2011 Noble M600

Please note that the images were provided by the seller

Highlights

• Top Gear star car - driven by Richard Hammond on TV - S18 ep 1

• The final pre-production prototype M600, featured in numerous publications as a press car

• Carbon-fibre bodywork

• Purchased by the current owner directly from the Noble factory

• Available for viewing on the the PistonHeads stand at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Overview

The little brand from Leicester that could… taking on the big guns such as McLaren, Lotus, Aston Martin and even Lamborghini, Noble has a long and interesting history. Often on the receiving end of remarks about their cars being ‘built in a shed in Leicester’, these are bona-fide, limited-production supercars that can run with the best of them, as proven by numerous journalistic and media outlet reviews.

Opportunities to own an M600 are rare enough as it is, but opportunities such as this - to own a genuine piece of automotive and television history - are rarer still, for this is your chance to own chassis P5; the last of the M600 pre-production prototypes, and featured on BBC’s Top Gear, in which Richard Hammond pushes the car to its absolute limit around the Nardo test ring, against the McLaren 12C (driven by Captain Slow himself, James May) and the Lamborghini Aventador, driven by Jeremy Clarkson.

Keen Top Gear enthusiasts will also recall that as well as trumping the Aventador at the top-speed run around the Nardo Ring (remember what we were saying about running with the best of them?) this M600 also had the misfortune to suffer with clutch failure, stranding Hammond on the side of the road, which we’re sure did wonders for Nobles’ reputation at the time… 

For those that enjoy the nitty-gritty details, the M600 prototype line-up looked as follows: 

• Chassis P1 & P2 were matte black development mules

• Chassis P3 was the baby blue fibreglass-bodied press car (seen on the Top Gear test track)

• Chassis P4 was the first carbon-fibre bodied pre-production car – right-hand drive

• Chassis P5 – this car – was the left-hand drive carbon-fibre pre-production press car, and is the final prototype

As the final prototype, as well as being left-hand drive, chassis P5 saw less use than the right-hand drive examples, clocking up just over 4,700 miles (previously displayed in km) during its testing and evaluation period, as well as subsequent mileage in the current owner’s care. It also has the additional provenance of being the test bed for Noble’s paddle-shift gearbox system, which was ultimately abandoned before making it to production. During this development phase, the car spent time in Italy at the Graziano gearbox facility, before being reverted back to the standard manual configuration.

Purchased directly from the Noble Factory in December 2020 by our vendor, chassis P5 benefits from a wealth of upgrades including all of the engine upgrades and specification changes made throughout M600 production as well as a factory re-trimmed interior.

Recently serviced by DTB Motorsport at Mallory Park (ex-factory technicians, and widely regarded as THE place to service your M600) this icon of automotive development and culture is now offered for sale on the open market, allowing one lucky bidder to live out their Top Gear fantasies, and who among us wouldn’t want that? 

History and documentation

• Registered 01 Jul 2011

• Chassis No. P5 – the final M600 prototype car

• Featured most famously by BBC’s Top Gear in Series 18 Episode 1, pitted against a McLaren 12C and Lamborghini Aventador, including a top-speed run around the Nardo test ring

• Stamped book shows the following services: PDI Jul 2007 @ 35 km, Jun 2012 @ 250 km, Jul 2013 @ 329 km, Mar 2014 @ 417 km, Jan 2015@ 1,000 km, Sep 2016 @ 2,700 km, May 2017 @ 2,802 km, Nov 2018 @ 3,773 km, Nov 2019 @ 3,792 km, Nov 2020 @ 2,398 miles, May 2023 @ 4,273 miles, May 2025 @4,674 miles
• All but the two most recent services were carried out by the factory, with the last two being completed by DTB Motorsport, the leading independent specialist for Nobles

• Original service book and documentation

• V5 present in owner’s name

• Carbon fibre bodywork

• Left-hand drive

• Latest engine variant as per final production cars

• The seller notes an MOT mileage discrepancy that occurred during the car’s time in factory ownership; at the time, this vehicle was overseas (in Italy for gearbox development) and it appears an MOT was recorded against its details, leading to the anomaly

• The private plate is not included in the sale and the car will revert to an age-appropriate number plate

• Current MoT certificate with no advisory items valid until 01 July 2026

Interior

• Factory re-trimmed interior - originally brown/cream leather with polished switches

• Black Alcantara interior with extensive carbon-fibre including the transmission tunnel, centre console and door cards

• We note a few small scuffs to the door cards and sill kick plates

• Both seats are in near-pristine condition on account of their limited use

• Elsewhere, even the high-traffic areas such as the steering wheel, shifter and pedals look to be in great shape

• Build plaque on the interior showing that the number was ‘PV’ signifying Prototype 5

• 3-stage power output selector (Road (450bhp) / Track (550bhp) / Race 650bhp+) located on the centre console, ahead of the shifter

• No reported faults or issues

Exterior

• Alfa Romeo Rosso Competizione red paint (the signature colour for the 8C) over a carbon-fibre body shell

• Presents in excellent condition overall

• No reported accident or impact damage throughout its time as an evaluation prototype, nor in the years since

• Carbon-fibre front splitter

• Carbon-fibre rear diffuser

• Paint Protection Film (PPF) has been applied (whilst in factory ownership) to key impact areas, including the side skirts and the front end, starting level with the top of the headlights (bonnet not covered)

• Small scratches noted to the lower sideskirt area on the offside, aft of the front wheel

• There are a number of scuffs and scrapes on the lower portion of the front splitter, most visible on the nearside

• Stone chips to the front end and exposed edges

• The driver's door shows some minor paint imperfections - we've tried to capture them in the last couple of photos in the exterior section of the gallery

• All four wheels look to be in excellent condition

• Although the Michelin Pilot Sport tyres still have good tread, the seller notes they date back to 2014 - a detail that reflects the car’s low mileage and careful use

• The seller reports that the tyres have remained grippy and safe in use, and as such, have not been replaced; however, a fresh set may be advisable before exploring the car’s full performance potential

• Overall, a well-kept example of the spectacular M600 with incredible provenance, showing some signs of use as expected for a pre-production prototype vehicle

Mechanical

• 4,414cc Volvo/Yamaha-sourced twin-turbocharged V8 engine, quoted as producing between 450 and 650bhp depending on the selected drive mode

• Six-speed Graziano transaxle-mounted manual gearbox, sending power to the rear wheels

• Alcon brakes with vented steel discs

• The engine bay - with its colour-matched valve cover - looks to be in exceptional condition

• We’re advised that a new battery has just been fitted

• The seller notes that this particular M600 has produced circa 670bhp on the ‘race’ setting

• No modifications from the factory prototype specification, though the engine and its software has been upgraded by the Noble factory throughout M600 production to bring it in-line with the latest cars

• Full Noble history whilst being used as a factory car, and subsequently serviced by DTB Motorsport at Mallory Park

• No reported mechanical or electrical faults or issues

Summary

An eminently collectable example of the limited-production, hand-built supercar, this Noble M600 - pre-production prototype Chassis P5 - was the car that cemented the M600 in popular culture, thanks to its appearance on BBC’s Top Gear. 

This is an extraordinarily rare opportunity to obtain a factory prototype vehicle with incredible provenance, backed by a wealth of factory upgrades and history.

For those of you that watched Top Gear as a child or young adult, this is a chance to live out your dreams. For those that are collectors, this is surely an unrepeatable opportunity to add a car with spectacular history and provenance to your collection. Either way, we expect this auction to be justifiably popular, so be sure to get your bids in. Good luck!

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located near Lutterworth, Leicester.

Please note that the car will on display at the PistonHeads Goodwood Festival of Speed stand from 10-13 July.