The Brits are known for many things: tea and biscuits, beans on toast, the Royal family and the world’s most notorious spy, James Bond. But Gearheads also know that the United Kingdom is a leader in the automotive industry, designing and manufacturing some of the most spectacular and iconic luxury cars like Aston Martin, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, and more recently, the Noble.
Noble Automotive is a sports car company created in 1999 by British entrepreneur, engineer and designer Lee Noble, and it is known for designing the Ultima Mk1, Ultima Mk2, and Ultima Mk3. The first car developed by the Noble company was the two-seater convertible M10, which used a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 168 horsepower engine. Under Noble’s guidance, Noble Automotive and later, Fenix Automotive will produce some remarkable cars, such as the M12, the prototype M14, M15, M600 and M500.
The M600 is already considered an incredible supercar, which standout thanks to its exclusivity, great handling, driving performance, and high-end design; thus, fans were delighted to find out that Noble designed a little brother to the M600. The Noble M500 was introduced to the public as a prototype at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and since then, supercar enthusiasts have been waiting for the official arrival of this super-light high-performance car.
The Noble M500 Has A Powerful Engine
The M500 is powered by a Ford 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 engine, which is forecasted to deliver roughly 550 horsepower (410 kilowatts) and 600 lb-ft of torque. By contrast, the more powerful M600 delivers 650 horsepower (485 kW; 659 PS) and a maximum of 604 lb⋅ft (819 N⋅m) (maximum) of torque.
Noble launched the M500 with a six-speed manual from Graziano and the shift gate has a similar geometry to the OEM shifter. Considering that the M600 could speed up from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds, the M500 should have comparable results.
This powerful engine puts the M500 on a path to fierce competition with more acclaimed luxury sports cars, like Porsche 911 Turbo S and McLaren Artura. Without a doubt, this is a tough market to break, especially when you compete against veterans, but the Noble has some aspects that work in its favor.
The Styling Of The M500 Is Jaw-Dropping
Luxury automotive customers pay big bucks for exclusive items and high-end goods, and they expect quality and premium product for their huge investment. Noble Automotive delivers that without compromise. Noble insists that as an artisan manufacturer, “each car is hand built in England, bespoke and manufactured to our exacting client’s individual requirements by a small team of craftsmen.”
The M500 comes equipped with Carbon Recaro seats, an infotainment screen, and digital dash. Additionally, the HVAC controls have been updated from the M600 model. The prototype revealed an Alcantara-like fabric in the cabin, but Noble fans know buyers can personalize and upgrade most of the design details. The good news is that the same team of artisans who worked in the M600 will manufacture the M500.
The Noble M500 Has Carbon-Fiber Bodywork
The M500 is touted as a lightweight super car, so it will keep M600’s carbon-fiber bodywork, although the new model has glass-reinforced composite panels, which are evidently cheaper and reduce the overall cost of the car. The prototype weighted nearly 3,086 pounds, but the weight could be reduced by 10 percent to reach 2,756 pounds.
Buyers who don’t want the heavier, standard version can select the carbon-fiber upgrade options, which will reduce the weight of the car. In fact, the entire body can be customized and manufactured in carbon-fiber if the customer selects the pricier option.
The Noble M500 Is “Affordable” For A Supercar
Noble states that many of the brand’s fans have asked if the company intended to release “a less extreme and hopefully, more affordable Noble,” so the British company has decided to come up with the M500. According to various sources, the M500 will be retailed at around £150,000 (roughly $205,000). This affordable price is more for junior supercars than for a real exotic car. Accordingly, we expect it to be a smashing success, especially with the younger generation of affluent consumers.
Just to put things into perspective, the 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $207,000, while the 2022 Maserati MC20 has a MSRP of $212,000. On the opposite end, a real exotic car like the 2022 Aston Martin DBS has a MSRP starting at $316,300. Meanwhile, the insanely famous and incredibly expensive Lamborghini supercars have prices that surge to record heights. For instance, the 2022 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster starts at a staggering $577,000, while the 2022 Lamborghini Sián Roadster starts at $3,300,000, according to Supercars.