autocar performance car of the year 2003
Discussion
anyone read this?
Its a good article but not too sure about some issues.
3R 10.2secs to 100mph? Im sure its faster considering the 2.5 litre did 9.4 when autocar tested it. 167 mph top speed seems quite low also, but who cares about something nobody will do! (well usually anyway)
Brakes didn't seem too good but neither did the Pagani's, that usually outbrakes 911 turbos easily, neither lateral g. How could it come 5th in styling, it is the best looking car I have ever seen. but obviously that just comes down to opinion.
How fast are m3 csl's? I knew they were fast but faster than a gt3 and the same as a noble in the dry? That shocked me.
Overall 4th is not a bad position, it did well to be in the mag.
Obviously I am being a little biased here and I can't just say that what autocar did was WRONG FULL STOP! However, some aspects did seem a little out of the ordinary, or less than what i thought the Noble was capable of.
What do you think?
Its a good article but not too sure about some issues.
3R 10.2secs to 100mph? Im sure its faster considering the 2.5 litre did 9.4 when autocar tested it. 167 mph top speed seems quite low also, but who cares about something nobody will do! (well usually anyway)
Brakes didn't seem too good but neither did the Pagani's, that usually outbrakes 911 turbos easily, neither lateral g. How could it come 5th in styling, it is the best looking car I have ever seen. but obviously that just comes down to opinion.
How fast are m3 csl's? I knew they were fast but faster than a gt3 and the same as a noble in the dry? That shocked me.
Overall 4th is not a bad position, it did well to be in the mag.
Obviously I am being a little biased here and I can't just say that what autocar did was WRONG FULL STOP! However, some aspects did seem a little out of the ordinary, or less than what i thought the Noble was capable of.
What do you think?
I was a bit confused with the 0-100 time as well, seen as just a few weeks earlier a 3R had done a 9.7 or something in the 0 - 100 - 0 challenge, and Lee had commented that that particular car was only putting out 300bhp - so unless this car also had some issues?? Lee??
Seems also that these days all manufacturers are sending their cars to magazines with trick tyres, nothing wrong with this, but maybe Lee should follow suit and specify some super sticky rubber for the M12 so it can be tested on an equal footing. SO3's really don't cut it when put up against Michelin Cup tyres!
Seems also that these days all manufacturers are sending their cars to magazines with trick tyres, nothing wrong with this, but maybe Lee should follow suit and specify some super sticky rubber for the M12 so it can be tested on an equal footing. SO3's really don't cut it when put up against Michelin Cup tyres!
I thought a few of the figures were a bit unusually poor, particularly the lateral g, where it has won previous shoot-outs by a country mile.
As you say the top speed is a moot point. The noble has the drag co-efficient of a boat anchor, so once past 140mph it gets pretty tough going
I've just come back from spanking the car cross country, so grinning from ear to ear. Only downer is the numpties who pull out without use of a mirror or even worse flash you for over taking when you've got enough room to overtake, turn around and do it again before they are anywhere near you
As you say the top speed is a moot point. The noble has the drag co-efficient of a boat anchor, so once past 140mph it gets pretty tough going
I've just come back from spanking the car cross country, so grinning from ear to ear. Only downer is the numpties who pull out without use of a mirror or even worse flash you for over taking when you've got enough room to overtake, turn around and do it again before they are anywhere near you
agreed - but the wet weather handling - awesome - I can concur from driving at Bruntingthorpe the other day in absolutly terential rain... My exige used to scare me in the wet (you'd be going backwards before you knew it - whereas the Noble gives you hours of warning before it comes unsettled.
DanH said:
These mag tests are hardly scientific. If you choose to live by them you'll get upset.
Anyone notice that on the track, they said that the steering could be more feelsome and then on the road they said it was amongst the best?
Has to be said that they rate it as the fourth best performance car in the world, though. Not bad for a company which has produced less cars than BMW do in a week!!
When Lee has built the image up beyond the "what make is that, mate?", maybe the Autocar staffers will remove their Porsche/BMW/Ferarri coloured spectacles and "see the light"!
TreVoR
Has to be said that they rate it as the fourth best performance car in the world, though. Not bad for a company which has produced less cars than BMW do in a week!!
When Lee has built the image up beyond the "what make is that, mate?", maybe the Autocar staffers will remove their Porsche/BMW/Ferarri coloured spectacles and "see the light"!
TreVoR
To be fair you all get hot and bothered because of the raw numbers.
I can tell you that the sensation of doing 0-100 in 11secs or 9secs doesn't really register. Then the whole method of testing could be less or more agressive depending upon how many miles the car needs to do after said test!!
Finally the M3 CSL only looks so good on paper because of the Michelin tyres it has fitted. Which in standing water are dangerous.
I can tell you that the sensation of doing 0-100 in 11secs or 9secs doesn't really register. Then the whole method of testing could be less or more agressive depending upon how many miles the car needs to do after said test!!
Finally the M3 CSL only looks so good on paper because of the Michelin tyres it has fitted. Which in standing water are dangerous.
Hardly think that Autocar can be accused of not seeing the light where Noble is concerned. The magazine has done more than most to put Noble on the map....
tjasper said:
Anyone notice that on the track, they said that the steering could be more feelsome and then on the road they said it was amongst the best?
Has to be said that they rate it as the fourth best performance car in the world, though. Not bad for a company which has produced less cars than BMW do in a week!!
When Lee has built the image up beyond the "what make is that, mate?", maybe the Autocar staffers will remove their Porsche/BMW/Ferarri coloured spectacles and "see the light"!
TreVoR
stuart_forrest said:Couldn't agree more Stuart - not sure where Trevor is coming from...
Hardly think that Autocar can be accused of not seeing the light where Noble is concerned. The magazine has done more than most to put Noble on the map....
Autocar has been one of the most gushing proponents of all things out of "Industrial Units in Leciester"(TM)! J
As you probably know, ambient temperature can have a power-sapping effect on turbocharged engines. When the accel runs were done, it was around 30 degrees and the car was already hot from being worked hard on the circuit just beforehand. Also, only three attempts were made to get the 0-100 time.
This was in stark contrast to Autocar's original road test of the GTO, when a time of 9.4 to 100mph was posted. The test was done during winter, with far cooler air temperatures that allowed the turbos to work at their best. And, as with any car that is figured for a road test, numerous runs would have been made to extract the best times. We're confident that when Autocar figure the 3R in the UK for a road test their times will improve.
As far as lateral gs were concerned in this test, bear in mind that every car that beat the Noble was on ultra-sticky cup tyres, whereas the 3R was on standard Bridgestone S0-3s. The Noble excelled on the wet handling circuit because of its excellent chassis balance and its tyre's ability to clear plenty of water - I went out in the GT3 and the Noble back to back, and the Porker had so much more understeer than the 3R, killing its performance. On the dry circuit, it was the Noble's huge mid-range torque - rather than its ultimate grip - that meant it still came second overall. Had it been on cup tyres.....
Another important factor was the surface, which was not particularly grippy compared to Rockingham's in-field (Handling Day) or Chobham (Grip Challenge).
Fourth Best Performance Car in the World. Pretty good, I reckon. But next year's car will win - just wait and see.
This was in stark contrast to Autocar's original road test of the GTO, when a time of 9.4 to 100mph was posted. The test was done during winter, with far cooler air temperatures that allowed the turbos to work at their best. And, as with any car that is figured for a road test, numerous runs would have been made to extract the best times. We're confident that when Autocar figure the 3R in the UK for a road test their times will improve.
As far as lateral gs were concerned in this test, bear in mind that every car that beat the Noble was on ultra-sticky cup tyres, whereas the 3R was on standard Bridgestone S0-3s. The Noble excelled on the wet handling circuit because of its excellent chassis balance and its tyre's ability to clear plenty of water - I went out in the GT3 and the Noble back to back, and the Porker had so much more understeer than the 3R, killing its performance. On the dry circuit, it was the Noble's huge mid-range torque - rather than its ultimate grip - that meant it still came second overall. Had it been on cup tyres.....
Another important factor was the surface, which was not particularly grippy compared to Rockingham's in-field (Handling Day) or Chobham (Grip Challenge).
Fourth Best Performance Car in the World. Pretty good, I reckon. But next year's car will win - just wait and see.
GTO 3R has just turned up in our car park. We've got it for the road test and my god it looks good in the flesh.....
visit our new website:
www.autocarmagazine.co.uk
visit our new website:
www.autocarmagazine.co.uk
stuart_forrest said:
visit our new website:
www.autocarmagazine.co.uk
At long last people! Welcome to the 21st Century.
Looks very nice - well done.
J
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