PH Carpool: Noble M12 GTO 3-R

If Carlsberg made retirement prezzies, etc etc... (it's even quite cheap to run)

The retired Martin Gibson (aka funkybiffo) decided to forego the usual golf or gardening pursuits and bought himself a rapid sports car instead. Good man.

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Martin, during his daily exercise routine

"I never had a sports car when I was younger, but I always really wanted one. What with one thing and another I just never got round to it: too much work and not enough money, the need to have a a sensible car for the family and so on..."

Like a true committed petrolhead though, Martin never gave up on his dream of four-wheeled lightness and agility and realised that he wanted a Noble not long after his working days were over.

"I retired with a pension after a 30-year career in 2009 and ?itted about doing this and that for a while, until after about a year I thought 'I know what I could spend some money on'. I had been collecting and delivering cars for a guy with a sports/classic/prestige showroom, and drove some very expensive and exotic kit. One of the cars I drove was a Noble and it was the fastest, most comfortable, absolutely fantastic-looking sports car I had seen. It was good value for money, British, and easy to get in and out of. Oh and most important of all, my wife was okay with the idea!"

Martin is not a hasty man, though, and took his time deciding exactly which model he wanted. In the end he chose to look for an M12 GTO 3-R.

"PistonHeads finally came up with the goods in the end and we bought a two-owner, 20,000-mile example in November 2010. I was scared to death while on the phone arranging the insurance, but we went with a new company to us and their multi-car policy cost just £235! I was flabbergasted. My lads have joined us on the policy and we have all benefitted."

Happy days then, except for the small matter of some fresh rubber...

"The front tyres were dated as 2003, so I guess they might have been what it came with when new, which suggested that it hadn't been tracked - not that that would have out me off buying it - the Noble is a great track car so I may even track it myself. The Pirelli P-Zeros I chose were reasonably priced - I think the rears were £120 each, but then I noticed that the windscreen was chipped and required replacing, which worried me. I thought it might take a while to arrange, but it was done in two days and the fitter said there were five in stock! I was also well chuffed when the annual service came out at £300. Not done by a Noble agent of course at that price, but by a highly recommended local engineer. The tax is cheaper than our MG ZS 180, too."

Martin has now covered a couple of thousand miles in his Noble attending Supercar Sunday at Goodwood Breakfast Club, Wilton House, and Concorde Classics, and it sounds like the experience is living up to expectations.

"So far it's been completely trouble-free. Driving the car and even just looking at it are special experiences for me- the acceleration and noise is just staggering. Each time we take it out it never fails to gain admiring glances. My youngest lad said to me, 'Dad, I bet you never thought you'd see the day when you opened the garage door, and there was a Noble inside'! He's right - the feeling is fantastic. Long may it last."

Asking Martin what he wants to do next brought a suitably fitting one-word answer on which to end this particular Carpool: "Nurburgring."