Swan Song at the Nordschleife
Discussion
Greetings,
Here’s a post-Nurburgring report; apologies for its length but I’d like to get across just how great the Noble was.
We set off the Wed night before the Le Mans weekend, 2 cars and 2 bikes, to overnight in Calais for a few drinks and some pre-Ring banter.
The cars; my Noble M12 GTO-3R and a 997 Carrera 2S
The bikes; an Aprilia RSV 1000 and a Kawasaki ZX-10R.
We were also to be joined at the Ring by 4 beer monsters in a Merc 350CLS but that’s another story.
I’ll gloss over the journey to Ring and the adventures on the way. Suffice to say the Noble was an extremely comfortable place to cover distance in; mine has a built in lumber support and I arrived as fresh as a freshman on fresher’s night, even fresher considering the hang-overs we’d magically acquired
So to the Ring; we arrived Thurs eve, too late to get on the track. The timetable for the coming days had changed too, which was good and bad, bad because Friday was closed to World Superbike attendees, good because the scheduled 1 ½ hour session on the Saturday had changed to an all day 8am to 7pm. Yes! The weather too, which had done nothing but rain in torrents since we left, was also about to smile on us.
8am on the Saturday, the sun was shining and we were in the car park buying 8 lap tickets, sober and excited. For those who have never driven the ‘Ring’ before, nothing prepares you for the exhilaration of its steep undulating, ovulating inclines and declines. It quite literally takes your breath away.
Due to the Superbikes, there was a 30km/h restriction on the bridge above the GP track (approx 10 seconds on from the bridge used for the purposes of bridge-to-gantry times), so we started our timing from there. The track's steep crests, many blind corners and sheer length make it nigh on impossible to drive quickly on your first encounter. Consequently your lap times tumble dramatically as you learn bits and pieces. Typically, a crest you initially dared not to take at more than 80mph, is taken at 140mph+ on your 3rd lap once you’ve learned to trust it. At 15.6 miles it’s too much to learn in a mere 8 laps but by lap 4 the time had come down from an initial 9mins 50 to a fairly brisk 8mins 30 (say ~ 8min 40 for a more realistic bridge to Gantry time) which was pretty committed (avg speed somewhere around the 100mph mark) and a testament to just how at home the Noble felt. The Noble attracted more attention (positive as always) than anything, whether in the paddock at the Ring where car enthusiasts and bikers swarmed around it, or at a motorway service station where a bus full of 60+ Czech schoolgirls posed on it for photos. Nice!
Sadly laps 5-8 proved frustrating with multiple crashers (mostly bikes) and yellow flags. We didn’t manage another lap in the 8’s but this didn't detract from a magical day that will live with me forever. Lap after lap the Noble was at least 40 seconds quicker than the Porsche and the bikes were even further back, an eye opener for the bikers who thought they'd clean up. As for the Nordschelife, I return there in my mind constantly and know for a fact I will be back.
Returning home to Blighty, the Noble was once again impeccably behaved and comfortable beyond expectations. We merged into the obligatory Sunday evening M25 traffic jam but once again the Noble took it all in it’s stride, idling at a rock steady 90 degrees throughout. I’ve titled this piece ‘Swan Song at the Ring’ as I now have to sell my beloved 3R. I’ve had the privilege of owning her for the last year and a half during which time she has been meticulously polished and cared for. Nearly everything that could go wrong has been replaced. She’s just had a major service, new brakes with upgraded pads, new rear tyres, and tons more besides. I took her to the TVR Centre for spanner checks both prior and subsequent to the Ring excursion. Several hoses were replaced before the trip and the brake fluid replaced as a precaution on returning. If you’re in the market for one and want a truly beautiful example that will require the minimum of maintenance for the foreseeable future, then check out my ad here on Pistonheads (by tomorrow).
And if you’re considering the Ring but haven’t been yet, then do it, it is a life changing experience.
Any questions about the Ring,feel free to email me: alan@caret.cam.ac.uk
Al
Here’s a post-Nurburgring report; apologies for its length but I’d like to get across just how great the Noble was.
We set off the Wed night before the Le Mans weekend, 2 cars and 2 bikes, to overnight in Calais for a few drinks and some pre-Ring banter.
The cars; my Noble M12 GTO-3R and a 997 Carrera 2S
The bikes; an Aprilia RSV 1000 and a Kawasaki ZX-10R.
We were also to be joined at the Ring by 4 beer monsters in a Merc 350CLS but that’s another story.
I’ll gloss over the journey to Ring and the adventures on the way. Suffice to say the Noble was an extremely comfortable place to cover distance in; mine has a built in lumber support and I arrived as fresh as a freshman on fresher’s night, even fresher considering the hang-overs we’d magically acquired
So to the Ring; we arrived Thurs eve, too late to get on the track. The timetable for the coming days had changed too, which was good and bad, bad because Friday was closed to World Superbike attendees, good because the scheduled 1 ½ hour session on the Saturday had changed to an all day 8am to 7pm. Yes! The weather too, which had done nothing but rain in torrents since we left, was also about to smile on us.
8am on the Saturday, the sun was shining and we were in the car park buying 8 lap tickets, sober and excited. For those who have never driven the ‘Ring’ before, nothing prepares you for the exhilaration of its steep undulating, ovulating inclines and declines. It quite literally takes your breath away.
Due to the Superbikes, there was a 30km/h restriction on the bridge above the GP track (approx 10 seconds on from the bridge used for the purposes of bridge-to-gantry times), so we started our timing from there. The track's steep crests, many blind corners and sheer length make it nigh on impossible to drive quickly on your first encounter. Consequently your lap times tumble dramatically as you learn bits and pieces. Typically, a crest you initially dared not to take at more than 80mph, is taken at 140mph+ on your 3rd lap once you’ve learned to trust it. At 15.6 miles it’s too much to learn in a mere 8 laps but by lap 4 the time had come down from an initial 9mins 50 to a fairly brisk 8mins 30 (say ~ 8min 40 for a more realistic bridge to Gantry time) which was pretty committed (avg speed somewhere around the 100mph mark) and a testament to just how at home the Noble felt. The Noble attracted more attention (positive as always) than anything, whether in the paddock at the Ring where car enthusiasts and bikers swarmed around it, or at a motorway service station where a bus full of 60+ Czech schoolgirls posed on it for photos. Nice!
Sadly laps 5-8 proved frustrating with multiple crashers (mostly bikes) and yellow flags. We didn’t manage another lap in the 8’s but this didn't detract from a magical day that will live with me forever. Lap after lap the Noble was at least 40 seconds quicker than the Porsche and the bikes were even further back, an eye opener for the bikers who thought they'd clean up. As for the Nordschelife, I return there in my mind constantly and know for a fact I will be back.
Returning home to Blighty, the Noble was once again impeccably behaved and comfortable beyond expectations. We merged into the obligatory Sunday evening M25 traffic jam but once again the Noble took it all in it’s stride, idling at a rock steady 90 degrees throughout. I’ve titled this piece ‘Swan Song at the Ring’ as I now have to sell my beloved 3R. I’ve had the privilege of owning her for the last year and a half during which time she has been meticulously polished and cared for. Nearly everything that could go wrong has been replaced. She’s just had a major service, new brakes with upgraded pads, new rear tyres, and tons more besides. I took her to the TVR Centre for spanner checks both prior and subsequent to the Ring excursion. Several hoses were replaced before the trip and the brake fluid replaced as a precaution on returning. If you’re in the market for one and want a truly beautiful example that will require the minimum of maintenance for the foreseeable future, then check out my ad here on Pistonheads (by tomorrow).
And if you’re considering the Ring but haven’t been yet, then do it, it is a life changing experience.
Any questions about the Ring,feel free to email me: alan@caret.cam.ac.uk
Al
Yes, I was quite pleased with the time for a first attempt at the Ring and am itching to go back and give it another go. I'd dearly love to try it in an M400 with AP Racing Brakes all round.
Rob - as a previous owner I know you have a soft spot for my car. I can only say that she has been an amazing car to own in almost every way. If you recall, I originally planned to sell her a while back but decided to hang on to take her to the Ring. I'm extremely pleased I did.
As things stand I run 2 cars. My 2nd is a JCW Mini Cooper S, which is a very fine car and great ownership prospect. It also complements the Noble well, however I am now in the process of buying an apartment and so have decided to sell both cars. The mini, rapid though it is, is simply not fast enough as an only car. I will attempt to buy something that will fulfill both purposes and leave me some money to throw at the deposit. Consequently I have been looking at an M3 CSL as they’re fun, rapid, have 4 seats and a boot.
I've owned many cars (around 60 all told) including Porsches, Lotus' and Motorsports BMWs and to name but a few but nothing has touched the soul like the Noble. She will be sorely missed.
Btw - thanks for the advice on the brakes. I had standard disks and upgraded pads fitted which are great on the road and don't squeel at all.
Rob - as a previous owner I know you have a soft spot for my car. I can only say that she has been an amazing car to own in almost every way. If you recall, I originally planned to sell her a while back but decided to hang on to take her to the Ring. I'm extremely pleased I did.
As things stand I run 2 cars. My 2nd is a JCW Mini Cooper S, which is a very fine car and great ownership prospect. It also complements the Noble well, however I am now in the process of buying an apartment and so have decided to sell both cars. The mini, rapid though it is, is simply not fast enough as an only car. I will attempt to buy something that will fulfill both purposes and leave me some money to throw at the deposit. Consequently I have been looking at an M3 CSL as they’re fun, rapid, have 4 seats and a boot.
I've owned many cars (around 60 all told) including Porsches, Lotus' and Motorsports BMWs and to name but a few but nothing has touched the soul like the Noble. She will be sorely missed.
Btw - thanks for the advice on the brakes. I had standard disks and upgraded pads fitted which are great on the road and don't squeel at all.
40 secs quicker - dream on. Its faster but not that much faster - even despite the fact that you have been practising the circuit all year on the PS2..
Mind you, I can vouch for the fact that its been pampered though. He was busy cleaning and polishing it every spare second he had. We all went off and watched the superbike qualifying and chatted with the Hawian Tropic girls handing out sun tan cream whilst Alan was busy at the car wash with his pride any joy.. ;-)
Mind you, I can vouch for the fact that its been pampered though. He was busy cleaning and polishing it every spare second he had. We all went off and watched the superbike qualifying and chatted with the Hawian Tropic girls handing out sun tan cream whilst Alan was busy at the car wash with his pride any joy.. ;-)
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