Photo: Noble
Founded in 1999, Noble’s mantra is “perfection is a road, not a destination.” To this effect, the Leicester-based British sports car manufacturer continues to make ends meet by building better cars with each and every passing year. This time around, however, the automaker went downmarket with the M500.
The baby brother of the twin-turbo V8-engined M600 uses the 3.5-liter version of the EcoBoost V6. Not the one found in the Ford GT, but a twin-turbo engine that has more in common with the one in the F-150 pickup truck. In this application, Noble squeezed 550 horsepower from the six-cylinder lump. In other words, a gap of 110 ponies separates the M500 and M600, and that’s alright if you look at the bigger picture.
What Noble tries to achieve with the M500, which has been revealed at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed as a non-running model, is a competitor to the McLaren Sports Series. Rear-wheel drive, dual-clutch transmission, and something in the ballpark of 2,750 pounds in terms of curb weight is how the newcomer rolls.
Another major difference between the M600 and M500 is the material from which the body shell is made. In this application, Noble went forward with fiberglass to keep the costs low despite the fact carbon fiber is the superior choice. But most importantly, the exterior styling of the M500 paves the way for a new era.
Gone are the flat surfaces and square-off styling of yesterday, making room for a McLaren- and Ford-inspired design language that fits the character of the M500 like a hand in glove. Flying buttresses around the C-pillars and the curvaceous doors are the highlights, though the headlamps have some C7 Corvette about them.
Being a full-sized model without an interior or powertrain, the M500 won’t hit the assembly line until well into 2019. In regard to pricing, we’ll have to wait and see if Noble will undercut the McLaren 570S. The M600, meanwhile, is not exactly cheap at £300,000.
What Noble tries to achieve with the M500, which has been revealed at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed as a non-running model, is a competitor to the McLaren Sports Series. Rear-wheel drive, dual-clutch transmission, and something in the ballpark of 2,750 pounds in terms of curb weight is how the newcomer rolls.
Another major difference between the M600 and M500 is the material from which the body shell is made. In this application, Noble went forward with fiberglass to keep the costs low despite the fact carbon fiber is the superior choice. But most importantly, the exterior styling of the M500 paves the way for a new era.
Gone are the flat surfaces and square-off styling of yesterday, making room for a McLaren- and Ford-inspired design language that fits the character of the M500 like a hand in glove. Flying buttresses around the C-pillars and the curvaceous doors are the highlights, though the headlamps have some C7 Corvette about them.
Being a full-sized model without an interior or powertrain, the M500 won’t hit the assembly line until well into 2019. In regard to pricing, we’ll have to wait and see if Noble will undercut the McLaren 570S. The M600, meanwhile, is not exactly cheap at £300,000.
Well our first new car for some time. Just a full size model at the moment. Presenting the M500. Friendlier little brother to the mighty M600. pic.twitter.com/BcATmcvczz
— NOBLE AUTOMOTIVE (@Noblecars) July 12, 2018
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