Friday 19th November 2004
Farboud GTS inches closer to production
New company switches engines
News emerged yesterday at MPH04 that Arash Farboud has linked up with Chris Marsh (son of Marcos founder Jem Marsh) to take the Farboud GTS into production.
A new company has been formed to manage the production. Marsh has moved on from his involvement with the Invicta S1 to found Farboud Sports Cars Ltd. Arash Farboud is a shareholder of the new company as well as retaining the original Farboud Ltd which will manage marketing and promotion.
Coupled with this news is the scoop that Farboud is to switch to using Ford Duratech V6s in place of the more bespoke and costly modified Audi V6 motor that has been installed to date.
Both a turbo and a non-turbo (270bhp) version will be available. Prices will start at a Noble threatening £48K for the normally aspirated version rising to around £56K for the turbo.
There's no disputing the quality of the engineering that's gone into the Farboud. Whether it can take on Noble head to head in this sector of the market will ultimately come down to whether the ride and handling match Lee Noble's considerable achievements with the M12.
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midgster
Original Poster
173 posts
64 months
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Hubba Hubba!
I see a lot of the 360 Modena at the front end!
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carsarecool
1,101 posts
69 months
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I think a Farboud will be at MPH04 this weekend, starting today at Earls Court, can't wait to see it, have a lot of respect for this young chap, developing a supercar from scratch is some feat.
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Bill Carr
1,205 posts
64 months
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It certainly looks a lot nicer than a Noble (not that the Noble is a bad looking car by any means), but all the press seem to rave about how the Noble handles and goes. I think this'll have to be pretty special to compete.
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toppstuff
5,969 posts
77 months
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I must say that going the Ford route ( a la Noble ) is a wise move. There will be no shortage of power, as the M12 from Leicester demonstrates! An advantage for me is that the Farboud looks lovely. Certainly, I think it is better looking than the Noble - which will certainly be its main rival. Only worry is if lanky gits like me will fit in the thing.... 
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v8thunder
19,960 posts
88 months
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I for one like it. Britain, I think, now rivals Italy for supercar firms. They've got Ferrari, Lamborghini, DeTomaso, Pagani and so on, and IMO the names Noble, Farboud, Ultima and so on are just as worthy. Throw in the next Esprit as the experienced F430 rival, and I can't see why any of these cars wouldn't be accepted alongside the likes of Maserati in Monaco.
Put it this way: In Russia, there's not much by way of car culture history (Ladas? VAZ? thought not), and right now, Nobles are being snapped up at the same rate as Ferraris.
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joospeed
4,473 posts
108 months
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 thought you might appreciate this  taken on the stand at NEC nice car ... 
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joospeed
4,473 posts
108 months
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v8thunder said:I for one like it. Britain, I think, now rivals Italy for supercar firms. They've got Ferrari, Lamborghini, DeTomaso, Pagani and so on, and IMO the names Noble, Farboud, Ultima and so on are just as worthy. Throw in the next Esprit as the experienced F430 rival, and I can't see why any of these cars wouldn't be accepted alongside the likes of Maserati in Monaco.
Put it this way: In Russia, there's not much by way of car culture history (Ladas? VAZ? thought not), and right now, Nobles are being snapped up at the same rate as Ferraris. |
Rumour on the street is that Noble sales have dropped right off after satisfying the inital rush of demand when first put on sale .. is this true? Though have to say teh Noble still looks a lovely car for teh money .. this is great too though .. oh to be able to afford the choice
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neil.b
6,546 posts
77 months
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Nero5
17 posts
70 months
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Using the same engine and transmission as Noble seems like a poor decision, there must be alternatives. It will do nothing for product differentiation in a crowded marketplace.
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v8thunder
19,960 posts
88 months
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Nero5 said:| Using the same engine and transmission as Noble seems like a poor decision, there must be alternatives. It will do nothing for product differentiation in a crowded marketplace. |
They're not though, they're using Audi V6s, Noble uses a Ford.
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toppstuff
5,969 posts
77 months
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v8thunder said:
They're not though, they're using Audi V6s, Noble uses a Ford. |
Read the lead article - they have switched from Audi to Ford ! 
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daver
722 posts
114 months
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Isn't the implementation completely different though with Noble going transverse and Farboud going longitudinal? Don't know the relative merits in terms of weight distribution (depends how far forward each is I 'spose) but there just seems to be something 'proper' about a longitudinally mounted vee engine in the middle of the car. Sounds reminiscent of something else rather desirable...  PS. Saw it at the NEC and I thought it looked fab. Well done Farboud! 
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planetdave
9,722 posts
83 months
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Any tech bods got comments on the tranverse V longitudinal layout? Longitudinal just give me a feeling that it is a purer design. (and transverse shouts FWD thrown in the boot ) Unless you can take the power from the middle of a crankshaft 
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geoff_33
42 posts
91 months
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Love the Noble, but this looks better. Just hope it has the handling to impress as well. It should do considering there are some x-Lotus engineers working on the project.
48-56K sounds better than the previous quotes. It will also make it a better proposition for most potential buyers.
You wonder about the resale value though.
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oppressed mass
211 posts
113 months
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The transverse layout allows the use of mass produced transmissions which will be a lot more cost effective than soucing a longitudinal transaxle. Additionally, utilising the same configuration as a mass produced donor vehicle allows the manufacturer not only the possibility of not ahving to make modifications (sump baffling etc) but also to ride on the back of the millions of dollars the that 'donor' OEM (in this case Ford) investigates in testing. It is considerations like these that allow the UK niche sports car market to produce such exotic vehicles that are cost effective when lined up against the traditional volume sports car manufacturers.
Not really a teccy answer but it is major consideration if you wanted to start a niche car co.
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simonrockman
3,401 posts
85 months
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planetdave said:
(and transverse shouts FWD thrown in the boot)
Unless you can take the power from the middle of a crankshaft |
Where did this take the power from? 
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joust
13,066 posts
89 months
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Each to their own, but I won't be changing my M14 order.
IMHO putting the same lump in as the Noble is a mistake, it makes it a "me too" and could suffer.
At the 50K+ end I think it's more about the sum being more than the whole, rather than just a pretty looking car (although I don't "get" the front qtr look).
J
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pentoman
3,429 posts
93 months
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I think it looks pretty lovely. Looks better with the ladies on.... mmmm On a similar topic, am I the only one who thinks the M14 is NOT the stunning beauty it's been proclaimed as, and in fact looks like it hasn't been designed at all (no offence to the dude who's ordered one! ). Of course, it will be excellent to drive, but must now compete with 911 quality, relability and cruisability. I hope it can do it, I'm bored of the 911! Russ
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shnozz
14,816 posts
101 months
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hunttheshunt
1,078 posts
70 months
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Nice looking car that.....but will it make it to production as is....perhaps not. Think the back looks a bit weird, needs something...a great big spoiler perhaps  By the way, I think you can scratch De Tomaso!!!
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