As with all previous Nobles, the M600 uses a mid-engined spaceframe steel chassis with double wishbones at each corner and coil-over dampers for its primary suspension. But that’s where the similarity between this Noble and those that have gone before ends.
For although the M600 may appear quite similar in concept to the stillborn M15, beneath its heavily restyled skin it is a significantly more exotic machine, featuring hand-made materials and construction techniques that no M12 driver could ever have dreamed about (or afforded).
Using carbonfibre for all the key body parts, the production car weighs just 1250kg, according to Noble, although on our scales the test car – whose body was made from regular glassfibre-reinforced plastic, not carbonfibre – tickled the scales at a still impressive 1305kg.
At the heart of the M600 is a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine, originally designed by Yamaha for use in Ford’s now-defunct Premier Automotive Group. Thanks to some final development work by American engine specialist Motorkraft (including the addition of two Garrett turbochargers), the M600’s engine produces 650bhp at 6800rpm and a thumping 604lb ft at 3800rpm. By contrast, the legendary 6.1-litre BMW V12 engine in the McLaren F1 produced 627bhp and 479lb ft.
At each corner the M600 uses steel brakes with six-pot calipers at the front and four at the rear, designed by British braking specialist Alcon. Controversially, there is no anti-lock system, Noble claiming that high-effort brake feel would be compromised by the fitment of ABS.
But there is, thankfully, a traction control system (although it wasn’t functioning on our test car), which can be further tailored by a switch that reduces power to 550 or 450bhp.
