From its look you might guess it is just another rough-finished supercar. Yes, build quality is bad, many components come from mass production parts pool, design is tasteless, desirability is low. In this way it seems even rawer than nowadays' TVR, quite contradictory to the name "Noble". But the M12 functions flawlessly. Its tubular steel chassis is strong, glass-fiber bodywork is light, massive wing and skirts generate tremendous downforce, compact size aids agility on B-roads, supple ride best for cross-country journey and finally, the roof is high and cabin space is abundance for 2 occupants plus belongings. Noble lets us realize how styling and build quality could compromise functionality.  

M12 GTO is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre V6 mounted transversely amid-ship. The base engine comes from Ford Mondeo, so does the five-speed gearbox. The Duratec V6's all-alloy construction is ideal for the weight requirement of Noble. Adding a pair of Garrett T25 turbochargers and air-to-air intercooler, the engine now pumps out 310 horsepower at 6000rpm and 320 lbft of torque at 3500rpm. Not Ferrari or Porsche-matching, but the Noble weighs just 980kg with a full tank of fuel, which is nearly half a tone lighter than rivals ! moreover, the rather light boost pressure results in gentle turbo lag thus drivability is unusually high for this kind of cars. Of course, "this kind of cars" does not include the latest Porsche. 

As tested by Autocar magazine, the Noble sprints from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and to 100mph in 9.4 seconds, that put it in the same league of 911 Turbo and TVR Tuscan, though not as quick as GT2 and Tuscan S. Its downforce-biased shape prevents it from reaching over 165mph, but in real world conditions the Noble is hard to be beaten, thanks to its superb chassis. Lightweight, rigid, compact, grippy and all-round double wishbones suspensions are just the basic ingredient, but most important is that Lee Noble's tuning work is as accurate as racing teams. The M12 steers quickly and precisely with its 2.5-turn steering rack yet the weighting is rather light in NSX-style. Unfiltered streams of feedback coming from the front tyres let you know how much grip left. But if you want to try its cornering limit, you have to go very hard no matter in dry or wet. The Noble has tremendous grip like track cars - the only road car matching it is Lotus Exige - thanks to that 225 front and 265 rear tyres which are undoubtedly very wide for a car weighing less than a tone. Also thanks to that tremendous downforce which press the car firmly on tarmac. We have no downforce figure, but considering the car has deep air dam, huge rear wing and even ground-effect diffuser at the tail, you can imagine how great it is. 

The chassis is so well tuned that it never understeer. It just go neutral at any speed, change direction instantly as you desired. At slow corner, however, you can power slide it with more throttle, and that occurs calmly under control. Brakes are another strong card: you'll be amazed that the lightweight Noble employs the same size of discs as Ferrari 360 and 911 Turbo, clamped by AP alloy calipers with 4 pistons. As a result, stopping power is unbeatable while pedal feel is terrific.  

I said Noble is a good cross-country machine because 2 British magazines took it to Europe and commented favourably - CAR drove it to Germany to meet Porsche GT2 at Weissach; Autocar drove it to Paris and then Monaco for Supercar Rally. Unlike many other British sports cars - Lotus and TVR included - the Noble is quite comfortable and easy to live with. In Esprit, you feel the cramped cabin and heavy controls make long journey impossible. In TVR Tuscan, you have to keep 100% alert to prevent its explosive power from overwhelming the weak chassis. In contrast, the Noble's superb chassis allows you to drive at any speed you like on any roads you have never driven. It is fun yet safe. Its suspensions are amazingly comfortable for this kind of cars. Its steering, clutch and throttle are light to operate. It can stud in traffic like a hatchback without complaint.  

Predictably, the Noble is simple and almost stripped out. It does not have electric windows, electric seats, 6-speaker Hi-Fi, trip-computer, ABS, Traction Control etc. The steering is adjustable in reach but not rake, the seats can be adjustable only back and forth. Luckily, the inherent driving position is good for most people, the forward visibility is excellent and air conditioning is available as option. Again, I have to stress that the Noble is undesirable to look at, to touch and to sit in, but after the first turn of steering wheel, your view will be changed completely. It is a more powerful interpretation of Lotus Elise. If Lotus is to build M250, this is the car it should study. 

Also predictably, Noble is modest in price, because not many rich people can understand the beauty of it. At £45,000, it is half the price of 911 Turbo. Yet Lee Noble expects to build just 100 cars annually. The first year's production was already sold out early this year, so Noble's small business plan seems work out now. However, he won't call it "successful" until he earn enough money to develop another car. And I'm sure that will be more ambitious than the M12. 
 

M12 GTO-3

The regular GTO-3 weighs 1050kg, some 70kg up from the old car, but the higher power-to-weight ratio guarantees higher performance. However, most customers are likely to choose the luxurious version called GTO-3R, which is equipped with leather interior, better soundproofing, air-conditioning and Qualife torque-biasing LSD. The penalty is 30kg. 

Meanwhile, Noble is also producing a convertible version called GTC-3. Being the least aggressive M12, it is powered by a detuned engine with just a single turbocharger and 290 horsepower. However, anything that can sprint from 0 to 60mph in 4.5 seconds can never be described as modest. 
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M400

M400 still employs that 3-litre twin-turbo V6. By employing bigger Garret T28 turbochargers running at 0.85 bar and a revised engine mapping by Roush Technologies, power delivery becomes noticeably stronger from mid-range to high rev. It pumps out 425 horsepower at 6500rpm instead of the original engine's 352hp at 6200rpm. Maximum rev is raised from 6700 to 7200rpm. Max. torque is increased from 350 lbft to 390 lbft. To cope with the very high internal stress, it employs forged pistons instead of cast ones of other M12s.

Furthermore, the car remains featherweight at 1060kg, some 220kg lighter than Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, which is already the lightest Ferrari. Undoubtedly, M400 will easily out-accelerate the Ferrari and even many so-called supercars, such as any Lamborghini on the planet and any Porsche this side of the Carrera GT. Noble claims 0-60mph can be done in 3.5 seconds and 0-100mph in 8.0 seconds. That's very close to the territory of Carrera GT and Zonda. Unbelieveably, Noble M400 is sold for just 911 Carrera money. It is really a giant killer!

The M400 is lighter than GTO-3R because of ditching air conditioning from the kerb weight figure - Noble believes fewer customers will choose this option compare with GTO-3R. The chassis is considered sufficiently rigid thus no upgrade was done. However, they introduced more sophisticated dampers to improve body control without much trade-off in ride quality. Anti-roll bar is added to the front wheels to cope with higher cornering speed. Steering is increased from 1.7 to 2.5 turns lock to lock to give the driver more control when oversteering on track. Finally, sticky Pirelli P-Zero Corsa replaces the original car's Bridgestone, increasing grip while reducing sidewall deflection.

Noble is establishing reputation quickly in recent years. Not by advertising or other image job, but by real talents. Customers of M12 praise its performance, handling and bargain price, the way it goes on track and the way it crosses countries. M400 will certainly lift its reputation further. We can't wait any longer for the forthcoming M14.
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