On a perfect crisp and sunny November morning, the Noble M400 looks just right standing in pit lane, an apropos setting for a car that on paper should be quite something to drive. There is still nothing quite like anticipatory anxiety. Having driven more than just a few fast cars in my day, this was something that I was really looking forward to.

On Paper. Designed by Lee Noble of Mclaren fame, one could expect a lot from the car. 0-60 comes in just 3.2 mind boggling seconds; hardly enough time to start and stop the watch, add to that a reported 1.3 g’s in lateral acceleration and this was going to be fun. According to magazine accounts, the Noble M400 is one of the quickest cars ever tested, leaving behind the Porsche GT3, Corvette Z06 and Ford GT. With only 220 cars imported into the U.S. the chances of pulling up next to your self is nil; I like that! Here in Orange County even Ferrari’s are prosaic.

On the Track. I was again fortunate enough to have been selected to drive the “badest” car of the day, tough work ;>). My student, Robert Green, had been to Willow before, so the morning orientation was really more about my becoming familiar with the car, rather than Robert-the track. Robert is one hell of a nice guy, my job was to help him to become faster and smoother with the Noble; not that he needed much help though. Entry into the car is easy, (a whole lot easier than the Lotus that I had) the office is comfortable and the seats supportive. Unlike some of the exotics that I have had the good fortune to drive, even the pedal arrangement is comfortable; not so off-set that you feel as though you are sitting sideways in the car. Start up is not nearly as eventful as the Porsche Carrera GT, but not much is. The car has a nice exhaust note, a bit more muffled than I would like, but a nice tone, non-the-less. Clutch take-up is easy, almost effortless; as a daily driver, traffic would not be an issue. The first four laps in the morning session were rather strange, the car not quite as communicative as I had perhaps expected. The throttle travel felt particularly long and I would have preferred a bit more resistance or “feel” from it. The brakes felt great, nice modulation and almost ideal pedal feel. Steering was quick and spot on. Don’t get me wrong here, the cars goes like stink, but, somehow I was not immediately comfortable with the car; not enough coffee yet?

Second Session Right after lunch, Robert asked me to drive the car again. Twist….ok, that’s enough. After a conservative warm-up lap, I began to press the car a bit harder and all of a sudden the Noble and I spoke the same language. The car was terrific! It did everything asked of it and we understood one another. I told Darren Young (a great driving instructor and gifted racer) after the session that the Noble felt like a completely different car. He told me that he had experienced the same type of thing with a different kind of car once; he could not explain it either. I will never press a student’s car ten-tenths, it isn’t my car, but I can tell you at close to 90% the Noble is just fantastic. Acceleration is stupendous and when the waste gate lets go-the sound is rather difficult to explain or describe; it has a certain chirp to it, but a whistle at the same time-the mating call of some extraterrestrial being perhaps. The car is well balanced and predictable, the brakes far more than adequate, with great feel and modulation. Lap times were quick, as quick as I have ever been around Willow Springs in any car; most of them costing far more than the Noble.

Conclusion. If you are looking for a seriously fast car and something out of the norm, the Noble M400 may just be the car. It is lightning fast, handles great, in fact, as well if not better than anything costing two or three times as much. It has a reliable and serviceable Ford power plant and a bullet proof Getrag gearbox. It is a great looking car and a blast to drive and in my opinion, a sound choice; if you are in that market.

Klaus

O.C.C.E