Noble - a French view. Sport Auto article.
Discussion
As discussed elsewhere on the forum, I have translated an article that appears in this month's Sport Auto mag. I hope PH'ers enjoy a view from across the Channel.
(Comments marked "J:" are mine)
The Noble M12 is widely talked about in Great Britain. No “Sports Car of the Year” competition is without it making an appearance. No sports car has been left unchallenged. In England our brothers in the specialist press compare the Noble (with figures to support their case) to the Pagani Zonda and the Ferrari Challenge Stradale. So pure chauvinism or real hidden talent?
At first sight you could be tempted to consider the M12GTO as one of those UFO’s made in tiny numbers by screwdriver in a disused hangar in Greater London. That’s not the case, there’s nothing to choose between the Noble workshops (50km north of Birmingham) and those of TVR; the production is around 200 units per annum. The constructor is even finalising a convertible that it would like to export with the coupe. But before being sold in France, the Noble must be submitted for European homologation. Much work is ahead.
You cannot say that the Noble is beautiful or particularly impressive. It doesn’t overflow with finesse, with its overloaded rear bonnet, and the profile of its comma-shaped (J: I hadn’t seen that – but it’s there!). The line is certainly squat but too flat to arouse wonder. Nothing in comparison with the sulphurous beauty of a TVR Cerbera or the pretty little face a Lotus Elise. The same applies to the interior where the presentation is less original than the TVR’s and the atmosphere less hi-tech than the Lotus. The habitability is very correct for a car of this kind and the finish witness to undoubted quality. You find this throughout the entire assembly, from the engine/chassis combination to the Alcantara upholstered rollcage. And to add a touch of the exotic, let’s point out that chassis is conceived and built in South Africa before being repatriated to England.
The mechanical base, implanted transversally behind the seats, is borrowed from Ford. It’s a 3 litre V6 comparable to that of the Mondeo ST220 (226bhp). The difference is that Noble grafts on two turbochargers. The distribution is, of course, well thought out – provided by four camshafts and 24 valves, whilst the two Garrett turbo’s are water cooled. On top an air/air exchanger (J: my mechanical knowledge is not up to a full translation here!) guarantees a constant output. With such a whip, the maximum torque explodes: 48.4 mkg at 3500rpm! Equally the power climbs like a shot, with 352 bhp at 6200rpm. These figures are comparable to those of a Mercedes SLK32AMG, whose supercharged 3.2 litre V6 posts 354 bhp at 6200rpm and 45.9mkg at 4400rpm. In short this kind of power would be enough to catapult any chubby large saloon. It’s just the opposite of the GTO3R which claims only 1080kg. For you to glance at a list of lightweight super sports cars, we find the Ferrari Challenge Stradale weighs in at 1393kg, a Porsche GT3 at 1432kg, and a BMW M3CSL at 1475kg. If we believe the manufacturer the weight to power ratio will be less than 3.10kg/bhp (it’s here that we should note that we say power to weight ratio, for the French less is best!). Even a Donkervoort D8 180bhp (J:a magnificent Dutch Caterham-alike, comparisons are made later in the article) with 3.45kg/bhp cannoy bear comparison.
Steering wheel in hand this expresses itself immediately as fearsome acceleration. Very fearsome. The M12GTO has absolutely nothing in common with the donor of the original V6. The 3 litres give a short response time before exploding like a firework. The Noble is powered from one thrust to the next with a quite brutal energy. Lovers of spicy engines will find one here. The sound of the V6 recall some large V8s , and the breathing of the turbos give a a unique audio experience. Not to speak of the whistle of the wastegates on the lift of the foot; an irresistible noise that you thought had been lost to oblivion.
The Noble occasionally reminds you of the Donkervoort D8 that also blends lightness with a turbocharger. As on this car nothing is gained by holding a gear to the limit. The M12 becomes breathless towards the redline and encourages you to change up. You could quickly take to this game if the change wasn’t so disagreeable. The linkage lacks precision and its speed is not exceptional. Equally, we would welcome fifth and sixth gears being brought closer together. Nothing catastrophic here because the high torque and light weight mask the phenomenon.
We didn’t have the time to verify the claimed performance. But our brothers at Autocar obtained some surprising figures in a road test. According to them the GTO3R did 0-60 in 3.8 (or 3.9 for 0-100 kmh). (Interesting comment this…) This unique test, let’s remember, doesn’t show the real performance of a car … it only shows that the Noble leaves the line almost as quickly as a Pagani Zonda Z12S. 0 – 160 kmh (100mph), more representative of the global accelerative ability is comparable to that of a Mercedes SL55AMG (V8 5.5 litres, 500 bhp). According to the same source, the acceleration of the M12 continues to irritate Stuttgart’s flagship, despite its automatic gearbox and large supercharger. Noble finally claims a 270kmh but we should say that above 220kmh that wind noise is invasive. After all, this is not important since this car is destined for stringing bends together.
The handling of the M12 is mindblowing. By its variety firstly and then its efficiency. The shock absorbers are not wooden and the suspension has been set up for road use. Despite this filtering, the GTO3R puts you in direct contact with the road. The assisted steering doesn’t offer an unbeatable feel, but its precision has no major faults. Let’s also note that the Quaiffe limited slip differential gives exceptional traction. Braking is in the same mould, but the absence of ABS obliges you to be precise with heavy braking.
It’s difficult not to conclude this test without looking at the financial side. The M12 GTO3R is stickered at 78500 Euros, or the same as a brand-new 911 Carrera. And let’s remember that a future French buyer faces numerous administrative obstacles. Despite this, Noble would have sold, however several left hand drive examples in Italy, Switzerland and Denmark.
Verdict
Performance, dynamic ability, efficiency. The M12GTO has all the qualities of a great toy. But its price isn’t very funny and the absence of homologation means it is a great secret.
------------------------------------------------------
So there we have it much respect from our French friends. I wish Noble every success in the homologation issues so that Noble can be exported in numbers, generating funds for future models and perhaps a factory-backed racing team. Isn’t that how Porsche and Ferrari started many years ago?
PS I just wish you could see the pictures that accompanied the article – fantastic!
(Comments marked "J:" are mine)
The Noble M12 is widely talked about in Great Britain. No “Sports Car of the Year” competition is without it making an appearance. No sports car has been left unchallenged. In England our brothers in the specialist press compare the Noble (with figures to support their case) to the Pagani Zonda and the Ferrari Challenge Stradale. So pure chauvinism or real hidden talent?
At first sight you could be tempted to consider the M12GTO as one of those UFO’s made in tiny numbers by screwdriver in a disused hangar in Greater London. That’s not the case, there’s nothing to choose between the Noble workshops (50km north of Birmingham) and those of TVR; the production is around 200 units per annum. The constructor is even finalising a convertible that it would like to export with the coupe. But before being sold in France, the Noble must be submitted for European homologation. Much work is ahead.
You cannot say that the Noble is beautiful or particularly impressive. It doesn’t overflow with finesse, with its overloaded rear bonnet, and the profile of its comma-shaped (J: I hadn’t seen that – but it’s there!). The line is certainly squat but too flat to arouse wonder. Nothing in comparison with the sulphurous beauty of a TVR Cerbera or the pretty little face a Lotus Elise. The same applies to the interior where the presentation is less original than the TVR’s and the atmosphere less hi-tech than the Lotus. The habitability is very correct for a car of this kind and the finish witness to undoubted quality. You find this throughout the entire assembly, from the engine/chassis combination to the Alcantara upholstered rollcage. And to add a touch of the exotic, let’s point out that chassis is conceived and built in South Africa before being repatriated to England.
The mechanical base, implanted transversally behind the seats, is borrowed from Ford. It’s a 3 litre V6 comparable to that of the Mondeo ST220 (226bhp). The difference is that Noble grafts on two turbochargers. The distribution is, of course, well thought out – provided by four camshafts and 24 valves, whilst the two Garrett turbo’s are water cooled. On top an air/air exchanger (J: my mechanical knowledge is not up to a full translation here!) guarantees a constant output. With such a whip, the maximum torque explodes: 48.4 mkg at 3500rpm! Equally the power climbs like a shot, with 352 bhp at 6200rpm. These figures are comparable to those of a Mercedes SLK32AMG, whose supercharged 3.2 litre V6 posts 354 bhp at 6200rpm and 45.9mkg at 4400rpm. In short this kind of power would be enough to catapult any chubby large saloon. It’s just the opposite of the GTO3R which claims only 1080kg. For you to glance at a list of lightweight super sports cars, we find the Ferrari Challenge Stradale weighs in at 1393kg, a Porsche GT3 at 1432kg, and a BMW M3CSL at 1475kg. If we believe the manufacturer the weight to power ratio will be less than 3.10kg/bhp (it’s here that we should note that we say power to weight ratio, for the French less is best!). Even a Donkervoort D8 180bhp (J:a magnificent Dutch Caterham-alike, comparisons are made later in the article) with 3.45kg/bhp cannoy bear comparison.
Steering wheel in hand this expresses itself immediately as fearsome acceleration. Very fearsome. The M12GTO has absolutely nothing in common with the donor of the original V6. The 3 litres give a short response time before exploding like a firework. The Noble is powered from one thrust to the next with a quite brutal energy. Lovers of spicy engines will find one here. The sound of the V6 recall some large V8s , and the breathing of the turbos give a a unique audio experience. Not to speak of the whistle of the wastegates on the lift of the foot; an irresistible noise that you thought had been lost to oblivion.
The Noble occasionally reminds you of the Donkervoort D8 that also blends lightness with a turbocharger. As on this car nothing is gained by holding a gear to the limit. The M12 becomes breathless towards the redline and encourages you to change up. You could quickly take to this game if the change wasn’t so disagreeable. The linkage lacks precision and its speed is not exceptional. Equally, we would welcome fifth and sixth gears being brought closer together. Nothing catastrophic here because the high torque and light weight mask the phenomenon.
We didn’t have the time to verify the claimed performance. But our brothers at Autocar obtained some surprising figures in a road test. According to them the GTO3R did 0-60 in 3.8 (or 3.9 for 0-100 kmh). (Interesting comment this…) This unique test, let’s remember, doesn’t show the real performance of a car … it only shows that the Noble leaves the line almost as quickly as a Pagani Zonda Z12S. 0 – 160 kmh (100mph), more representative of the global accelerative ability is comparable to that of a Mercedes SL55AMG (V8 5.5 litres, 500 bhp). According to the same source, the acceleration of the M12 continues to irritate Stuttgart’s flagship, despite its automatic gearbox and large supercharger. Noble finally claims a 270kmh but we should say that above 220kmh that wind noise is invasive. After all, this is not important since this car is destined for stringing bends together.
The handling of the M12 is mindblowing. By its variety firstly and then its efficiency. The shock absorbers are not wooden and the suspension has been set up for road use. Despite this filtering, the GTO3R puts you in direct contact with the road. The assisted steering doesn’t offer an unbeatable feel, but its precision has no major faults. Let’s also note that the Quaiffe limited slip differential gives exceptional traction. Braking is in the same mould, but the absence of ABS obliges you to be precise with heavy braking.
It’s difficult not to conclude this test without looking at the financial side. The M12 GTO3R is stickered at 78500 Euros, or the same as a brand-new 911 Carrera. And let’s remember that a future French buyer faces numerous administrative obstacles. Despite this, Noble would have sold, however several left hand drive examples in Italy, Switzerland and Denmark.
Verdict
Performance, dynamic ability, efficiency. The M12GTO has all the qualities of a great toy. But its price isn’t very funny and the absence of homologation means it is a great secret.
------------------------------------------------------
So there we have it much respect from our French friends. I wish Noble every success in the homologation issues so that Noble can be exported in numbers, generating funds for future models and perhaps a factory-backed racing team. Isn’t that how Porsche and Ferrari started many years ago?
PS I just wish you could see the pictures that accompanied the article – fantastic!
Gassing Station | Noble | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff