Last night was brilliant!!
Discussion
So we lost the football, the weather was shit and the pub I was in was so rough they served the beer in polystyrene pint glasses; but I don't care - last night was one of the best nights that I have had in years.
I must have been one of the few Englishman who had a bloody great big, silly, gurning smile on my face all night long.
Let me regale my story:
After I left the pub I went to a friend's house that I had not seen for years. As I arrived on her drive one of the most beautiful sights known to any pistonhead greeted me; a shiny new Noble M12!
After very little persuasion I forced her dad to take me out in it in the rainy Cheshire countryside for a midnight thrash to end all midnight thrashes.
I have never had an experience like it.
Up until now the fastest car I had ever been in was an old Maserati, it was quick but nothing, I mean NOTHING like this.
Even in the sopping rain and on river like roads the power this thing pushed out was phenomenal, and the grip was astounding. I know my daily run about is a ford tranny van but nothing prepared me for this. The constant hard, hard push up the back in all gears was bordering on physical assault and the seeming disregard for physics this car had opened my eyes to WHAT a performance car actually is.
I had never really experienced anything as raw as this; the sheer OTT acceleration must surely be bad for my innards. It made my cry out like a little girl every time the accelerator was squeezed. But the most important thing about the whole beautiful 30mins that I had in the Noble was what I felt like after I climbed out of the low, low seat and drove home in my ugly, slow van.
It was not the obvious feeling of love for the beautiful Noble. It was not just admiration for its astounding power. It was something deeper. Something meaningful and important; something all people need to feel.
To put it simply it made all other cars I had EVER experienced seem like the crappy white goods of the profit driven motor industry that they are. They are now obvious to me as the bland, passionless drone carriages for the gormless, ill educated, easily manipulated masses. I can now see through all the advertising and all the empty hype to the tripe below, to the truth that 99% of the things on our roads are merely tools.
The Noble may not be the perfect car, but its very existence is there for excitement and enjoyment, its very being created for pleasure. This will not be useful in Tesco for the monthly shop, nor is it any good at ferrying around your hoards of screaming brats. It will not get granddad to the legion as economically as possible or cruise around on the motorway eating up miles in a soggy magic carpet way. It will not deliver 20 computers or get into a parking space easily. It will not tow a caravan (the caravan may explode), and nor will it trundle around a farmer’s fields. It will be crap in the snow and is next to useless for getting about town over speed bumps and ‘traffic calming’ devices.
It will not do any of these things because the cars that can do these things are simply utility vehicles – vehicles designed to perform a task and complete a job – from your Ford Focus to your Mercedes S class, from your Daewoo Matiz to your Porsche Cyanne (sp). The Noble was designed and built to be enjoyed - and that is it. The car was built with one aim in mind and no jobs to do. It is free of constraints and as a result represents freedom, indulgence, success and sheer anti-establishmentarianism. It sticks two fingers up at the government, corporations, environmentalists and the PC brigade like no other car I can think of. I have never seen an advert for a Noble and I don’t need to – the car speaks for itself.
I know many of you own cars like this, and many of you have this sort of fun on a daily basis but please, bare a thought for those who aspire to achieve something as pure as a Noble but have yet to fight through all the crap our society lays on us to get there.
I admire anyone with a car like this and would very much appreciate another ride – but if not for me then get anyone in that passenger seat – they too may have a revelation such as mine!
>>> Edited by spandexx on Friday 25th June 16:29
I must have been one of the few Englishman who had a bloody great big, silly, gurning smile on my face all night long.
Let me regale my story:
After I left the pub I went to a friend's house that I had not seen for years. As I arrived on her drive one of the most beautiful sights known to any pistonhead greeted me; a shiny new Noble M12!
After very little persuasion I forced her dad to take me out in it in the rainy Cheshire countryside for a midnight thrash to end all midnight thrashes.
I have never had an experience like it.
Up until now the fastest car I had ever been in was an old Maserati, it was quick but nothing, I mean NOTHING like this.
Even in the sopping rain and on river like roads the power this thing pushed out was phenomenal, and the grip was astounding. I know my daily run about is a ford tranny van but nothing prepared me for this. The constant hard, hard push up the back in all gears was bordering on physical assault and the seeming disregard for physics this car had opened my eyes to WHAT a performance car actually is.
I had never really experienced anything as raw as this; the sheer OTT acceleration must surely be bad for my innards. It made my cry out like a little girl every time the accelerator was squeezed. But the most important thing about the whole beautiful 30mins that I had in the Noble was what I felt like after I climbed out of the low, low seat and drove home in my ugly, slow van.
It was not the obvious feeling of love for the beautiful Noble. It was not just admiration for its astounding power. It was something deeper. Something meaningful and important; something all people need to feel.
To put it simply it made all other cars I had EVER experienced seem like the crappy white goods of the profit driven motor industry that they are. They are now obvious to me as the bland, passionless drone carriages for the gormless, ill educated, easily manipulated masses. I can now see through all the advertising and all the empty hype to the tripe below, to the truth that 99% of the things on our roads are merely tools.
The Noble may not be the perfect car, but its very existence is there for excitement and enjoyment, its very being created for pleasure. This will not be useful in Tesco for the monthly shop, nor is it any good at ferrying around your hoards of screaming brats. It will not get granddad to the legion as economically as possible or cruise around on the motorway eating up miles in a soggy magic carpet way. It will not deliver 20 computers or get into a parking space easily. It will not tow a caravan (the caravan may explode), and nor will it trundle around a farmer’s fields. It will be crap in the snow and is next to useless for getting about town over speed bumps and ‘traffic calming’ devices.
It will not do any of these things because the cars that can do these things are simply utility vehicles – vehicles designed to perform a task and complete a job – from your Ford Focus to your Mercedes S class, from your Daewoo Matiz to your Porsche Cyanne (sp). The Noble was designed and built to be enjoyed - and that is it. The car was built with one aim in mind and no jobs to do. It is free of constraints and as a result represents freedom, indulgence, success and sheer anti-establishmentarianism. It sticks two fingers up at the government, corporations, environmentalists and the PC brigade like no other car I can think of. I have never seen an advert for a Noble and I don’t need to – the car speaks for itself.
I know many of you own cars like this, and many of you have this sort of fun on a daily basis but please, bare a thought for those who aspire to achieve something as pure as a Noble but have yet to fight through all the crap our society lays on us to get there.
I admire anyone with a car like this and would very much appreciate another ride – but if not for me then get anyone in that passenger seat – they too may have a revelation such as mine!
>>> Edited by spandexx on Friday 25th June 16:29
I can't even imagine what it must be like.
I think the fastest car I've ever been in was a tuned MR2 Turbo, and even in that I found I had to stop speaking during hard acceleration, as if the breath had been forced out of me. Very odd indeed.
I want a Noble.
>> Edited by DanBoy on Friday 25th June 14:55
I think the fastest car I've ever been in was a tuned MR2 Turbo, and even in that I found I had to stop speaking during hard acceleration, as if the breath had been forced out of me. Very odd indeed.
I want a Noble.
>> Edited by DanBoy on Friday 25th June 14:55
Cars can be a great motivational tool!
I had a similar experience on Wednesday, except I was lucky enough to be driving.
Scenario:
Aston Martin DB9; Southwick Tunnel on A27 at Brighton; 3rd gear selected; windows down. Now.....................ACCELARATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Orgasmic
Have done the same in a Griffith 500 about 5years ago, and a DB7 Vantage. These cars give such good tunnel.
>> Edited by V12BRY on Friday 25th June 16:25
Scenario:
Aston Martin DB9; Southwick Tunnel on A27 at Brighton; 3rd gear selected; windows down. Now.....................ACCELARATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Orgasmic Have done the same in a Griffith 500 about 5years ago, and a DB7 Vantage. These cars give such good tunnel.
>> Edited by V12BRY on Friday 25th June 16:25
S Works said:
Have you ever been in a TVR or a Lotus? Similar feelings I imagine for less cost.
Great post mate!
I have sat in a Cerbera and a Tuscan at the motorshow but have never been in one moving. I have always loved sports cars; small companies offerings the best, but I have never had the opportunity to appreciate them for what they have been built for - driving - until last night.
I have always had soft spot for the Cerbie, but purely aesthetically - it is a beautiful beast and the interior was something else - but without ever being in a car that is moving you can’t really have an opinion beyond its numbers on paper.
If it is anything like that Noble then I am selling my house and living in the TVR!
I have been out in a test drive in a Cerbera 4.5 and i think that i can relate to what you are saying. The sales guy that took me out knew exactly what he was doing with the car and knew how to drive. From the slip road on to the main A road (i forget which one now) the force that was excerted (sp?) on me as the car pushed forwards was, until then, only really experianced in a plane during take off and that was mild compared to this.
I couldn't afford the car as it was £20K out of my budget so i had to settle for a Boxster. This has been the fastest car that i have own, but it lacks something that these "dream cars", like the TVR, Noble of Italian exoitcs posses.
For now i think that the closest that i can come to this, is by buying a sportsbike. At a tenth of the price and 0-60 speed of just over 3seconds im going to have to make do with this
I couldn't afford the car as it was £20K out of my budget so i had to settle for a Boxster. This has been the fastest car that i have own, but it lacks something that these "dream cars", like the TVR, Noble of Italian exoitcs posses.
For now i think that the closest that i can come to this, is by buying a sportsbike. At a tenth of the price and 0-60 speed of just over 3seconds im going to have to make do with this
I think everyone should be made to have a ride in a really fast sports car at least once a year. That way they will understand that when you pull out to overtake someone you will be back on your own side of the road and into the next county before their approaching vehicle becomes a problem and won't bother flashing their lights and gesticlating at you
Trefor said:
I think everyone should be made to have a ride in a really fast sports car at least once a year. That way they will understand that when you pull out to overtake someone you will be back on your own side of the road and into the next county before their approaching vehicle becomes a problem and won't bother flashing their lights and gesticlating at you
I get this on the bike too. Now in a car fair enough the liklyhood of a collision is greater. but on a bike. WTF im not even on their side of the road. Why are they flashing their lights at me. This is even more dangerious as if the light blinds me then what..
Some people need a smacking or another driving test.
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