Press Release
Page 1: Noble M400
Page 2: Chassis
Page 3: Interior/Exterior
Page 4: Specifications
NOBLE WIPES SUPERCAR BOARD CLEAN WITH NEW M400 MODEL
Anyone who has driven a Noble M12 on a race circuit will attest to the car's polished handling, user-friendly nature and - of course - its vivid performance. But there's an irony here, because the M12 was always designed as a comfortable and breathtakingly fast road car first, with track-day competence thrown in as a bonus.
This has led Noble Automotive to develop the M400, a car that takes full advantage of the scope left in the M12's chassis and engine for drivers who seek even more focus in their performance and dynamics. With a power to weight ratio of 400bhp per tonne (hence the name), the M400 is not only substantially more powerful than the other cars in the M12 range, but it also showcases a variety of unique features not seen in other Nobles.
At £55,995, the M400 is not only one of the fastest production cars of its type, but its chassis - which in standard M12 form uniquely marries high-speed composure with low-speed ride compliance - has now been sharpened to give the driver even greater control of the car at speed.
But none of this has been achieved at the expense of the M400's road manners. Thanks to completely new, highly sophisticated dampers, the M400 has lost little of the M12's ride quality, which means that it is still as usable as any other M12 on the public road. Make no mistake, the M400 is so much more than just a 'track-day special'.
ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN
- 425bhp, 390lb ft
- High-lift camshafts
- Forged pistons
- Larger turbochargers
- Bespoke engine map
- Oil cooler
- Improved engine cooling
- Larger-capacity, baffled oil sump
- New gearshift mechanism
At the heart of the M400 is the 3.0-litre, 24-valve V6 engine that can be found in the current M12 range. However, power is now increased by 21 per cent to 425bhp and torque by 11 per cent to 390lb ft.
Internally, the engine has been modified with higher-lift cams and forged, rather than cast pistons, for extra strength. The forged pistons have been included as a safety feature for the engine, rather than out of necessity: in fact, the development car that spawned the M400 has covered many thousands of reliable miles on cast pistons with an even higher output than the production M400. Add to this the usual tuning recipe that goes into each and every Noble engine, and owners can be assured of plenty of durable high-performance.
The M400 retains the twin-turbocharged arrangement of the standard GTO-3 and 3R models, but now has a brace of larger Garrett T28 turbochargers, which produce maximum boost at 0.85bar, replacing the standard cars' T25s. A revised fuel pump and larger injectors cater for the M400's improved performance.
Working with leading automotive engineers, Roush Technologies, Noble has developed a bespoke engine map for the M400, which makes full use of the power and torque available in the mid- to top-end of the rev-range, allowing the 3.0-litre V6 to pull strongly right up to its 7200rpm limiter. The maximum 425bhp of power is now produced at 6500rpm (300rpm up on other models) and the maximum 390lb ft of torque at 5000rpm, with 75 per cent of this figure available from just 3500rpm.
Since Noble expects a majority of M400 owners to drive or compete with their cars on race circuits, it has also incorporated the following as standard:
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Air-cooled oil cooler
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Enlarged side air-scoops for improved engine bay cooling
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Enlarged front air-intakes to allow a greater volume of air into the radiator
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A single, dual-function oil pressure/oil temperature gauge, located next to the turbo-boost gauge on the dash-centre (the location of the pre-production press car's gauge differs slightly)
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A baffled 'track-day' oil sump with larger, 8.5-litre capacity, which is a cost option on other Noble models.
Completing the drivetrain upgrades is a completely new gearshift mechanism for the six-speed manual gearbox, which uses low-maintenance, dry-running polymer bearings. The gearlever is now mounted slightly higher in the cabin and moves through a far quicker and more precise gate than before, making committed driving on circuit or road a pleasure.
