Photo: Facebook / CHP
Seeing any vehicle be totaled in a fire is a disheartening sight, but seeing or hearing about a rare collectible being destroyed this way is perhaps twice more so. There is a Noble M400 less in the world today.
The M400 was produced by UK-based maker Noble Automotive between 2004 and 2007. All Noble models are usually described in terms like “rare supercars you never knew existed,” and that is accurate: this was a boutique carmaker that outsourced production in the hope of delivering a powerful supercar at a fraction of the cost.
Production of the M400 was limited to just 75 examples during the initial run. More models were made under a new name when 1g Racing acquired the rights to it, but originally, just 75 were made. Of these, only a handful made their way to the U.S., and this was one of them.
“Was” because it’s a total write-off now, after it set itself on fire on the side of a road in the San Francisco Area in California. According to the California Highway Police, the driver was traveling on the US-101 n/b, when he noticed flames “spewing out” of the back of the vehicle. He had the presence of mind to pull over safely and exit the vehicle before the fire engulfed the whole car.
Fire rescue did respond to the call but, by the time they got there, there was nothing left to save. Even the CHP post on Facebook notes that the “this Noble appears to be a total loss,” with the only silver lining being that “no one was injured during this incident.”
Powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Ford Duratec V6 mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the M400 delivers performance comparative to a Porsche 911 or an entry-level Ferrari. The engine develops 425 horsepower and 390 lb-ft (529 Nm) of torque, which, in conjunction with the light bodyweight of 2,337 pounds (1,060 kg), takes it from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.2 seconds. Top speed is listed at 185 mph (300 kph) but 202 mph (325 kph) was achieved by a Noble press officer.
Earlier this year, a Noble M400 sold at an online auction for $53,000.
Production of the M400 was limited to just 75 examples during the initial run. More models were made under a new name when 1g Racing acquired the rights to it, but originally, just 75 were made. Of these, only a handful made their way to the U.S., and this was one of them.
“Was” because it’s a total write-off now, after it set itself on fire on the side of a road in the San Francisco Area in California. According to the California Highway Police, the driver was traveling on the US-101 n/b, when he noticed flames “spewing out” of the back of the vehicle. He had the presence of mind to pull over safely and exit the vehicle before the fire engulfed the whole car.
Fire rescue did respond to the call but, by the time they got there, there was nothing left to save. Even the CHP post on Facebook notes that the “this Noble appears to be a total loss,” with the only silver lining being that “no one was injured during this incident.”
Powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Ford Duratec V6 mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the M400 delivers performance comparative to a Porsche 911 or an entry-level Ferrari. The engine develops 425 horsepower and 390 lb-ft (529 Nm) of torque, which, in conjunction with the light bodyweight of 2,337 pounds (1,060 kg), takes it from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.2 seconds. Top speed is listed at 185 mph (300 kph) but 202 mph (325 kph) was achieved by a Noble press officer.
Earlier this year, a Noble M400 sold at an online auction for $53,000.
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