RE: Noble M600: Spotted

RE: Noble M600: Spotted

Tuesday 2nd May 2017

Noble M600: Spotted

Nonplussed by automatic, sanitised supercars? The Noble M600 - at a more sensible price - could be the answer



The appeal of the Noble M600 should be well known by now, given its unique status amongst supercars and the fact it's now been on sale since 2011. For those not in the know, it's fairly simple to explain: here's a car within 20hp of a Ferrari 488 but with a manual gearbox and driver aids that extend only to traction control. It's the supercar for those people who really, really want to drive them, however small that group of people may actually be.


As such, it's proved a rather popular car on PH. Back when it was first driven in 2011 we said "the M600 can, and will, take you to a level that none of its competition can match". High praise indeed, particularly given the McLaren and Ferrari that provide the obvious competition. Then when the deal with SVR was announced last year and we got another drive, more compliments came flooding in: "Typically British: made in a veritable shed, delivering the rich, quality dynamics that rivals probably deem wizardry. It's a delight"

By 2016 that was kind of known, the trouble now facing the M600 being its price. There was a Roadster for sale at £300K and, even now, a right-hand drive coupe is the best part of a quarter of a million. Given the performance that's not unreasonable, but it's hard to imagine the Noble badge holding the same sway with prospective owners at that money as a Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini.

So how about a used one? It's hardly like the formula has changed since introduction, so there's no danger of missing out on some crucial update or revision. Moreover, even if the M600 is replaced, it's not like the technology will be superseded and you'll be left envious; where Ferrari may continue to enhance Side Slip Control and McLaren finesses its Brake Steer, the joy of big power, rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox is timeless really. Hence the current fascination with getting it back in new cars...


This M600 was a Noble demonstrator in 2011, before being sold to its first - and only - public owner. It has covered 32,000 miles in that time; pleasing to see that the driver's supercar is being enjoyed. With all due respect to Noble, this is not really the car for collections or concours lawns, so good on that owner for driving it! Remember too that 650hp is apparently 75 per cent of what this V8 is capable of, so it's hardly like the engine is stressed to its maximum. The car has been maintained and serviced at the Noble factory and is ready to go for the next owner; well, mechanically it is, but they may want a retrim of that interior...

The price is £168,950, certainly the least we've seen an M600 at thus far. There are alternatives from where you would expect, low mileage Ferraris and McLarens available in budget. If you will not accept anything less than 600hp and a manual gearbox though, options are limited. There aren't any Corvette ZR1s on PH at the moment, and this GT2 RS recently sold - the asking price was £289,995. A Ford GT is going to be at least £250K, and makes a measly 550hp...

For traditional, old school supercar thrills then, there's a lot in the Noble's favour. It's not going to be to every taste - what is? - but it does offer something different in the supercar world. For some that will be enough; that there is genuine talent beyond the rarity factor should make it all the more appealing for the rest.


NOBLE M600
Engine:
 4,439cc V8 twin-turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 669@6,800rpm (quoted as 'maximum net power')
Torque (lb ft): 604@3,800rpm
MPG: 20.2 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 333g/km
Recorded mileage: 31,000
Year registered: 2011
Price new: N/A
Price now: £168,950

See the original advert here

 

 

 

 

   
Author
Discussion

Ho Lee Kau

Original Poster:

2,278 posts

124 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Fascinating car!

But for that money one can surely find 997 GT2. It has 530hp, which is already Big Power, but which can easily be raised to 600+ if necessary.

OR one can buy a 997 Turbo, take off the front drive shaft and have a RWD coupe again (also, the front skirt can be replaced with GT2 skirt to increase downforce, that is not really expensive).

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Good luck getting a modern turbocharged 911 down to <1300kg and even if you did you'd still end up with a far less focused car.

I'd say this thing is an absolute bargain at that price, although I suspect the market for such a car is quite small.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 2nd May 11:50

JohnGoodridge

529 posts

194 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
kambites said:
Good luck getting a modern turbocharged 911 down to <1300kg and even if you did you'd still end up with a far less focused car.

I'd say this thing is an absolute bargain at that price, although I suspect the market for such a car is quite small.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 2nd May 11:50
+1. I'd read some time ago that no M600 had ever been sold on by it's original private owner. Is this the first, or have I just missed them? Also think they're fantastic value at this price, and a fantastic proposition.

WCZ

10,492 posts

193 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
great value for money

Arsecati

2,284 posts

116 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Plus there's also the small matter that: if you bought a Porsche of any description and made the 'required' or 'suitable' mods to it to try gain a similar feel.............

............. it would STILL be a Porsche!!!

(I'd take the Noble any day - not even a second thought!) wink

Schermerhorn

4,342 posts

188 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Modern day F40.

Eviltad

1,320 posts

178 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Is this not a PHer's ex Car? I thought this was the one I saw in Sutton Coldfield area and the chap also had an Orange M600 at the time.

jl34

523 posts

236 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
i think this one is cheap because it s a pre-production car , just a little detail !

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Ho Lee Kau said:
Fascinating car!

But for that money one can surely find 997 GT2. It has 530hp, which is already Big Power, but which can easily be raised to 600+ if necessary.

OR one can buy a 997 Turbo, take off the front drive shaft and have a RWD coupe again (also, the front skirt can be replaced with GT2 skirt to increase downforce, that is not really expensive).
But with that attitude the world would be a devoid of silly things that exist 'just because', and everyone with less than £20k to spend on a car would probably be driving a Golf.

You could buy to invest (probably quite safely, and probably a Porsche) with quarter of a million, but the world is a better place for the handful of people not doing that.

macky17

2,210 posts

188 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Bargain.

For sale: One kidney, barely used.

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

86 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Love it. Retrim the seats and it would be perfect.

blasos

341 posts

161 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Pistonheads said:
Nonplussed by automatic, sanitised supercars?
You ought to look up the definition of "nonplus".

C7 JFW

1,205 posts

218 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Schermerhorn said:
Modern day F40.
There you go, agreed.

f1nn

2,692 posts

191 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Nope...

Although the price of this one is going in the right direction, having gone from the "pluck a number out of the air" to "simply ridiculous" pitching it against far better, more established rivals with some hope of resale once you've grown tired of a Volvo engined kit car.

Modern day F40? Not a chance....a design that was relevant 30 years ago maybe, but not even in the same library, let alone the same page in terms of desirability.

With that said, fair play to anyone who is brave enough to put their money where their mouth is, and I'm sure the heros will be along shortly to moan about the driver aids in modern cars...but I think you'd have to be mad personally.

hondansx

4,562 posts

224 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
£300k for a kit car. Wonder why i've never seen one...

DPSFleet

192 posts

160 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
At this price it starts to make sense, not sure where the price might go in next 3 years? Probably sit about there 'cos of rarity.

In the end though I don't like the styling - McClaren for me at this price - still.

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

86 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
And so it begins...

Idiots.

f1nn

2,692 posts

191 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
And so what begins?

GranCab

2,902 posts

145 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
blasos said:
Pistonheads said:
Nonplussed by automatic, sanitised supercars?
You ought to look up the definition of "nonplus".
Many people presume nonplussed means something like ambivalent or uninterested, journalists should know it means surprised and confused.

Trophy-GTA

101 posts

97 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
These are made not so far from where I live so naturally I'd be proud to own one. But would I choose it over an Aston/McLaren/Ferrari? That's a tough one.