Brit "Top Dog" Show GTS vs Noble

[Kai SRT10]

Brit \"Top Dog\" Show GTS vs Noble

I watched this segment of a British car show where they pit a Viper GTS against the British Noble kit car. Even though the Viper won, I wanted to strangle the one "talking head" who just wouldn't shut up about how a Viper is only good in a straight line, and can't handle on the track. It was clear that he's never driven a viper.

I wonder what some of you GTS owners think about this guy's comments.

http://www.sleepy-fish.com/ph_vids/Top_Dog_Viper_lo.wmv


http://www.sleepy-fish.com/ph_vids/Top_Dog_Noble_lo.wmv

 

[BadVenm]

Re: Brit \"Top Dog\" Show GTS vs Noble

Great links! Thanks a mil!

That race car driver that kept saying that the Viper can't handle, must be a wussy open wheel race car driver that gets help from a bunch of cheater nose wings and down force tricks that real race cars don't use to claim the Viper can't handle on the track!

I see the Noble is for sale in the back of the Dupont Registry, but it says US sales are in $50k-ish range without the motor.???? Cool looking car, but why no motor on US sales?

 

[2000redgts]

Re: Brit

they sell the noble that way to bypass a lot of stupid us regulations.

 

[Vic]

Re: Brit

I love the competition from overseas!!

The Noble is a Noble effort, by a country that I love after the USA.

Great going, chaps! But put something in it that twists a bit harder!

 

[Neil - UK]

Re: Brit

The viper guy, Graham is one of our club members here's a few links from the UK forum about it all.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=79664&f=76&h=0

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=86979&f=76&h=0

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=26&t=87676

Danny (goodlife) is the Noble owner,
a member of http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/

Of course we gave plenty of stick to the Noble owner, through the last couple of months of build up before the show was released last week. They filmed all day at a UK track that has a 2 mile straight, Graham hit 180mph on the speedo and had a camera man in with him, but they didnt use the footage, the Noble only managed 160mph think its limited. Then the following week another day in the studio with the panel of 'judges' Another trophy for the Viper

 

[Neil - UK]

Re: Brit

http://www.avantgoeurope.com/graham/topdog_low.wmv

the same vid but better quality, 56M/28 minutes of footage

 

[Casey]

Re: Brit

I have NEVER seen a Brit TV show that has said anything good about a US Made car! I can't even watch them anymore.

 

[Viper Larry (UK)]

Re: Brit

Thanks for posting the new link Neil. Had great fun making the show.

Phil Bennett is s British Touring Car Championship driver which is one of the top UK series, so he knows a bit about racing UK saloon cars. However, he also is a test driver for Noble!

The show producers did ask for 1 to be pro, 1 against and 1 sitting on the fence. They also told them to be very nice or very critical and not hold back, so it was very contrived.

 

[Fiorano]

Re: Brit \"Top Dog\" Show GTS vs Noble

I watched this segment of a British car show where they pit a Viper GTS against the British Noble kit car.

The Noble is no kit car. That car is distributed in the USA by 1gracing. The car can be completed with the twin turbo 3.0 Ford engine and tranny for about $75K. The car is unreal.

 

[Achilles99]

Re: Brit

I drove the Noble last year during the Petit Le Mans (no, not on the track... just during the event on side roads). It handled GREAT. Not to say the Viper doesn't, but the Noble was insane even on stock tires (which were a lot smaller than Viper tires). What was even more amazing was the chassis design... no sway bars, etc. Lee Noble designed this car right!

The car is light, and stops on a dime. I was contemplating one, but without a factory warranty and lack of dealer support, I decided against it.

Maybe one day, though...

 

[Fiorano]

Re: Brit

I am strongly considering it in the next few yrs as an addition to the Viper. I still worry about the process of getting a car like this legal in the USA.

 

[Neil - UK]

Re: Brit

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?f=26&h=0

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=85324&f=26&h=0


believe there are a few already in the USA, legal and on the roads, search the link above, they will know

 

[Kai SRT10]

Re: Brit \"Top Dog\" Show GTS vs Noble

I watched this segment of a British car show where they pit a Viper GTS against the British Noble kit car.

The Noble is no kit car. That car is distributed in the USA by 1gracing. The car can be completed with the twin turbo 3.0 Ford engine and tranny for about $75K. The car is unreal.

I guess that, to my way of thinking, any car that doesn't come with its own engine is a "kit car."

I've been watching the segments on Sports Car Revolution regarding the Noble. It does look like a quality vehicle. I'm afraid I just can't get past the fact that the car comes without an engine/drivetrain. If somebody came up with a turn-key version for the US, I'd be more tempted.

Kai

 

[Fiorano]

Re: Brit \"Top Dog\" Show GTS vs Noble

I watched this segment of a British car show where they pit a Viper GTS against the British Noble kit car.

The Noble is no kit car. That car is distributed in the USA by 1gracing. The car can be completed with the twin turbo 3.0 Ford engine and tranny for about $75K. The car is unreal.

I guess that, to my way of thinking, any car that doesn't come with its own engine is a "kit car."

I've been watching the segments on Sports Car Revolution regarding the Noble. It does look like a quality vehicle. I'm afraid I just can't get past the fact that the car comes without an engine/drivetrain. If somebody came up with a turn-key version for the US, I'd be more tempted.

Kai

It only comes w/o an engine in the USA because otherwise it would have to go through crashtesting standards set up for all vehicles sold here. The engine is the same as the production car. What difference does it make whether it arrives with it or if someone else installs it? Noble is too small a company to afford the millions of dollars in costs it would take to legalize the car here. Instead, it becomes registered as a kit car although it is not one.

 

[obaa996]

Re: Brit

I'm sorry, but the panel of experts seem to complete wankers. Qualifications aside, they sat around during the entire show blathering about their opinions of how the cars looked, and how they *thought* the cars might perform in different situations :tossing off: Did they even get to go for a ride, much less drive, in the cars? And the incessant repetition... I think my 2 and 3 year olds have had deeper, more insightful comparisions between my Viper and Porsche with each other....

 

[nickdiaz]

Re: Brit

The Noble is certainly fun to drive in the Xbox game, Project Gotham Racing 2.

 

[Bad_Byte]

Re: Brit

I was parked next to one at Thunderhill.

Two words - "Shifter Kart"

 

[BlueGTS]

Re: Brit

Thanks for video it was very entertaining. I can not believe how many times the "panelist" said the Viper has too much chrome? Where is there chrome on that car? The rims are polished... After those ******** comments, I tuned them out and watched the car. They did have some great shots of the car from all angles.

 

[Viper Larry (UK)]

Re: Brit

I'm sorry, but the panel of experts seem to complete wankers. Qualifications aside, they sat around during the entire show blathering about their opinions of how the cars looked, and how they *thought* the cars might perform in different situations :tossing off: Did they even get to go for a ride, much less drive, in the cars? And the incessant repetition... I think my 2 and 3 year olds have had deeper, more insightful comparisions between my Viper and Porsche with each other....

They didn't get to ride in teh car ir even see the footage of the cars on the track - all they saw was the car static in the studio!

 

[Viper Larry (UK)]

Top Dog Photos

If you want to see some photos from the track day shoot, click the link below:

Bruntingthorpe Photos