Noble M12 Review (2001 to 2006)

Quick Summary

The Noble M12 is a car that rewards the diligent owner. Pick one up that's been babied and it'll give long and reliable service. Find one that's been abused and you'll probably never look at another. The best picks are the later GTO-3 and 3-R models although for all-out aggression, the M400 must be sampled.

Overall:

Models Covered:(2 dr coupe, 2 dr roadster, 2.5, 3.0 petrol [M12 GTO, M12 GTO-3, M12 GTC-3, M12 GTO-3R, M400])

NOBLE METAL

There's something very refreshing about Noble's appearance on the British sports car scene that took me a moment or two to identify. Then it struck me. The success of the M12 model was entirely meritocratic, relying on the inherent strength of the product rather than leaning on corporate identity, a big advertising budget or motorsport heritage. The M12 just stood up to close scrutiny. Here's how to find a used example and what to keep your eyes open for.
Used Noble M12 for sale

History of the M12

I remember writing the very first Newcomers piece for Car magazine on the Noble M12 and having to desperately cajole the editor into running a piece on what he felt was a hopped-up kit car. Back in October 2000, this was a market dominated by Porsche Boxsters, TVR Tuscans and bread van BMW M Coupes, all waiting nervously for Lotus to launch its M250, a car that never made production. Company founder Lee Noble had generated some copy previously with the capable but ugly M10 but the 310bhp M12 hit the mark in so many ways.It was keenly priced for a car this good looking and with a power to weight ratio that would shame a Lamborghini Diablo. At £44,950, it went smack into the medium range sports coupe market and in terms of ability decimated them all. Orders overwhelmed Noble's tiny Barwell factory unit and, for a while, all was rosy.The 2.5-litre Noble M12 GTO mutated into the 3.0-litre M12 GTO-3 in summer 2003, the bigger Ford engine now pumping out 352bhp. A better equipped GTO-3R was also offered as well as a questionable 290bhp GTC-3 cabrio, but prices were now creeping up above £50,000. In late 2004, the ultimate M12 incarnation, the M400, appeared. This cranked out a banshee 425bhp but at £61,995, Noble's ambition and past success had rather gone to the company's head. What was refreshing and appealing in a £45,000 car was suddenly held up to harsher scrutiny when Porsche 911 money was being asked. Sales tailed off, plans for ever more ambitious cars were announced that came to nought and the market awaits Noble's next move with bated breath.
Used Noble M12 for sale

Noble M12 Road Test

Lee Noble's office is decorated with images of his cars racing at Le Mans and Daytona and goes some way to explaining how a 'new' manufacturer had produced a car that felt so right, straight out of the box. The M12 GTO wowed critics and established Noble as probably the UK's premier niche sports car manufacturer. Unable to turn over the volumes of the likes of Lotus and TVR can, however, have its advantages. Development lead times can be cut if you're relatively small and swift and this means that small companies can often get the drop on bigger ones. The car most used Noble buyers are increasingly turning to is the GTO-3R. It ditched the 2.5-litre engine used in early M12 models in favour of a gutsier 3.0-litre unit. It's still a turbocharged Ford Duratec V6 engine but this time round it's capable of generating some 352bhp of power – up a whacking 42bhp on its predecessor – but equally importantly the torque rose commensurately, making the Noble feel even more powerful than that. Capable of reeling off the sprint to 60mph in 3.9 seconds and demolishing the 100mph mark in 9 seconds flat, the M12 GTO 3-R is a bona fide premier league performer. The soundtrack is a sonic barrage, a number of orchestra pieces battering each other with their instruments. The exhaust stakes claim first, rising to a hacking bark with every blip of the stiffly sprung throttle. The engine generates the familiar gruff metallic tones overlaid by waffling air intake and a storm of forced induction as the turbochargers spool up from around 2500rpm. The power assistance in the steering is welcome, but forget about any other electronic aid. Traction control or ABS don't figure in the Noble vocabulary. Deploying the four-pot AP Racing calipers firmly, however, is enough to hang you from the harnesses before dry grip is relinquished. There's little turbo lag, and with a power to weight ratio in excess of anything a Lamborghini Diablo VT or Ferrari 360 Modena can muster, the scenery explodes through the M12's screen when the throttle pedal hits the bulkhead. The six-speed gearbox, faired in headlamps and Quaife differential all mark the GTO-3R as something a little different to a cooking M12. There are still no anti-lock brakes to be had, but cornering grip has been taken to a new level of ridiculousness despite the GTO 3-R eschewing the fitment of anti roll bars. Don't ask me how it works, it's probably just the result of Lee Noble's amazing heuristic problem solving skills. The ride is more supple than any car that corners in this fashion has a right to possess, the car running on low profile 18-inch Bridgestone rubber.
Used Noble M12 for sale

Buying a Noble M12

As with any low volume sports car, there are a number of issues to look out for. The engines trend to be tough but if you plan to do a lot of track work, it's worth fitting a baffled sump to prevent oil starvation. The Magneti Marelli electronic control unit fitted to early 2.5-litre powerplants were notoriously susceptible to failure, later being replaced by an MBE chip. It's not a straightforward upgrade from one to another as the loom needs to be swapped out. Early GTOs were also plagued with overheating issues caused by the fan being directly mounted to the radiator whereas later cars were fitted with a shroud. Suspension tends to be sturdy but look for ball joint failures. Brakes were upgraded from flexible to solid brake lines and if the handbrake light comes on during enthusiastic cornering, this spells low fluid levels. Bodywork is solid but the front clamshell can stone chip easily. Early 3.0-litre cars have been known to blow exhaust baffles. Air conditioning systems can be rather intermittent, shutting down due to heatsoak from the turbochargers.
Used Noble M12 for sale

Noble M12 Typical Pricing

The first of the 2001 Noble M12 GTO 2.5-litre cars are currently changing hands for around £22,000 with average mileages although cars that have lived a harder life are just starting to nudge the £20,000 mark. Around £25,000 is the opening price on one of the gutsier GTO-3 models with the 3R fetching from around £27,000. The M400 is a more specialist piece of kit and these kick off at around £38,000.
Used Noble M12 for sale

Noble M12 Parts

(Estimated prices, based on a 2002 M12 GTO 2.5) Any parts that are generic Ford items can be sourced fairly cheaply. Noble-specific bits are considerably pricier. For example, an oil filter is £15, a starter motor is £199 and a headlight unit is £47. By contrast, a windscreen is £623, a front clamshell £2,270 and a clutch is £363. Budget £1,500 per annum for spares and servicing and you shouldn't be too far off the mark.
Used Noble M12 for sale