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The steering is quick to respond but never nervous or twitchy because

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The steering is quick to respond, but never nervous or twitchy, because every input yields exactly the expected response. The front wheels munch into a bend as though coated in Sellotape, the rear wheels hang on with similar tenacity but drift gently when that tenacity is breached. The Noble works with you; you never need to fight it.Nobles have been ever thus, but this one grips more with its soft and sticky Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres, has more feedback in its fantastic steering and stays even more firmly clamped to the road. Special Dynamics race dampers from Multimatic help here, as does a front anti-roll bar hitherto eschewed by Noble but fitted to nearly every other car apart from a Lotus Elise. Yet the ride is supple, as I discover on a straight but fiendishly camber-changing road that has defeated the composure and directional stability of an early-1990s Porsche 911 Turbo.There is no stereo in this car as standard, and minimal luggage space. Reverse parking it takes practice, although it behaves perfectly in traffic.The car is easy to live with, but you have to accept compromises. The key thing is that the M400 is spectacularly good at doing what it is intended to do: it delivers on its promise.

It is smaller, less extravagant and less obvious than its glamorous Italian rivals, and that certainly appeals to me. Would I have one? Funds permitting (which they do not), undoubtedly.FACT FILEM14With the M14, Noble hopes to compete with the established supercars on their own terms. Fittings such as lights and stalks are bespoke instead of borrowed from mass-production cars, the ambience is more refined high-end GT than civilised-for-the-road track car, the detailing is better and the cars will be built entirely in the UK. Power is 400bhp, 0-60mph arrives in an estimated 4.3 seconds (Noble has not had it running yet), a 190mph maximum speed is expected, and the price will be £74,950.M12 GTO-3R This has been Noble's mainstream car, developed from the former M10 of which few were made. Power is 352bhp, the gearbox is a Getrag six-speed unit with a limited-slip differential, 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds, price £49,950 (air-con extra). Airbags and anti-lock brakes are absent, as in all Nobles; customers prefer the purity of that absence.M400 The "Club Sport" M12, costing £55,995 for which you get more power (425bhp), yet more pace, a sharper gearshift and racing seats. Most of that extra £6,000 goes on the engine, but in this rarefied world the M400 - 185mph and 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds - is still a relative bargain.M12 GTC Due for sale next spring, this is an open-top M12 with two removable "targa" roof panels which can be stored behind the seats.

The centre cover over the roll-over bars is also removable, but you have to leave that part at home. Having one turbocharger instead of two has released more space around the engine, used for an extra luggage boot. Power drops to 290bhp, 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, price £44,950.. Specifications Price: £40,945 Engine: 4.2 V8 Performance: 0 to 62mph in 5.9 seconds, 20.5mpg CO2: 331g/km Worth Considering: BMW M3, Mercedes CLK Cabriolet, second-hand Maserati Spyder Specifications Price: £40,945 Engine: 4.2 V8 Performance: 0 to 62mph in 5.9 seconds, 20.5mpg CO2: 331g/km Worth Considering: BMW M3, Mercedes CLK Cabriolet, second-hand Maserati Spyder Parties must be frustrating places for Audi engineers. They surely long to tell people just what work they put into designing their cars; how, for example, they managed to slim down Audi's powerful V8 unit so they could shoehorn it into the S4's engine bay, cutting weight and increasing performance.They must yearn to explain just how the complex suspension system works with the car's supremely road-gripping four-wheel drive system to help deliver power and handling with utter assurance and refinement.They know that if they do this, of course, they will be taking an early taxi home when everyone suddenly finds the huddle of accountants at the other end of the room incredibly interesting.If they are hardly noticed at parties, their presence is utterly invisible inside the S4, and that's high praise indeed. Every aspect of its design is so accomplished and smoothly ergonomic that you barely notice the car is there, and drive with an enjoyment unencumbered by quirks or annoyances.It's extremely comfortable, quiet with the roof up, and mostly steady with it down.

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