CarBrandLogos archive · Noble · 2010

NobleM600

Six hundred and fifty horsepower, a manual gearbox, and no stability control.

Photo: Brian Snelson · CC BY 2.0

The story

A defining chapter in Noble history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Noble M600, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Geneva Motor Show 2013 - Noble carbon Sport steering wheel

Origins

By 2010 the supercar had become an exercise in electronics. Noble went the other way. The M600 pairs a Volvo-sourced 4.4-litre V8, twin-turbocharged by Noble, with a six-speed manual transaxle, a stainless-steel spaceframe and unpainted carbon fibre bodywork. There is no anti-lock braking and no stability control. Traction control is switchable through three settings, and a dial on the console lets the driver select between roughly 450, 550 and 650 horsepower depending on fuel and nerve.

Geneva Motor Show 2013 - Noble carbon Sport steering wheel · Clément Bucco-Lechat · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

The car is credited to founder Lee Noble, whose design philosophy it follows exactly even though the company changed hands around its launch. Assembly was done in Leicestershire in very small numbers, and buyers specified cars individually rather than choosing from a range.

Fo S20162016 0624 182519AA · Matthew Lamb · CC BY-SA 2.0

In production

Reviewers found it genuinely intimidating and said so, which was the intended reaction; the argument for it was that the driver, rather than a control unit, decides what happens next. A targa-roofed Speedster joined the coupe later in the run.

Noble M600 Carbon Sport · Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France · CC BY-SA 2.0

Legacy

Production ended in 2018. In an era when every rival was adding processors, it stands as the clearest statement of the opposite case.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Engine

4414 cc Volvo/Yamaha B8444S twin-turbo V8

Designer

Lee Noble

Body

2-door coupé

Technical specification

The M600, in detail.

Production: 2010–2018
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé (Carbon Sport); 2-door targa top (Speedster)
Layout: Longitudinal, Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive
Engine: 4414 cc Volvo/Yamaha B8444S twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 6-speed Oerlikon Graziano transaxle manual; 6-speed Oerlikon Graziano transaxle Semi-automatic
Designer: Lee Noble
Assembly: United Kingdom: Leicestershire
Manufacturer: Noble Automotive