ADD Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Really interested in one of these m12's, does anyone know much about them? i know there is a 2.5l and a 3l but not sure what the GTO has different to the GTO 3R etc. How would they stand against a supra power wise, as in am i going up or down in performance if i was to get one. any help would be great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I was looking into buying one of these last year. I have test driven the 2.5L and the 3L versions. The M12 GTO is the first model of the M12 that came out.... it is a nice firm drive and very direct on the steering. If you are coming from a stock Supra you would see an increase in performance in terms of getting off the line and definitely braking and cornering. Mid range acceleration is about the same. The M12 GTO 3R is a 6 speed and was released for the track enthusiast... it has a baffled sump and a slight increase in torque curve. Better brakes and different geo setup. The M400 is the best by far and the one I would have chosen. (They are still a little too pricey for my liking). But when I drove one of these I was very impressed. The acceleration off the line is better than a BPU Supra... the braking is definitely better, and the turn in to corners is much more direct and more stable when getting onto the power on corner exit. If you are set for an M12 .... go for the 3L version.... and also go for the 3R if you can afford it. The driving position takes a little to get used to.... you will find the pedals slilghtly off-centre and you do notice some of the 'Ford parts bin' that has been used on some of the interior. But don't let this put you off. I would stay away from the non 3R versions... they had a few issues and they won't give you the full Noble sportscar experience IMO. If you are really wanting one... save up for the M400 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesmark Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I have been a passenger in the M12 2.5, all I can say is 'WOW' the brakes, acceleration and the grip. The car is mental and if I could afford it I would have one in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADD Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 AJI, thanks for that info mate appreciate it! its def the M12 i want but wanna do some test driving first! cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADD Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 I have been a passenger in the M12 2.5, all I can say is 'WOW' the brakes, acceleration and the grip. The car is mental and if I could afford it I would have one in a heartbeat. Really! say compared to a modded soop how would it stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daston Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Really! say compared to a modded soop how would it stand? on the track it would destroy the soop and pretty much anything else. On the road it comes down to many things normally how much the other guy values his lisence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADD Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 on the track it would destroy the soop and pretty much anything else. On the road it comes down to many things normally how much the other guy values his lisence very true! but there is always so much temptation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daston Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 also dosnt the Noble weigh around 1 ton so that would be around 370+bhp per ton your going to need well over 500bho to match that in a supe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesmark Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Really! say compared to a modded soop how would it stand? A lot better, best to go test drive one if you can. I promise you for what they are they are just an awsome car. The guy that was behind the wheel scared the merd out of me with late braking and I am not usually scared behind the wheel or even being a passenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADD Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 also dosnt the Noble weigh around 1 ton so that would be around 370+bhp per ton your going to need well over 500bho to match that in a supe Blimey mate thats some power!!! and to think these guys mod them up to over 400 horses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampy442 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 A friend of mine had a 400, all Ill say is be prepared to have the Noble number on speed dial lol. Main probs were exhausts cracking, trim items falling off and waterleaks. As above they go like stink, look good but have a few quality issues and Ford parts scattered liberally about Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daston Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 A friend of mine had a 400, all Ill say is be prepared to have the Noble number on speed dial lol. Main probs were exhausts cracking, trim items falling off and waterleaks. As above they go like stink, look good but have a few quality issues and Ford parts scattered liberally about Go for it! hey but their brittish lol. I can't imagine Noble being cheap on the old serviceing either and I bet like most cars of that sort if you dont get it serviced by the dealer you might as well give it away when come to sell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesmark Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 and I bet like most cars of that sort if you dont get it serviced by the dealer you might as well give it away when come to sell That could be a bit hard, as there are only 6 UK dealers. The boy that I know that has one is a mechanic and does all his own work on the Noble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daston Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 That could be a bit hard, as there are only 6 UK dealers. The boy that I know that has one is a mechanic and does all his own work on the Noble. That is a good point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesmark Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 That is a good point I agree, but will only work if the owners use those dealers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 One of the better "kit cars" but a PITA nonetheless. TBH on the multitude of track days I have done I have never seen a Noble that was going impressively quickly. It may be they attract the spit and polish, bar talk owners who are afraid to let them rip, it may be they just don't rip. As I could never envisage wanting one I have never explored their true potential, but I agree with Swampy, they need years more development. They are a mishmash of bits. Let's face facts, Toyota probably spent more on the development of the heating system in a Yaris than Noble could justify on the whole project. Such disparate development investment shows. To me they don't even LOOK pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 One of the better "kit cars" Do you have any opinions of other "kit cars" Chris? I was looking at getting something road legal track car (mk1 MX-5) to drive to and from events, but after seeing Ryan's F27 I started thinking more about the various Caterham style kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_p Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Jonty on here has one, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_p Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Do you have any opinions of other "kit cars" Chris? I was looking at getting something road legal (mk1 MX-5) to drive to and from events, but after seeing Ryan's F27 I started thinking more about the various Caterham style kits. If you want a road car then I wouldn't go down the Caterham route, they have too many issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 If you want a track day car that you can go seriously quickly in without spending a fortune, yet drive on the road to and fro events then a Caterham or Westfield would be ideal, IMHO. Avoid K series engines like the plague, a 16 valve Vauxhall engined one, with a dry sump set up would be fast and reliable. V8 ones are never very good, too nose heavy. A lot depends on the budget, as always, but they are easy to work on, there's a wealth of knowledge out there, and a huge well of parts, new and used. You don't need massive power to go really well, 210 / 220 BHP is plenty, and a 2 litre 16 valver will give that on carbs with cams and a bit of porting and a very basic ignition only management system (ex Formula Vauxhall / Lotus engines are ideal and cheap). Stick a chisel nose on it and a rudimentary back wing and it'll frighten you, and mega power Supras will become an irritating nuisance on all but the lengthiest tracks be careful though, there are some sheds out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 If you want a track day car that you can go seriously quickly in without spending a fortune, yet drive on the road to and fro events then a Caterham or Westfield would be ideal I don't know what my budget will be yet, It'll be a while before I get the credit cards paid off. I was perhaps thinking of other similar style cars, is it a case of you get what you pay for or are you paying that bit more for the name with the proper Caterham/Westfield's? ...goes off to look at autotrader for vauxhall engined examples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Off topic again but I found a nice Zeus for you Chris (which you've probably already seen anyway). http://www.racecarsdirect.com/viewlisting.php?view=13388 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JODY T Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 This is from personal experiance of a M12 GTO! DO NOT BUY ONE! I have one here at the mo, ill get some pics and explain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JODY T Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Oooh that lines up nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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