Super Car

International automotive experts have called it, "The ultimate driver's machine." It has been described as "wild, yet civilized," and it has been said that the Noble M12 GTO-3R "offers pure, raw racing performance."

With styling reminiscent of the Lotus GT1, and its noble heritage, I was pleasantly stunned when I first saw this striking automobile at last year's Carlisle Kit Car/Replicar Nationals. I was astonished by its beauty and luxury. Viewing it and thinking of it as a new and exciting member of the specialty car arena, all I could say, was "Wow...this is one super supercar."

The Noble M12 GTO-3R is the latest creation of English auto legend Lee Noble. Noble earned automobile nobility for his design work on such supercars as the Ultima, Ascari, McLaren F1 (chassis development), Prosport 3000, Lola T70 replicas, and Ferrari P4 re-creations. His latest creation, the M12 GTO-3R, certainly is in the same class as its three elder sisters. Built by Noble Moy Automotive and sold as rolling chassis or turnkey-minus in America, exclusively by 1G Racing, the Noble M12 GTO-3R is pre-assembled at Hi-Tech Autos in South Africa.

Lee Noble hit the specialist sports car market in the late '90s, and the M12 GTO-3R is the culmination of his artistry and understanding of automobiles and their market.

The Noble M12 is shipped to 1G Racing the same way it is shipped to Noble UK--assembled without engine and transmission. The cars will be sold in limited quantities as a component rolling chassis only, making this, not a kit car per se, but a nearly complete component car, ready to accept the buyer's drivetrain (engine/transaxle).

The car's look is...well...super. Its flowing lines, exciting carbon-fiber rear wing, sexy and angular encased halogen triple-headlights, and low profile are all breathtaking. It sits a road-hugging 45 inches high and 72 inches wide with an overall length of 161 inches and a wheelbase of 96 inches. The body is made of GRP composite with removable front and rear sections.

The frame is cold-rolled steel spaceframe with bonded and riveted alloy panels. Integrated into it is a full safety rollcage. Suspension is provided by double-wishbones front and rear, with coil springs and alloy uprights, and there are Bilstein shock absorbers all around.

The customer-supplied engines can vary, but Noble specs an all-alloy block twin-turbocharged V-6 Ford Mondeo 3.0L engine, Garret water-cooled turbocharger with a Getrag Ford six-speed gearbox, and Quaife automatic torque biasing differential. You may think that a V-6 isn't enough for this supercar, but at 2,169 pounds curb weight, the 3.0L mill that churns out 360 hp, dyno'd at 3,500 rpm with 370 lb-ft of torque, can reach a top speed of 175 mph, can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and can cover the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds. This aerodynamically superior beauty also has a road-sticking ability that rivals any road or track car on the market, including testing favorably against Lamborghini Murcielago, Porsche 911 GT3, BMW M3, and TVR T350c.

For the best in safety, brakes are from Noble/AP racing, ventilated and cross-drilled front and rear with four-piston alloy calipers, and the windshield glass is shatterproof. Rack-and-pinion steering has hydraulic power assistance and is 2.6 turns from lock to lock.

The wheels are Noble-designed 10-spoke, one-piece alloy with polished rims, 8.5x18 inches in front and 10x18 inches in rear, covered by Bridgestone Potenza S-03 tires, 225/R40/ZR18s in front and 265/R35/ZR18s behind.

As editor of KIT CAR, I have been espousing the need for kit cars, component cars, and specialty cars to pay attention to their interiors, as the exteriors are already honed to perfection. Well, the Noble has exceeded my expectations with a factory-finished interior that is 21st century and beyond. Interior equipment includes a MOMO Tornado three-spoke steering wheel, full sweet, sensuous suede Alcantara and leather trim, fore and aft seat adjustment, reach-adjustable steering column, turbo-boost gauge, courtesy lights, internally adjustable door mirrors, remote-control Sony CD tuner with rotating radio/CD sound system and detachable active black control panel, 2x3-way door speakers and roof aerial, engine start button, fitted map pockets, and extra soundproofing...and luxurious is the only way to describe it. Interior options include air conditioning, tailored luggage bags (set of six), 10-disc CD autochanger, tailored car cover, and alarm/immobilizer.

On the road, this car has tested out superbly. The car can out-corner a Lotus Elise and out-accelerate a McLaren F1. The car is road sticky and smooth handling, and its and Lee Nobel's racing background certainly are envisioned and experienced when you are behind the wheel of this street-legal and track-worthy supercar.

The Noble M12 GTO-3R may have a long name, and it may be a component car that you can finish by ONLY adding an engine and transaxle, but it can only be described by one word: SUPERCAR.