2007 Noble M400

NEWS & REVIEWS Getting a Noble M400 delivered to your driveway is as complex a global journey as the routing to a Microsoft call center in India. First you order a body and chassis from British-based Noble’s supplier in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. That gets shipped to Noble’s U.S. importer, 1G Racing, in Hamilton, Ohio. They then send it to an engine shop of your choosing, where a Rouschbuilt twin-turbo 3.0-liter Ford V-6 and six-speed Getrag ’box is bolted in. Then, and only then, can you go drive it. It’s all about getting around U.S. crash regs. But have patience; the end result is worth the pain and suffering. With 425 bhp powering a body that tips the scales at a featherweight 2,350 pounds, performance is explosive. As in zero-to-60 mph in 3.3 seconds. And on the track, there’s nothing that can touch it. Reckon on spending $66,900 for the rolling chassis and another $20 grand on a power train. Can you handle it? PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge

2006 Noble M400

NEWS & REVIEWS If you have the need for speed on the weekends, and you’re looking for a killer track car, the Noble M400 has your name written all over it. This is the race-bred, big-wing version of the M12 GTO-3R, designed to accept a 425-bhp twin-turbo V-6 and six-speed Getrag manual shifter. Foot to the floor, you’re looking at zero-to-60-mph acceleration in 3.3 seconds and a 185-mph top speed. The car’s poise, balance, steering, and Superglue grip recently earned it the title of “Britain’s Best Driver’s Car” from Britain’s Autocar magazine. And that was up against such machinery as Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS and Lamborghini’s Gallardo. U.S. crash regs mean you have to buy the fully trimmed body and engine separately. But that allows an owner to tailor the car even further to their own requirements. You’ll spend around $67K for the car and $23K for the engine, but the end result will be dynamite. PHOTOS: click photos to enlarge