Noble M400: You Know You Want To

As fast as a Ferrari 360 CS for a fraction of the price

If you want a seriously fast car that's as competent on a bumpy B-road as it is on track we have a suggestion - forget about a Ferrari or a 911 GT3 and buy a Noble M400.

What on earth else could you buy for £45K with this level of performance? A similar 360 Challenge Stradale will now set you back between £130,000 for a well-used example and around £200K for a car in this condition.

Kept the M12's good bits, improved the bad

Furthermore, as we saw last week, a Porsche 997 GT3 is well over £60,000 while the more evenly matched RS is approaching six figures. Worse still, both the Ferrari and the Porsche are appreciating in value which is a blessing if you want to store them and a curse if you actually want to drive. Imagine spinning off in either the Ferrari or Porsche - you'd never forgive yourself.

No, if it were my money the Noble would strike the better balance. Especially when, in most people's hands, you'll be quicker in the Brit anyway.

Don't believe us? Well take a look at the power-to-weight ratio for the M400 - 406hp per tonne (not just a pretty name, huh?). The heavyweight GT3 RS that's all the way from sunny Stuttgart crushes the scales and can only manage 285hp per tonne. Who cares that the Noble's figures are actually a bit of a cheat (the engineers had to remove the 25kg air-con plumbing to break the magic four hundred barrier), the 430hp M400 is still capable of 60mph in 3.5 seconds and 185mph.

Under the skin the M400 was Noble's chance to address all the criticisms of the M12. That's why the six-speed 'box came with a completely new mechanism that actually allowed fast gearchanges and the awkward driving position was fixed with a pair of gorgeous Sparco seats. Sitting lower in the car there was even space to wear a crash helmet. Moreover, engineers added stiffer suspension to cope with high cornering forces and more frequent track use, while changes in suspension geometry meant when the rear did break away it was more progressive and catchable. Steering that had more turns lock-to-lock helped as well.

Reworked 3.0 V6 gives 185mph potential

And don't get snooty about the oily bits. Remember Roush did much of the work to liberate 430hp from the twin turbo 3.0-litre V6. There were high-lift cams, forged pistons, two larger Garrett T28 turbos, revised fuel pumps and larger injectors, while both oil and water cooling were also improved.

Better still it's a tractable old donk and despite the full 390lb ft of torque only available at a high-sounding 5,000rpm, most of it (75 per cent) is there at 3,000rpm.

On the road the M400 feels a big step up from the M12 but still shares its wonderful steering that only something hailing from Hethel can match. Up the pace and it just gets better because the Noble is one of those cars that doesn't fight the road surface. OK, it doesn't flow like an Elise or Exige but there's compliance other track day heroes don't have. There's never that horrible feeling you're about to be bounced into the next postcode when you're really going for it - and driving fast is difficult to resist in the Noble.

Despite those intimidating Le Mans Group C racer looks it's a friendly soul and, as my colleagues tell me, has a playful nature on track. In any case, that 3.0-litre is a wonderful thing and it's amazing how much traction is available - hence the surprising (read terrifying) cross country speeds that are attainable.

Well you can't see it when you're driving

Of course it's not perfect. It's noisy as hell, there's no luggage space whatsoever and, from memory, rain always had an knack of working its way around the door seals at motorway speeds - hence requiring air-con for demisting.

So there we have it. The Noble is far from flawless but the natural step up from something like an Elise. And just think, while those sad Porsche RS and Ferrari 360 CS owners enjoy a spot of gardening, safe in the knowledge their cars are locked away in an air conditioned garage, you'll be having the time of your life setting PBs at your local circuit.

In your world stone chips and the odd scuff will be the souvenir of an adrenaline-fuelled weekend at Spa, rather than a profit warning on your blue chip investment.

NOBLE M400
Price: £46,500
Why you should: Really fast, really fun, great value
Why you shouldn't: Not one for badge snobs

See the advert here.

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macky17

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