The Noble M12 is the two-door, two-seat sports car that established Noble Automotive. It was designed and engineered in England, with production outsourced to Hi-Tech Automotive of South Africa, and it was built from 2000 to 2008 in a series of ever faster variants. Every M12 used a specially tuned twin-turbocharged Ford Duratec V6.
Noble M12 at a glance
| Maker | Noble Automotive, with Hi-Tech Automotive of South Africa |
|---|---|
| Production | 2000–2008 |
| Body | two-door, two-seat coupé |
| Structure | steel frame with a full steel roll cage |
| Bodywork | glassfibre composite clamshell panels |
| Engine | twin-turbocharged Ford Duratec V6 |
| M12 GTO | 2.5-litre bi-turbo, 310 bhp (231 kW) |
| M12 GTO-3 | 3.0-litre bi-turbo, 352 bhp (262 kW) |
| M12 GTO-3R | 3.0-litre bi-turbo, 352 bhp (262 kW) |
| Weight, GTO-3R | 1,080 kg |
| 0–60 mph, GTO-3R | 3.7 s in the brochure; Road & Track measured 3.3 s, later 3.5 s |
| Top speed | 185 mph (298 km/h) |
History of the Noble M12
A road car that behaves like a racer
The M12 was planned both as a coupé and as a convertible, but the production cars were built only in the coupé bodystyle. Under the glassfibre panels sits a steel frame with a full steel roll cage, and the body is made of glassfibre composite clamshell parts. The result is extremely light and stiff: the GTO-3R weighs 1,080 kg. Although it looks track-derived, it is a street-legal car intended for both road and circuit.
Four variants
The coupé evolved through four variants, with the M400 as the ultimate version of the M12. The GTO used a 2.5-litre bi-turbo engine with 310 bhp; the GTO-3 and GTO-3R moved to 3.0 litres and 352 bhp. The GTO-3R is equipped with Garrett T25 twin-turbochargers, while the M400 uses higher-flow Garrett T28 units and weighs 1,060 kg.
America and the Rossion Q1
Only 220 Noble GTO-3Rs and M400s were imported to the United States; they are the only Nobles to have been officially available in the American market. The US production rights to the M12 and M400 were sold in February 2007 to 1G Racing of Ohio, which later became Rossion Automotive. High demand led 1G to release its own improved variation on the M400, the Rossion Q1, which weighs 1,043 kg and is quoted at 3.4 seconds to 60 mph. Salica Cars planned variants based on the M12, but they appear to have remained a project.
Design and features
- Steel roll cage and frame: a proper racing structure under glassfibre clamshell bodywork.
- Twin-turbo Duratec V6: Ford’s V6 specially tuned by Noble in 2.5- and 3.0-litre forms.
- Very low weight: 1,080 kg in GTO-3R form, 1,060 kg for the M400.
- Cornering: lateral acceleration is reported at more than 1.2 g.
- Breadth of ability: road and track use from the same car, with a 185 mph top speed.
Noble M12 versions
- M12 GTO: 2.5-litre bi-turbo, 310 bhp.
- M12 GTO-3: 3.0-litre bi-turbo, 352 bhp.
- M12 GTO-3R: 3.0-litre bi-turbo with Garrett T25 turbos, 352 bhp, 1,080 kg.
- M400: the ultimate M12, with Garrett T28 turbos and 1,060 kg.
- Rossion Q1: the American development of the M400 by 1G Racing.
- Salica project: planned M12-based cars that were never built.
The M12 was replaced at the top of the range by the Noble M15 and later the Noble M600. Its fastest version is the Noble M400, and more cars are in the Noble collection.
Video: Noble M12 | GRIP #245
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Noble M12, English Wikipedia: variants, weights, performance, US sales
- Noble Automotive, English Wikipedia: range and production arrangements
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