Noble reveals £100k, 650bhp car

Lee Noble has revealed his plans for a new closed-roof, mid-engined two-seater that will go on sale next year, have up to 650bhp and cost less than £100,000.

Noble, who left the company that bears his name in 2006, is now working on his new project, with the first car currently being assembled in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by the same people who built the Noble M12.

His company and car names have yet to be revealed, but Noble has confirmed that the new car uses a petrol engine and has all-round double wishbone suspension with steel brakes (but no anti-lock system) and a spaceframe chassis.

The engine hasn't been revealed either, but Noble says it will have eight cylinders and between 400 and 650bhp, "depending on how much money the customer wants to spend.” The gearbox will be a Graziano six-speed manual unit - the same one used in the Noble M600.

He says the car will weigh 1200kg, meaning it should be capable of 0-60mph in less than 3.5sec and 0-100mph in less than 7.0sec.

“It’ll start at around £70k, although even the top-end versions will still cost less than £100k," says Noble. “I always said I wanted to build a car with the performance of a Ferrari Enzo but for less than £100,000, and unless we do something badly wrong in the near future, that’s what we’ll deliver.”

Noble has also dimissed concerns that the car won't reach fruition, as with the M14 and M15.

“One of the things that got out of control last time was the volume of cars we were trying produce. It was too big, and I started to lose contact with the customer as a result,” admits Noble.