Seen it in the flesh
Discussion
Fresh back from Mole Valley where I've seen the car in the flesh. Unfortunately my digital camera has gobbled the pics but I'll try again later to get them off.
First impressions, as others have said the pics do not convey its prescence. In fact it seems smaller in the flesh than in the photos, and an M12 next to it seems positively matchbox like. Its much "squarer" than the pics I've seen. I'm afaraid I didn't go a bundle on the dash, I do think a dash that swoops or curves down into the gearbox tunnel would greatly enhance the car. Apart from the style the interior is a jump up from the M12 series. The quality of the trim is much better and its all much more finished. The boots are ENORMOUS for a car like this, Porsche owners are going to drool. There appear to be twin oil coolers, one each side in front of the water rads. The seats are a nice comfy fit and very supporting. The thing that does not come across from the photos is the "Beef" of the back end when you are looking down the sides. The rear wheels are massive and realy fill the arches and the carryover tell tale M12 curved wing lip makes the back end of the car very reminiscent for me of an american muscle car. It made the whole effect much chunkier, more solid and it does in my opinion all tie togetehr well. In the flesh it all works. Where everyone else is seeing a mixture of styles it did not come across to me.
The engine bay is equally large, beleive me there was acres of space to work on the engine and ancillaries, with loads of room around the turbos for cooling. In the photos I'd seen it looked to be cramped but its not. Mechaninics are going to like this. In fact if anything the engine looked lost in the volume of the engine bay. The gearbox was not connected up but its a massive cube of alloy hanging of the end of the engine. The twin ICs fit neatly into the sides but the lower edges lie close to the front edge of the rear wheel arches. I hadn't realised but it has twin fuel fillers.
The rear hatch is really. I suspect the space between the glass window and the engine cover is going to get filled up with dust dirt and grime - will need cleaning. The rear boot is not as deep as it looks in the photos but is still a very usefull size.
The back end, well I might do it differently.
So overall a more complete effect than others have suggested and the pictures suggest. Its certainly a jump up from the M12 series and Mole Valley told me the proof of the pudding, they've taken "loads" of orders.
Regards
Paul C
>> Edited by paulcundy on Tuesday 11th April 16:40
First impressions, as others have said the pics do not convey its prescence. In fact it seems smaller in the flesh than in the photos, and an M12 next to it seems positively matchbox like. Its much "squarer" than the pics I've seen. I'm afaraid I didn't go a bundle on the dash, I do think a dash that swoops or curves down into the gearbox tunnel would greatly enhance the car. Apart from the style the interior is a jump up from the M12 series. The quality of the trim is much better and its all much more finished. The boots are ENORMOUS for a car like this, Porsche owners are going to drool. There appear to be twin oil coolers, one each side in front of the water rads. The seats are a nice comfy fit and very supporting. The thing that does not come across from the photos is the "Beef" of the back end when you are looking down the sides. The rear wheels are massive and realy fill the arches and the carryover tell tale M12 curved wing lip makes the back end of the car very reminiscent for me of an american muscle car. It made the whole effect much chunkier, more solid and it does in my opinion all tie togetehr well. In the flesh it all works. Where everyone else is seeing a mixture of styles it did not come across to me.
The engine bay is equally large, beleive me there was acres of space to work on the engine and ancillaries, with loads of room around the turbos for cooling. In the photos I'd seen it looked to be cramped but its not. Mechaninics are going to like this. In fact if anything the engine looked lost in the volume of the engine bay. The gearbox was not connected up but its a massive cube of alloy hanging of the end of the engine. The twin ICs fit neatly into the sides but the lower edges lie close to the front edge of the rear wheel arches. I hadn't realised but it has twin fuel fillers.
The rear hatch is really. I suspect the space between the glass window and the engine cover is going to get filled up with dust dirt and grime - will need cleaning. The rear boot is not as deep as it looks in the photos but is still a very usefull size.
The back end, well I might do it differently.
So overall a more complete effect than others have suggested and the pictures suggest. Its certainly a jump up from the M12 series and Mole Valley told me the proof of the pudding, they've taken "loads" of orders.
Regards
Paul C
>> Edited by paulcundy on Tuesday 11th April 16:40
Saw the prototype this morning...
WOW - looks wise, I suspect a Gallardo on heat broke into the Noble factory one night 9 months ago with amour on his mind and said "Helloooo there" to a sleeping M12!
Ok, this is still a prototype and no one has been able to drive one yet so I won't comment on finish or value for money but you really will be impressed with the M15 in the flesh!
Some initial comments (IMHO)...
Plus:
- Those rear wings actually look great in the flesh (nothing like the EVO rendition)!
- It is huge and made a nearby M12 look dated - oops!
- Blue works fine but I want to see it in Titanium!
- The seats are very supportive
- The all-round build quality is excellent!
- The doors are magnificent - heavy/solid/good clunk, great shutlines and the concealed handles (see photo) work perfectly
- The way the huge rear wheels completely fill the wheel arches - cool!
Minus:
- The centre dash still doesn't work for me and the bottom dials are in the wrong place - way too fiddly to use
- There is less passenger leg-room than in the M12/M400 and after a short journey this will bug the hell out of the passenger (the seat was all the way back)!
- Rear diffuser was a bit flimsily attached - will no doubt be sorted
- Instruments (speedo/tach) are too small for me - but very clear
- The gear-stick seemed too long/high to me - I wondered why?
Neutral
- The rear end is very squared off but allows for maximum stowage space - I'm sure we'll come to love it!
Would I buy one?
OH YES!
Would I buy a new one?
NOPE (only 'cause my new rule is never buy a new car again due to depreciation!) so I'll be on the lookout for a £50K version in Silver around 2010 if I can still drive!
WELL DONE TO LEE NOBLE, NOBLE CARS AND HIGH TECH AUTOMOTIVE!
Photos here...
http://gallery10890.fotopic.net/c9200
>> Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 11th April 16:43
WOW - looks wise, I suspect a Gallardo on heat broke into the Noble factory one night 9 months ago with amour on his mind and said "Helloooo there" to a sleeping M12!
Ok, this is still a prototype and no one has been able to drive one yet so I won't comment on finish or value for money but you really will be impressed with the M15 in the flesh!
Some initial comments (IMHO)...
Plus:
- Those rear wings actually look great in the flesh (nothing like the EVO rendition)!
- It is huge and made a nearby M12 look dated - oops!
- Blue works fine but I want to see it in Titanium!
- The seats are very supportive
- The all-round build quality is excellent!
- The doors are magnificent - heavy/solid/good clunk, great shutlines and the concealed handles (see photo) work perfectly
- The way the huge rear wheels completely fill the wheel arches - cool!
Minus:
- The centre dash still doesn't work for me and the bottom dials are in the wrong place - way too fiddly to use
- There is less passenger leg-room than in the M12/M400 and after a short journey this will bug the hell out of the passenger (the seat was all the way back)!
- Rear diffuser was a bit flimsily attached - will no doubt be sorted
- Instruments (speedo/tach) are too small for me - but very clear
- The gear-stick seemed too long/high to me - I wondered why?
Neutral
- The rear end is very squared off but allows for maximum stowage space - I'm sure we'll come to love it!
Would I buy one?
OH YES!
Would I buy a new one?
NOPE (only 'cause my new rule is never buy a new car again due to depreciation!) so I'll be on the lookout for a £50K version in Silver around 2010 if I can still drive!
WELL DONE TO LEE NOBLE, NOBLE CARS AND HIGH TECH AUTOMOTIVE!
Photos here...
http://gallery10890.fotopic.net/c9200
>> Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 11th April 16:43
paulcundy said:
The engine bay is equally large, beleive me there was acres of space to work on the engine and ancillaries
Paul, agree with your overall impressions.
You are the third person who has made the above comment and I can't see it myself - I must be missing something?!
Although an M12/M14's engine is sideways you can at least "walk" into it. Yes there's loads of space around the M15's engine but, as the flanks are sooo wide, you can't get near anything - I tried it and the only way was to lay yourself over the huge wing area - very uncomfortable!
Looks the business in there - maybe some Noble logo-ed cam covers on the production model though?!
stuh said:
Some nice pics there Rob. Those angles are much more flattering than the other pics i've seen.
Hi Stuh, yep, funny that those EVO pics did nothing much for its looks, it's very impressive in the flesh?! I suppose this is a prime example as to why the top photographers/studios charge so much £!
AMG Merc said:
The engine bay is equally large, beleive me there was acres of space to work on the engine and ancillaries
Paul, agree with your overall impressions.
You are the third person who has made the above comment and I can't see it myself - I must be missing something?!
Although an M12/M14's engine is sideways you can at least "walk" into it. Yes there's loads of space around the M15's engine but, as the flanks are sooo wide, you can't get near anything - I tried it and the only way was to lay yourself over the huge wing area - very uncomfortable!
Looks the business in there - maybe some Noble logo-ed cam covers on the production model though?!
Yes you do have to lean in from a long way away but think of how a mechanic's going to approach it - wheel off and on a stand and or from beneath. Approaching from beneath or through the wheel arch you're going to need a guide.
Regards
Paul C
paulcundy said:
The engine bay is equally large, beleive me there was acres of space to work on the engine and ancillaries
Paul, agree with your overall impressions.
You are the third person who has made the above comment and I can't see it myself - I must be missing something?!
Although an M12/M14's engine is sideways you can at least "walk" into it. Yes there's loads of space around the M15's engine but, as the flanks are sooo wide, you can't get near anything - I tried it and the only way was to lay yourself over the huge wing area - very uncomfortable!
Looks the business in there - maybe some Noble logo-ed cam covers on the production model though?!
Yes you do have to lean in from a long way away but think of how a mechanic's going to approach it - wheel off and on a stand and or from beneath. Approaching from beneath or through the wheel arch you're going to need a guide.
Regards
Paul C
Thanks, I thought there must be a technique!
plipton said:
Would that be an airbag in the wheel?
First impressions when I saw it - Hmmmm, not keen. Now it's growing on me
Not in blue though and it does look very wide (but so does my M12 until you see it parked next to a fiesta!)
>> Edited by plipton on Tuesday 11th April 19:13
No -- this interior is so wrong on so many levels ! It looks worse than some kit cars I've seen -- will judge the remainder at Kerridges.
mc101 said:
Would that be an airbag in the wheel?
First impressions when I saw it - Hmmmm, not keen. Now it's growing on me
Not in blue though and it does look very wide (but so does my M12 until you see it parked next to a fiesta!)
>> Edited by plipton on Tuesday 11th April 19:13
No -- this interior is so wrong on so many levels ! It looks worse than some kit cars I've seen -- will judge the remainder at Kerridges.
I take that back ... its something from an 80's mock up :-)
Gassing Station | Noble | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff