Noble M400: best GT car of the year

[gheba_nsx]

I read the article today... this is the yearly comparison they do in December every year. The cars were tested by ex F1 driver Martin Brundle (very nice person and NSX owner )... so there is no issue about a not capable driver!

The "MY 2004" cars tested were:

ASTON MARTIN DB9
AUDI RS6 PLUS
BMW 120d
FORD GT
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
LOTUS ELISE 111R
LOTUS EXIGE
MERCEDES SLK 350
MERCEDES CL65 AMG
MG ZT V8
MITSUBISHI EVO 8 FQ-340
NOBLE M400
PORSCHE 996 GT3 RS
PORSCHE 997 S
RENAULT CLIO SPORT 182
RENAULT MEGANE 225
SUBARU IMPREZA WR1
TVR T350
VAUXHALL MONARO
VAUHHALL VXR 220.

The NOBLE M400 was best overall and won the categories: best chassis, best handling, best setup and best laptime in 48:83 seconds, giving over 1 second to the PORSCHE GT3 RS and 2 seconds (!!!) to the LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO and FORD GT.

"Only" 3 seconds to the fantastic MITUSBISHI EVO 8 FQ-430 that really deserves a lot of respect...

Also the new HOT cars in the sport category (sub 100k$) were destroyed by the Noble: 4 seconds better than the 997 S, TVR T350, VXR220, LOTUS ELISE 111R and LOTUS EXIGE. 6 seconds given to the very powerful AUDI RS, ASTON DB9 and MB CL 65 AMG

This is the track:

Now, I really want one! :biggrin: :biggrin:

www.carmagazine.co.uk

 

[NetViper]

Too bad there was no NSX-R on his list. That would have been interesting.

I enjoyed his DVD "Martin Brundles Supercars".

 

[gheba_nsx]

I agree, too bad the NSX-R is a MY2002, because the track is very techincal and also ideal for it.

I would imagine a 2s-3s delay for the NSX-R, which would be fantastic (and he knows how to drive it too ).

PS: I would also be interested in the NSX time but it would probably end in the 5+ seconds delay range...

 

[jgtcnsx]

why were these cars tested??? no enzo, carreara gt, slr mclaren, saleen s7??
what category did they put them under or are they just some cars the picked? is there a reason for those choices? just curious why that selection

 

[ADNOH]

why were these cars tested??? no enzo, carreara gt, slr mclaren, saleen s7??
what category did they put them under or are they just some cars the picked? is there a reason for those choices? just curious why that selection

Maybe they werent able to get their hands on one of those cars.

 

[jgtcnsx]

ya true, but they cant say the noble is the best because they didnt test it with the best.

 

[gheba_nsx]

jgtcnsx,
I do not know... I liked the article and I posted the result... if it disturbs you let me know and I'll delete it.

Enzo is not a MY2004 car and also too expensive to get one to test. the carreAra GT, McLaren SLR and Saleen have the same problem... you won't get one from the producer/importer. Also Top Gear had to get them directely from owners... and CAR needed them all the same day to have same condition+driver.

 

[jgtcnsx]

it doesnt disturb me hahaha im just wondering how they can say that is the best car without testing supposidly the best

 

[gheba_nsx]

I still think that the Noble M400 remains the best GT car available. Regarding or not this CAR magazine test or wether or not other cars should have been tested against it...

It is faster than GT3 RS, Gallardo and FordGT, it has 425bhp at 6500rpm and 390lb ft of torque at 5000rpm and it weights only 1060kg (=2300lbs)!

0-60mph: 3.5 seconds
0-100mph: 8.0 seconds
1/4 mile: high 12s
Top speed: 185mph

And all this for 100k$! Do you really need to comapre it with 600k+ dollars cars to state that it is the best? At least in the "real world" class (and the FordGT or Gallardo are not exactly in this category...).

The new C6-Z06 could post similar numbers (altought a bit lower) and it will cost 20-25k less. But I still prefer the exclusivity, look and LIGHTWEIGHT of the M400 against it.

So yes, IMO it is the BEST GT available!

 

[jgtcnsx]

hey if thats your favorite car thats fine. but you cant say its better cause the price. thats like saying a really good restaruant makes great chesseburgers but because mcdonalds are only a dollar they are better. :biggrin: but if thats your favorite, represent it :smile:

 

[gheba_nsx]

hey if thats your favorite car thats fine. but you cant say its better cause the price. thats like saying a really good restaruant makes great chesseburgers but because mcdonalds are only a dollar they are better. :biggrin: but if thats your favorite, represent it :smile:

You know what? I keep saying this. IMO it is the best car.

 

[Enzo]

Hi Gheba,

Thanks for the article ! Do you know if the Noble is street legal in Switzerland ?

 

[gheba_nsx]

No, unfortunately not yet.

My friend, the owner of DAX Rush, Modena and 996GT2, badly wants one... he may go through the process of first registering one. Then it will be easier...

I really start thinking that it will be my "next" NEW NSX!

 

[Zman]

C & D got a 0-60 time of 3.3 sec in a M12GTO3R. I bet the M400 would be about 3.0 sec.

Gheba_NSX- Have you driven an M400? The acceleration and handling is outrageous. In fact the car is so quick that we almost hit some birds and would have if Dean of 1gracing didn't let off the accelerator!!

 

[slashmatt]

When it comes to fast 0-60 times, below 4.0 seconds, it's a crap shoot on street tires. Even the giant 335's that come stock on our Viper can't hook up. If you lower the pressure to hook up, that's cheating because it is no longer driveable. Light weight, like the Noble, can help because of momentum. You've got a smaller mass to move. 0-60 times would be so much higher on drag slicks, it's not even funny. 3.3 second runs are probably one in a million on properly inflated street tires, even for a Noble.

Also, saying the Nobel is "faster" than a Ford GT isn't particularly correct either. It's quicker because of the shorter gears and ease of hooking up, but horsepower is necessary for high speed performance because that's what overcomes drag. Over 120, I guarantee a Ford GT/Enzo/SLR/etc.. is faster than a Noble. For the "real world", acceleration is king though.

I do know that top gear got the same exact time on wet tracks for both the NSX-R and the Noble M12GTO, which is a very impressive showing for the NSX-R. I would have liked to see the results on a dry track though.

Just rambling...