legs and increase the “units” by which any progress in a Noble should be measured (for those looking for the reference to Noble “units” you’ll need to dig in the archives for a Noble run to Donnington a few years back, and one Mr Goodlife).
So it was a perfect opportunity to talk about refinement with Lee. At close to one unit, there is virtually no noise, and you can have a normal conversation with no need to raise voices. Indeed speeds crept close to 1.5 units at times without noticing it, as the car is deceptively good at making progress without really trying. Ride is exceptionally supple – I couldn’t believe how good it was, but I took my Golf GTI down the same roads later on, and the M15 had it beaten on ride comfort – it’s closer to my 5 series BMW to be fair.
The gearbox is very good, but then I thought that of the M400 shift as well. Lee says there’s a lot less metal to metal going on under the lever and therefore is more civilised, all I can say is it went where I wanted it to, though reverse caught me out a couple of times – as did the clutch. To deal with all the power, Lee has fitted a three plate clutch, and it is quite different to pull away in. You need to feed in the power as you let the clutch out for the first half of the travel, then its easier to just pop out the last half to avoid juddering. Took a little while to get the hang of (and a stall!), but after 30 minutes it was second nature.
I didn’t push the handling due to number of cars on the road, but the M15 did steer beautifully (somehow more mature than the M400), and it flowed from corner to corner. Lee reckons he is quicker than an M400 round a track in the M15 (on road tyres), so I’m assuming that means the handling will be sorted!!
And so to the point where the road opens up... engine note gets a lot more interesting at over 4000rpm and full load. I wouldn’t call it deafening, but the car seems to come alive and catapult you down the road. For all the fans of the original 2.5 – the whooshes are back!!! I loved the chatter from the turbos when you back offed in the 2.5s, and when you lift in the M15 you can still hear the DNA of the Noble cars shining through. It’s not there all the time, but when you want it it is, not that you ever feel like you want to lift off – it’s too additive!! If you need to pass a line of cars, I can see the M15 being the weapon of choice – it picks up speed like a superbike.
Acceleration is fairly brutal in-gear, and I can see it posting some great 0-60, 0-100 and 50-70 times. The 3.3sec 0-60 is accurate, measured on the mule and Lee doesn’t think they’ll be too far off this with the real car, so I expect the sub 4 sec is a bit of an understatement.
I can’t see you needing any more power in a road-car than this (but I thought that of the M400) and I’m sure the M15 will be one of the most potent cross country devices available, as it’s the right size and responds exactly as you want it, and has all that power available to the right foot.
Closing Impressions
Sutcliffe (in Autocar) started with a question of whether the M15 was worth £75k, and in the end said it’d be worth double and then some based on the experience he had of the mule, though caveated it with need to see/feel the final car. Well, having driven a version that is one step closer to the real thing, I fully understand what he was trying to say. It is better than a Aston V8, Gallardo, and 911, all of which I’ve driven recently. Noble is now able to compete with the “big” boys, and David just got a grenade to go with his sling... the Goliaths don’t stand a chance!
More importantly for the Nobility (don’t flame me here) the M15 makes an M400 seem a little lacking (and I reckon that view was shared by my passenger today, though he couldn’t possible say
). It is that good, that EPIC. Lee hasn’t just built a better car, he’s built a MASTERPIECE. 
And the final thing, that maybe makes Noble what it is more that anything else, you leave every time feeling that Lee is driven by passion to do things better, that he really cares... about the cars and his customers.
That’s it for now... other than to say, I really want another go!!!
Scott
For those that want to know more, please read on – I make no apologies for the length and gushing nature of this, but having had the privelege of being the first one outside the factory to drive the M15 (yep, the proper chassis, body, engine and all, not the mule!) I need to share...
I’ve had the original M12 2.5 (chassis #18), then the 3R, and lastly the M400 which had to be the finest drivers car I’ve ever experienced. Every one has been ordered as soon as I stepped from a run in Lee’s prototypes. The M14/M15 was different as to me it promised exactly what I wanted, looks (yeh, I did actually like it), power/torque, and improved refinement – so I ordered it with no experience of actually driving it.
So today (with a little time on my hands and driving down the M40) thought I’d give the factory a call and stop by to see progress... got through to Lee himself and he said yeh, come in and have a look. When I got there he simply gave me the keys and said let’s go for a drive. It was a beautiful day from then on; I was grinning from ear to ear, though I did have to concentrate as I didn’t want to bin Lee’s pride and joy in a field in Barwell...
As aways, Lee was very keen on feedback from the target customer base, and as you’ll see from the pictures below, he does actually listen as the car has been changed somewhat based on the feedback on PH. So well done, and keep the comments coming (though be nice!). Having driven it, I couldn’t really find much to complain about, but Lee reckons there still a lot of improvements to come... me, I just wanted to take it home!!
Exterior Mods
Well, we asked for it! Not the final version, and still in matt black (car will be repainted before Motorshow, and all black bits will be body-coloured).
For me, the car is one of the most striking I’ve seen. I’ll be having it in black, and I think it will look very aggressive and purposeful. Have to say it doesn’t photograph as well as it looks in the flesh, though I’ve tried to capture some pictures with normal cars in the background (e.g. my Golf GTI), to give it some more perspective. The magazine pictures (and press photos) have done it no favours – get yourself down to the motorshow and see it in the flesh and I’m sure you’ll be convinced. Really it’s not that much bigger than an M12 and it feels tight and compact, just the right size for UK roads.
Take a look at the pictures below, you’ll see a few things have changed, particularly around the rear. Basically, the square plate on the M15 was a bit of a screw-up and Lee always intended the centre part to be able to fit the number plate – now it does, and it looks a lot meaner for it. There will be mesh to hide the transmission and silencer boxes and the diffuser has still to be reshaped.
From the side, the twin strakes through the side intake and bodywork behind the side window has been cleaned up, and to me, made simpler and cleaner for it. Much more integrated and doesn’t distract from overall profile of the car as it did. And then to the rear three quarters... personally I didn’t have that much of a problem with it before, but the wheel arch has been reprofiled (basically the wheel arch apeture is now wider). Have to admit it looks better now, and the tyre:wheel arch gap is more even front to rear – which has softened the visual impact of the larger tyre profile at the rear.
Otherwise, it’s minor things: gap behind front wheel clam and front edge of the door has been filled in (to stop stone chips up side of car), rear view mirrors have been raised (helps rear visibility a lot), and the wheels are now 5 stud (though those pictured aren't the final article).
Interior
Not a massive change in here, so just some comments on how it works as you are driving. There is a lot more space in this compared to the M12. I know it is only a few inches in reality, but the way the cabin is shaped, there is a lot more room to play with. The lower and narrower central console makes getting comfortable behind the wheel a lot easier (always found my knee in the way when doing a tight left in the M400), and undoubtedly the adjustable steering wheel helps.
Could do with some ability to tilt the seat back as I was slightly upright, but Lee reckons this could be done, as could shortening the rear view mirror stalk to put mirror closer to roof (improving gap between top of dash and bottom of mirror so you can see more as you take sweeping left curves). That is the extent of my criticism of the interior by the way!
The rest of it just works. Air con is actually able to freeze you (it wasn’t on lowest setting either), and the vents are well positioned. Seats are massively comfortable, hand-brake and seat belts take a little getting used to but actually do improve liveability in it. View to the rear is actually not too bad (thanks to moved mirrors that are very stable). Electric windows work well, and have a “wow” factor in how they open. All the switches are easy to hand, and there was no glare down on the instruments pach (I had thought the dash would need a cowl to keep sun off the speedo/rev counter, but no).
As for the speedo/rev counter, they are now black, rather than silver framed, which helps a lot, and makes the dash look more joined up for some reason. Lee tells me that the rev counter still does the blue/pink/red stuff, but to be honest, every time I floored it today I had to look forwards not down at the instruments – frightening, but more below.
Driving Impressions
Let’s start with a reality check. This was a one-off prototype, it was 4pm on a Friday and the roads were busy. I was driving and had Lee in the passenger seat. I wasn’t about to thrash the nuts off his car, but there was the odd occasion where we were able to stetch its legs and increase the “units” by which any progress in a Noble should be measured (for those looking for the reference to Noble “units” you’ll need to dig in the archives for a Noble run to Donnington a few years back, and one Mr Goodlife).
So it was a perfect opportunity to talk about refinement with Lee. At close to one unit, there is virtually no noise, and you can have a normal conversation with no need to raise voices. Indeed speeds crept close to 1.5 units at times without noticing it, as the car is deceptively good at making progress without really trying. Ride is exceptionally supple – I couldn’t believe how good it was, but I took my Golf GTI down the same roads later on, and the M15 had it beaten on ride comfort – it’s closer to my 5 series BMW to be fair.
The gearbox is very good, but then I thought that of the M400 shift as well. Lee says there’s a lot less metal to metal going on under the lever and therefore is more civilised, all I can say is it went where I wanted it to, though reverse caught me out a couple of times – as did the clutch. To deal with all the power, Lee has fitted a three plate clutch, and it is quite different to pull away in. You need to feed in the power as you let the clutch out for the first half of the travel, then its easier to just pop out the last half to avoid juddering. Took a little while to get the hang of (and a stall!), but after 30 minutes it was second nature.
I didn’t push the handling due to number of cars on the road, but the M15 did steer beautifully (somehow more mature than the M400), and it flowed from corner to corner. Lee reckons he is quicker than an M400 round a track in the M15 (on road tyres), so I’m assuming that means the handling will be sorted!!
And so to the point where the road opens up... engine note gets a lot more interesting at over 4000rpm and full load. I wouldn’t call it deafening, but the car seems to come alive and catapult you down the road. For all the fans of the original 2.5 – the whooshes are back!!! I loved the chatter from the turbos when you back offed in the 2.5s, and when you lift in the M15 you can still hear the DNA of the Noble cars shining through. It’s not there all the time, but when you want it it is, not that you ever feel like you want to lift off – it’s too additive!! If you need to pass a line of cars, I can see the M15 being the weapon of choice – it picks up speed like a superbike.
Acceleration is fairly brutal in-gear, and I can see it posting some great 0-60, 0-100 and 50-70 times. The 3.3sec 0-60 is accurate, measured on the mule and Lee doesn’t think they’ll be too far off this with the real car, so I expect the sub 4 sec is a bit of an understatement.
I can’t see you needing any more power in a road-car than this (but I thought that of the M400) and I’m sure the M15 will be one of the most potent cross country devices available, as it’s the right size and responds exactly as you want it, and has all that power available to the right foot.
Closing Impressions
Sutcliffe (in Autocar) started with a question of whether the M15 was worth £75k, and in the end said it’d be worth double and then some based on the experience he had of the mule, though caveated it with need to see/feel the final car. Well, having driven a version that is one step closer to the real thing, I fully understand what he was trying to say. It is better than a Aston V8, Gallardo, and 911, all of which I’ve driven recently. Noble is now able to compete with the “big” boys, and David just got a grenade to go with his sling... the Goliaths don’t stand a chance!
More importantly for the Nobility (don’t flame me here) the M15 makes an M400 seem a little lacking (and I reckon that view was shared by my passenger today, though he couldn’t possible say
). It is that good, that EPIC. Lee hasn’t just built a better car, he’s built a MASTERPIECE. And the final thing, that maybe makes Noble what it is more that anything else, you leave every time feeling that Lee is driven by passion to do things better, that he really cares... about the cars and his customers.
That’s it for now... other than to say, I really want another go!!!
Scott
Edited by slogan on Saturday 24th June 00:43
Edited by slogan on Saturday 24th June 00:57
WOW that is a big improvent, looks so much smoother from the doors back. How refreshing to find a manufacturer who actually listens to it's customers. Thanks for the great writeup! Looks like the changes are a big improvement, makes the rear of the car look more mature. Still not a fan of those tail lights. I thinkit would look better if they black portions were color coded, or just rip off ferrari or lotus. What is the wow-factor with the windows?
And... what the heck are those black boxes on either side of the engine compartment? Air to water aftercoolers? Cant see the air to air ones that were there before.
And... what the heck are those black boxes on either side of the engine compartment? Air to water aftercoolers? Cant see the air to air ones that were there before.
Edited by brav on Saturday 24th June 04:24
Great write-up and you are indeed a lucky, lucky, ...
Of course this is a hugely subjective thing so please don't shoot me for this, but I think the some of the design alterations have taken the car in the wrong direction. The mirrors look great and the rear-end is a small improvement, but I really LIKED the double-strakes behind the side windows (reflected in the lower air-vents) and the "remodelling" of the rear arch has done very little to change the overall asthetic.
Don't get me wrong, I do buy the "better in the flesh" thing and I'm sure it is an epic drive, but with a bit more cohesive styling it could be great. A masterpiece to drive, maybe, but to look at it still could have been painted by an elephant with a stick. OK, that was a bit harsh
Love the comment about "David being given a grenade to go with his sling", absolutely spot-on!
Of course this is a hugely subjective thing so please don't shoot me for this, but I think the some of the design alterations have taken the car in the wrong direction. The mirrors look great and the rear-end is a small improvement, but I really LIKED the double-strakes behind the side windows (reflected in the lower air-vents) and the "remodelling" of the rear arch has done very little to change the overall asthetic.
Don't get me wrong, I do buy the "better in the flesh" thing and I'm sure it is an epic drive, but with a bit more cohesive styling it could be great. A masterpiece to drive, maybe, but to look at it still could have been painted by an elephant with a stick. OK, that was a bit harsh
Love the comment about "David being given a grenade to go with his sling", absolutely spot-on!
Overall I love the look of the car, but have to agree that the loss of the slats behind the side window is a negative. If Noble are going to go that route, then replace that area with a small window as in the M12/400. Given the absence of glass, there's no way that the rearward visibility of the M15 can compare favorably (favourably) with that of the M12/400.
He's obviously never going to please everyone but I think the changes are all in the right direction. Obviously it will look different when painted but well done Lee and the factory. It does sound like a truly fantastic car and its going to eat its target market for breakfast. Rollover 911.
Lee, when you going to race it?
Regards
PauL C
Lee, when you going to race it?
Regards
PauL C
seeing the first pictures of it some months ago, "i didn't get it" now seeing this I do, what an awseome looking car. The only thing i feel is missing is dressing the engine up a little and tidying it up back there. A factory wire tuck and a lick of detailling in there would be the icing on the cake. I hope to see these on the road in Australia very soon!
Great write up Scott. I like this car for all sorts of reasons not least the David v Goliath thing. Am I correct in thinking the output is 450bhp but that the new gearbox could take more?
Personally I'd like to see the car fully colour coded, mesh included. This extends the 'DNA' line back to the M10 which on mine has blue mesh to match the car. I'm not a big fan of the design of the back end but, to be frank, it doesn't really matter. If the car drives as well as all the initial impressions suggest, then one day I'll be in the queue. (I think the missus knows its inevitable at some point.)
At a time when comptetitors appear to be stalling (TVR - whats going on? Lotus - taking too long to bring in the Esprit replacement) it is important for Noble to get this car established in the market place. As to the Ferrari's, Lambos & Porsche's of this world,they are all in danger of losing market share. But, a racing pedigree for this car is essential, expensive though that will be. Lets hope we see it at Le Mans some time soon.
Personally I'd like to see the car fully colour coded, mesh included. This extends the 'DNA' line back to the M10 which on mine has blue mesh to match the car. I'm not a big fan of the design of the back end but, to be frank, it doesn't really matter. If the car drives as well as all the initial impressions suggest, then one day I'll be in the queue. (I think the missus knows its inevitable at some point.)
At a time when comptetitors appear to be stalling (TVR - whats going on? Lotus - taking too long to bring in the Esprit replacement) it is important for Noble to get this car established in the market place. As to the Ferrari's, Lambos & Porsche's of this world,they are all in danger of losing market share. But, a racing pedigree for this car is essential, expensive though that will be. Lets hope we see it at Le Mans some time soon.
Maybe I need to start a new thread 'Wife for Sale - one careful owner, never raced or rallied'. That sort of thing. When we went to see the M15 at NobleLondon the missus loved it and was all for it buying it there and then (even after I pointed out that it couldn't actually go anywhere under it's own steam). Me, it just didn't push the right buttons.
goodlife said:
Hi Scott, You lucky, lucky b'tard!
Great write up. I feel the urge getting stronger and stronger but must...resist...
Mrs goodlife would kill me
Great write up. I feel the urge getting stronger and stronger but must...resist...
Mrs goodlife would kill me
A fine bottle of the best franch wine should pacify her.
Thanks for your hospitality by the way. Had a fantsatic time and what a great trick getting J to cook the food.
Go for it
brav said:
Thanks for the great writeup! Looks like the changes are a big improvement, makes the rear of the car look more mature. Still not a fan of those tail lights. I thinkit would look better if they black portions were color coded, or just rip off ferrari or lotus. What is the wow-factor with the windows?
And... what the heck are those black boxes on either side of the engine compartment? Air to water aftercoolers? Cant see the air to air ones that were there before.
And... what the heck are those black boxes on either side of the engine compartment? Air to water aftercoolers? Cant see the air to air ones that were there before.
Edited by brav on Saturday 24th June 04:24
Those look to be the fuel tanks? Notice the fuel filler caps on each side of the car.
Wow, there have been some pretty big changes then! Can't wait to see it at the motor show now! 
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