YOU CAN'T COMPETE WITH NOBILITY!
Move over peasants the Noble has arrived, bringing with it a fury of performance and British sophistication!
The Noble M400 is a purebred sports cars from well known British manufacturer Noble. Manufacturing of the M400 didn't actually take place in England though, but instead it was outsourced to a world class specialized auto manufacturing plant, Hi-Tech Automotive, based in Port Elizabeth, in sunny South Africa.
The M400 utilizes a mid-mounted tranverse engine design and it also uses quite an unexpected power plant, a Ford motor, can you believe it. The powerplant began life as a 3L DOHC Duratec V6 that could be found in the Ford Mondeo ST220, not terribly exciting for a supercar at first thought we must admit. Luckily all isn't as it seems, as this engine is then fitted with high-lift camshafts, revised fuel injections and two sexy turbochargers. Sounds more supercar-like now doesn't it? It also sees the addition of forged pistons, an oil cooler, a larger baffled oil sump, and extra cooling ducts, all aiding in durablity and longevity of the motor. All these upgrades gives the car a power output of 317kW with a punchy torque figure of 530Nm. It also makes uses of a very strong Getrag 6 speed manual transmission, with a Quaife automatic torque-biasing differential.
That might not sound like your average supercar power output but don't forget that this car is super lightweight, coming in at only 1060kg, giving this red devil a power-to-weight ratio of just over 400bhp/ton. This allows it to sprint to 100km/h from standstill in a blistering 3.2 seconds with a 1/4 mile coming in at only 11.4 seconds at 192.8km/h. It also has a very respectable top speed of 301km/h.
The car definitely has a timeless but intimidating look, with bold lines and loads of distinctive features, from its teardrop shaped headlights, to it's side cooling vents, integrated rear ducktail spoiler and then of course that rather large GT-style rear wing. Another really unique feature of the car is the front nosecone as well as rear-end that are single piece items and opens in a rather awesome way, like some kind of spaceship, also making access to the motor very simple and easy.
The interior of the car is simple, yet functional and very racecar-like. It's bathed in Alcantara, covering the steering wheel, interior trim panels and those gorgeous bucket seats, with the M400 logo embroidered into the top of the seats as well. The car also comes standard with Willans 4-point race harnesses, indicating once again this car's definite racing feel. The dashboard is simple, with all the neccesary gauges right in front of you, while the centre console houses an epic engine start button, A/C controls and the vital turbo boost gauge as well as a combined oil temp and pressure gauge. The car even comes with a great standard sound system using components from one of the best car audio manufacturers in the world, Rockford Fosgate.
This Noble is actually extra special, as it's the last one to come off the production line, number 28 to be exact. This little monster gives you some proper supercar performance figures, even though it doesn't produce the biggest amount of power, but it's that clever weight advantage that it's got going for it. Whether you use it as a road car or a weekend track toy, it'll promise you some epic fun and will no doubt put a smile on your face every time you hop into the drivers seat.
Car Specs
Model: Noble M400
Power: 317kW
CHECK OUT THE PHOTO-SHOOT OF NIKKI WITH THE NOBLE M400 HERE:
NIKKI DU PLESSIS - NOBLE M400 - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW & PICTURES