Autoblog

Noble is hard at work testing its first car since company founder Lee Noble retired, and considering the high esteem past models have enjoyed, the new boss, Peter Boutwood, has some big shoes to fill. So how does Boutwood and Noble plan to deliver the fun? More power, naturally.

While past Nobles made do with a 3.0-liter Ford Duratec V6 engine, albeit turbocharged within an inch of its life, Noble's upcoming M600 visits another member of the Ford parts bin: Volvo. In fact, Volvo's V8 engine, which powers up market versions of the XC90 SUV and the S80 sedan, was originally used in the last Ford Taurus SHO, though it's been revised and enlarged for its latest duty.

The Yamaha-designed mill is again turbocharged by Noble and produces a stunning 650 horsepower in its new guise. Spy photographers have caught the new sportscar out testing its prodigious limits of an expected 200 mph top speed and genuine supercar acceleration of naught to sixty in around three seconds.

[Source: Autocar]

It's been a while since we have heard from Noble, the small British manufacturer that has put out some pretty impressive sports cars over the last decade. The company is currently developing a new car called the M600, and PistonHeads.com recently had the chance to interview Noble's head honcho Peter Boutwood about the upcoming model. Boutwood revealed that the M600 will be powered by a Yamaha-designed twin-turbo Volvo V8 and will have a full carbon fiber body shell. While no specific details were given regarding specifications or performance figures, the M600 promises to keep pace with the world's top supercars. It will also be absent of any driver aids like traction control and have a focus on being a pure driver's car. No word on whether the M600 will be available in the United States, but it may be imported as a rolling chassis sans engine like the current car. Thanks for the tip, pottz!

[Source: PistonHeads.com]

Car magazine's Ben Barry had a close encounter of the Noble kind while spending some time at a circuit in the UK, and was smart enough to hit the record button on his video camera to catch the M15 prototype undergoing testing.

According to one of our favorite Brit buff-books, the new model will be motivated by a twin-turbocharged, Volvo-sourced V8 that's currently making 480 hp with plans to add an additional 150 hp once it comes to market, possibly late next year. The new body is considerably more curvaceous than its predecessor; particularly the sloped back end proving that Noble's designers have more than a straight-rule to work with. The new rump benefits from separate wing, versus the M12's integrated aerofoil, along with LED brake lamps and some additional ducting.

As for technical details, Car was able to confirm that AP will be providing the brakes and clutch, and that 20-inch wheels are likely to be fitted to all four corners. Weight should be around 2,400 pounds and with the additional power, 0-60 times should be deep into the 3s.

Barry was tracking his race-prepped M3 while the Noble M15 was testing, so he was able to play a little bit of "cat and mouse" with the mule. He didn't fare to bad in the corners, but once the road opened up, his inline-six didn't stand much of a chance. Exercise your finger to check the video.

Daimler's not taking the close resemblance of a Chinese minicar to a smart fortwo lightly. The German automaker has gotten a court order forbidding Martin Motors, the European distributor for China's Shuanghuan Automobile, from displaying the Shuanghuan Noble at the upcoming Bologna Auto Show. This is the second time Daimler has blocked the Noble from being displayed, having taken similar action at the Frankfurt show.

Martin Motors is calling the Noble the Bubble in Europe, since there's already another Noble. Martin contends that the Bubble is not a copy of the fortwo, citing the four seats and front engine configuration among the differentiating details. Martin Motors has also demanded in Italian courts that Daimler prove its exclusive rights to the design of the smart. If a resolution can be reached, the Bubble will go on sale for about $10,000 euros across Europe. The resemblance is striking, but copying the look isn't the same as cribbing the underlying engineering. We haven't had the opportunity to crawl over, under, or through the Bubble, so we can't comment on whether it's better or worse than the smart, but from the looks of things in the video we've posted after the jump, the Bubble is hardly a premium vehicle. Shuanghuan also sells the CEO, a midsize SUV that borrows an awful lot from the BMW X5's looks. The appearance similarities between Shuanghuan's vehicles and those of well respected competitors may not help the Chinese automaker avoid having its European sales bubble burst.

Check the jump to see a video of the Noble/Bubble in action.

More shots from Autoblog China.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

click above image for high-res gallery of Noble M15

I'm one of the few people in this country who have experienced a Noble on the track. While it was a few years ago and I wasn't the one driving, I can still remember the visceral way in which the car attacked Mid-Ohio Race Course, so much so that my insides are still a bit tender. It's truly one of the least expensive ways to experience a supercar in this country, even if some assembly is required. But some people scoff when the Noble is categorized as a supercar, saying that such a vehicle shouldn't be powered by a 3.0L Duratec V6 from Ford, even it is pumped up by a pair of turbos. Well, how about a twin-turbo V8 from Volvo instead? Noble's newest supercar, the M15, will reportedly be powered by a twin-turbo version of Volvo's 4.4L V8 that normally does suburban reconnaissance missions in the XC90 SUV. Jacked up on force-fed oxygen, Volvo's V8 should produce around 650 horsepower, which is more than enough oomph to slingshot Noble's newest featherweight to ludicrous speed (or 60 MPH) in 3 seconds flat.

[Source: PistonHeads]

click above image for more views of the Rossion Q1

Back in February we told you about Noble Automotive selling the rights to M12 and M400 production outside of the UK to raise some capital for development of the M15. At least in the States, they ended up handing over the rights for M12 and M400 production to their U.S. distributor, 1G Racing, of Cincinnati, Ohio. As part of that agreement, 1G had to rename and rebadge the car. The company got to work, addressing a few problem areas in the process. What you see above is the result, the Rossion Q1. It's still recognizable, but sports a subtle makeover. Slightly less raw looking than the Nobles, the Q1 still looks the business.

Rossion Automotive Vice President Dean Rosen tells us that the Q1 has been refined, both inside and out. Power, which was already more than adequate at 425 hp, has been bumped to 450. Slightly heavier, but still weighing in at just 2,500 lbs, the Q1 will rock to 60 in just 3.2 seconds, capture the quarter in 11.4, and continue on until it reaches a top speed of 185 mph. All the while, it encases the driver in a more comfortable interior that now includes features like satellite navigation, power mirrors, "hand-stitched sumptuous interiors," and a top notch sound system. Prices are about the same as the M400 too, starting at a base around $69,000, or about $90,700 with a complete drivetrain installed. Rossion is already taking orders and hopes to start deliveries later this year.

More pics available in the gallery below. Full press release after the jump.

Thanks for the tip, Brav!

[Source: 1G Racing via Noble Forums]

You want images of the Noble M15? We've got 23 for you right here.

When it was originally introduced last year, the Noble M15 sported a highly evolved three-liter, twin-turbo'd V6 that made 455 HP at 6,800 RPM and an equal amount of torque at 4,800 RPM. Mounted amidships and sending power to the rear wheels, the M15 could accelerate to 60 in 3.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 175 MPH. That was good, but Noble's propellerheads are making it better.

According to an article in Autoweek.nl, the next iteration of the M15 will get a 45 HP bump in output to bring power up to the mystical 500 HP level. Whether or not it's going to steal the £100k entry fee from buyers looking into an M6 or 911 is doubtful, but with only between 50 and 60 vehicles set to be built each year, exclusivity will run hand-in-hand with kidney-punishing performance.

[Source: Autoweek.nl via MotorAuthority]

Apparently swathing the dash of a Ferrari or the headliner of a Noble wasn't enough for the sellers of Alcantara leather around the world. The suede-like leather product that has until now been reserved for exotics and upper end cars is going to be find its way into Chryslers, Cadillacs and even Mercury Mariners. As Dave from Kicking Tires notes, the grippy material probably won't seem out of place in the Chrysler SRT models or Cadillac's V series, but the Mariner seems a stretch.

We've now seen Alcantara in almost every make's catalog. Scion has it in the tC 2.0, Mitsubishi and Subaru in their rally-inspired offerings, too. M-B, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Noble, Audi, Peugeot, Lancia, Mazda, VW, Honda, even SMART. Looks like Alcantara is shapin up to be the fabric of the future.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Having recently driven a Noble M400 along California's breathtaking Palms to Pines Highway, we know what a fantastic sports car it is. With performance rivaling any Ferrari, Porsche or Lotus we've driven, the car is more than capable of competing head-to-head with the world's finest. If customers are able to get them, that is. The one strike against Noble is that the company doesn't have the heritage of these other marks and perhaps doesn't instill the same confidence of the more established makes in the hearts of potential buyers. Recent rumors of its financial instability haven't helped.

Well, now word has reached us from the UK that some of that financial uncertainty may be a thing of the past, thanks to new backing from 'a dedicated owner who shares my commitment, passion and vision for the future of Noble cars,' said company boss Lee Noble. He vows that with this new cash investment the M15 will go on sale in early 2007.

The anonymous investor replaces David Jones, chairman of high street fashion chain Next. Hinting that this may be a very good thing indeed, Noble added that he had now cleared the firm's debts, allowing final development work on the 455-hp, 180-mph M15 to continue. He expects his newest supercar to be available by next spring at the latest.

[Source: CAR]

Noble’s new, more mature supercar, the M15, has officially debuted in Europe and WorldCarFans has all the official pics and press release up. Turns out the super coupe looks a little different than the pic we lifted from Top Gear yesterday. It looks to be one mean mama-jama that improves on its predecessor in every way, particularly in luxury and livability. T

he M15 is still a Noble, and as such will generate time-shifting amounts of thrust by combining its 455-bhp, 3.0L twin-turbo six with a curb weight of around 2,645 lbs. Sixty will be hit in less than 3.3 seconds and Noble geared down the car for acceleration so its top speed will be about 185 mph, though with different ratios Noble claims it would easily crack a pair of Franklins.

[Source: WorldCarFans]