RE: Noble M12 GTO-3R

[joust]

micknall said:

But so does the 3R. As always, you need to compare the base price of this car with the base price of the original 2.5 - that's £7,550, NOT '£20k' as some are now saying. But for that extra money you get a six-speed 'box, Quaife LSD, 500ccs extra engine capacity, 42bhp extra, 30lb ft more torque, leather interior, a CD/radio as well as a few other interior extras. You also get bi-xenon headlights, a new design of alloy and a re-styled front end. Not bad for £7,550, I'd say.

Simon - compared to the £10,000 () of options I added to an X5 to end up with a £49,000 3.0l X5 (yes - you read that right - and yet the "list" price for an X5 3.0l is £37k...) your option list is positivily cheap (but don't go raising prices on my GTC will you!)

Lets put this in perspective. Can you see any X5 owner not taking the sport pack (you'd never sell a non sport one), leather seats, Xenons, Sat Nav (£3900 for a 6 CD changer, LCD screen, Philips Sat Nav system and phone) etc. etc.

Its the same with the Noble. Whilst many things are options they are all "essentials" to us buyers - so lets compare like with like.

J

>> Edited by joust on Thursday 15th January 14:22

[blueyes]

LaurenceFrost said:

m12_nathan said: The options seem a bargain when compare to the £3000 stripe on a Ferrari 360CS! I just wouldn't sleep at night knowing I'd been short changed by £2987.05! I'm pretty sure Halfords sell something very similar for around £12.95.

The "stripe" is sprayed on and built up in layers with the original paintwork... hence the cost.

As for the Noble luggage space- 5 squashy bags! Well that should be enough space for her shoes... she'll just have to leave her clothes at home!

Now THERE'S an idea!

On a more serious note-

Dear Mr. Noble, please make your lovely car with more luggage space so at least we can threaten TVR that we'll buy one of yours, if they pi55 us about!

It's the ONLY reason I didn't buy one instead of a T350c. Well that... and the TURBO nonsense!

[joust]

blueyes said:

Dear Mr. Noble, please make your lovely car with more luggage space so at least we can threaten TVR that we'll buy one of yours, if they pi55 us about! It's the ONLY reason I didn't buy one instead of a T350c. Well that... and the TURBO nonsense!

Have you ever seen a Noble? I'd easily estimate that I could get about the same amount of stuff in my Noble c.f. a T350C (there are loads of other places apart from just the bags) and at least I wouldn't try to knock me out when I hit the brakes!

J

[joust]

blueyes said:

The "stripe" is sprayed on and built up in layers with the original paintwork... hence the cost.

I'm sorry - this was quoted in Autocar this week, and is total bolloxs.

A trip down to any paintshop will show how they do this sort of thing from bare metal, and would add a few hundred quid at the most. FFS you can get a smart panel with a "fancy" multi colour, fully keyed design for £25 more than a plain one!

So it's still the worst value option ever.

J

>> Edited by joust on Friday 16th January 15:07

[JakeR]

just to chuck my 2p in... I am a mahussive Noble Fan, but I gotta say, the seats look fugly in the photos...

Any owner know better?

[amg merc]

joust said:

So it's still the worst value option ever. J >> Edited by joust on Friday 16th January 15:07

... and I bet anyone who buys one with said stripe secondhand will then spend £10K on a respray!!!

[actech]

JakeR said:

just to chuck my 2p in... I am a mahussive Noble Fan, but I gotta say, the seats look fugly in the photos... Any owner know better?

Don't judge a book by it's cover! it first!

[blueyes]

joust said:

blueyes said: Dear Mr. Noble, please make your lovely car with more luggage space so at least we can threaten TVR that we'll buy one of yours, if they pi55 us about! It's the ONLY reason I didn't buy one instead of a T350c. Well that... and the TURBO nonsense! Have you ever seen a Noble? I'd easily estimate that I could get about the same amount of stuff in my Noble c.f. a T350C (there are loads of other places apart from just the bags) and at least it wouldn't try to knock me out when I hit the brakes! J

Sorry I must disagree. Speaking from experience the T350c will take 2 medium suitcases, 1 large roll bag, 1 rucksack, 1 tennis bag and a briefcase... and that's just in the back! Also it was all held in place by two high seat backs- N.B. you don't have to sit on beer crates in TVRs anymore.

In a Noble the only "other places" for luggage, I could think of, would be under your legs (safe!), on your lap, on the dash board,... or on a nice roof rack!

Don't get me wrong I REALLY wanted to buy one! I didn't, simply because my luggage wouldn't fit.

[joust]

blueyes said:

Sorry I must disagree. Speaking from experience the T350c will take 2 medium suitcases, 1 large roll bag, 1 rucksack, 1 tennis bag and a briefcase...

If you took the contents out, and assuming they were mainly clothes - then that sort of amount fits.

blueeyes said:

Also it was all held in place by two high seat backs- N.B. you don't have to sit on beer crates in TVRs anymore.

Sorry - being sarcastic - but there is a BIG hole between the seats that something could come through...

blueeyes said:

In a Noble the only "other places" for luggage, I could think of, would be under your legs (safe!)

Yep - that is where two of the bags go - and they combined equal about 3-4 rucksacks worth. The design clips them down and they sit in a "well" and are very safe

blueeyes said:

on your lap, on the dash board,... or on a nice roof rack!

I've toyed with the idea of a rack for the rear Elise MK1 style - but as I said, I've never needed it despite spending 10 days away lugging two suits, 10 days worth of clothes for two people (I don't do washing when away), a Dinner Jacket, Laptop, 3 cameras and 5 presents for the kids - fitted easily.

Unless you've actually seen the bags and how they "grow" (they sit flat normally - but are very deep - especially the ones that go behind the seats) then you really can't appreciate how much they really do swallow...

blueeyes said:

Don't get me wrong I REALLY wanted to buy one! I didn't, simply because my luggage wouldn't fit.

You are very welcome to come around anytime and inspect it if you want - but then if you wanted to just throw in some existing bags then you'll really suffer.

Oh - you can also do an entire 4 weeks Tesco shop in it (but you can't have a passenger )

>> Edited by joust on Saturday 17th January 11:16

[blueyes]

YOUR QUOTE:

Sunday 1st December 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep - still own an Elise MK1.

See my profile for the full lowdown on the two. In terms of luggage space - they are about the same

END OF QUOTE

The case for the prosecution rests M'lud

[joust]

blueyes said:

YOUR QUOTE: Sunday 1st December 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yep - still own an Elise MK1. See my profile for the full lowdown on the two. In terms of luggage space - they are about the same END OF QUOTE The case for the prosecution rests M'lud

Yes - and if you notice that is *before* I had the luggage set installed which, if you had checked my car's profile I obtained on the Friday 24th January 2003

Your lack of appreciation of the evidence can only lead to one thing - case dismissed!

J

[blueyes]

Amazing! Fit the luggage set and... abracadabra... the internal volume of your Noble instantly increases.

You should write for Tony blair.


Any other Noble owners like to comment on this luggage thing?

[blueyes]

A quote from one of your own:

Saturday 6th December 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 problems with the bespoke luggage
1) the floor and sill bags are retained by plastic clips. the floor clips last roughly 5 minutes before they break off. I have now attached the broken bits with cable ties which actually work well but look a bit naff
2) the big ( behind the seats) bags hold a lot but they only have a little hand grab at the top. they have to be carried like tesco bags and you therefore look a prat walking into a hotel carrying a couple of fully laden bags dragging along the ground
3) if you fill the passenger side large luggage your passenger will have to endure seriously reduced legroom, risk of DVT on a long trip?
4) dont even try to fill the big bags before they go in behind the seats, they wont squeese in. best get a load of asda bgs and stufff your socks etc into them,and then stuff them into the bags at the roadside. this of course can be embarrassing when you reach destination and sequence is reversed.

End of quote.

Ahhh... Asda Bags, Tesco bags, cable ties, DVT, nylon luggage!
Camp site- Bon! George V- NON!

Sorrrry can;'t type any more I'.m., laughin23g tooo much!!!111



>> Edited by blueyes on Tuesday 20th January 17:01

[joust]

But then hey - at least the luggage would get to your destination in a Noble - with the TVR you would of course have to wait for the AA trailer to turn up the following day...

J

[kinetic]

Some strange discussions on this forum!

I've owned both cars.

Noble - f..all storage space when it comes down to it!

TVR - Griffith 500, Chimaera and (I assume 350C) has a considerable sized boot and pretty similar amount of space as Noble up front.

There's no comparison really. but does it really matter ultimately in cars of this nature?

[joust]

kinetic said:

There's no comparison really. but does it really matter ultimately in cars of this nature?

Err - no - not when you have an X5 as well

[blueyes]

Oh dear. Yawn! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

C'mon!!! You can do better than that.


.....Or maybe not.


Go on, have another go!

[m12_nathan]

With the Noble you can afford to take 2 trips and still get there before the aa truck arrives to pick up the TVR (yes I have owned one, and no, never again).

In seriousness, the only problem I have ever had with cabin space is going to the 'ring, a long weekends worth for me and the missus fits in with loads and loads of room to spare (maybe another weeks worth - I limited her to 2 pairs of shoes ) but I had 2 choices with the crash helmets, get a mate to pop them in his boot or wear them.

[joust]

m12_nathan said:

but I had 2 choices with the crash helmets, get a mate to pop them in his boot or wear them.

I can see it now.......

[MisterX]

I have found there is enough storage space in the Noble for most of my needs. The only irritating factor is having to slide the seats forward if you have a really full bag to go behind, and never semming to get them exactly back to where they were. I don't use the bags/clips in front of the seat 'cos I don't want to take the chance of something coming loose and fouling the pedals. The storage space I most often use is the 'parcel shelf'.

If I had wanted something suitable for haulage I wouldn't have bought a Noble.