The Noble M600 is a hand-built English sports car manufactured by the low-volume maker Noble Automotive in Leicestershire. Construction is of stainless steel and carbon fibre, and power comes from a twin-turbocharged Volvo/Yamaha V8. It is the fastest and most expensive car the company has built, and its Top Gear lap time beat both a Bugatti Veyron and a Pagani Zonda F Roadster.
Noble M600 at a glance
| Maker | Noble Automotive, Leicestershire |
|---|---|
| Production | from 2009, hand-built |
| Body styles | standard, Carbon Sport, Speedster (targa) |
| Chassis | steel backbone and aluminium, the same as the M15 project |
| Engine | 4.4-litre Volvo B8444S V8, built by Yamaha |
| Turbos | Garrett AiResearch, variable boost |
| Power | 450, 550 or 650 hp, chosen by a dashboard switch |
| Gearbox | Oerlikon Graziano six-speed manual transaxle |
| Weight | 1,250 kg claimed, 1,305 kg as independently tested |
| 0–60 mph | 3.0 s |
| Top speed | 362 km/h estimated, 346 km/h (215 mph) proven |
| Top Gear lap | 1:17.7 |
History of the Noble M600
A car about power, not comforts
The M600 was revealed in 2009 as a different kind of Noble: instead of a tuned Ford V6 it carried a 4.4-litre 60-degree V8 from the Volvo B8444S, the engine used in the XC90 and S80 and built by Yamaha. In the M600 the engines are prepared by Motorkraft in the United States from crate units with twin Garrett AiResearch turbochargers and variable boost. A switch on the dashboard lets the driver choose between 450 hp at 0.6 bar for the road, 550 hp at 0.8 bar for the track and 650 hp at 1 bar for race settings.
Structure and equipment
The car uses a steel backbone and aluminium chassis, the same one developed for the stillborn M15, with a stainless steel and carbon fibre construction. The standard model is quoted at 1,250 kg, although independent testing put it at 1,305 kg. There are three specifications: the standard car with a glassfibre body, the Carbon Sport with a carbon-fibre body and the Speedster, essentially a targa version. The braking system is by Alcon, with six-piston calipers at the front and four at the rear, no ABS and only limited servo assistance. Inside there is twin hide upholstery and gloss carbon trim as standard, with a choice of leather, suede or Alcantara and knurled wood or carbon trim; the layout follows the Ferrari F40 idea of simplicity, so there is no climate control and no modern infotainment.
On the road and on television
Performance is quoted at 3.0 seconds to 60 mph, 8.9 seconds to 120 mph and 29.8 seconds to 200 mph, with a standing quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. The top speed is estimated at 362 km/h, with 346 km/h actually reached. The M600 appeared twice on Top Gear: in Series 14 Jeremy Clarkson praised it, and the Stig set a 1:17.7 lap that beat the Pagani Zonda F Roadster and the Bugatti Veyron. In Series 18 Richard Hammond drove a left-hand-drive car through Italy and the clutch failed, damaging the gearbox, though he still heaped praise on the car.
Design and features
- Variable boost: a dashboard knob selects 450, 550 or 650 hp, in the spirit of Ferrari’s Manettino.
- Volvo/Yamaha V8: a 4.4-litre twin-turbo unit prepared by Motorkraft in the United States.
- Manual gearbox: a six-speed Oerlikon Graziano transaxle with a 7,000 rpm redline.
- Alcon brakes: six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, deliberately without ABS.
- Driver-focused cabin: no climate control or infotainment, in the manner of the Ferrari F40.
Noble M600 versions
- Standard: glassfibre body, 1,250 kg claimed.
- Carbon Sport: carbon-fibre body panels.
- Speedster: a targa-roof version, at least one pre-production car with an automatic gearbox.
The M600 replaced the Noble M15 and is the fastest car the company has made. Its ancestors are the Noble M400 and the Noble M12; more cars are in the Noble collection.
Video: Noble M600 Track Test | Top Gear
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Noble M600, English Wikipedia: engine, specifications, performance, Top Gear
- Noble Automotive, English Wikipedia: engine output and place in the range
