Friday 9th January 2015

Noble shows M600 Speedster prototype

Autosport debut for M600 roadster, with an automatic too!

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Given what it represents, it's surprisingly difficult to find information on the Noble M600 Speedster. This is the first convertible Noble since the M10 and the only clutchless product too, yet the Noble website doesn't feature anything on it. Curious.

In response to customer demand...

So what do we know about the Speedster? Without anything official, we've sent new boy Ben out from his spot at The Pie and Piston to get some photos and intel. For starters, there will indeed be a roadster version of the M600 based on this prototype. We're told to expect a few styling changes around the engine cover and production is due to begin this summer.

And the auto? Noble MD confirmed back in September that a Graziano automated manual was being developed and that will be offered in both M600 models soon. The appearance of a 'Launch' button is certainly good news, the rather odd paddles perhaps more divisive. Still, it's an interesting development for the Noble supercar and, fear not, the manual remains too.

At present the M600 coupe is £230,000, meaning a figure closer to £250K would seem likely for a paddleshift Roadster or Speedster or whatever it becomes known as. More when (if?) Noble confirms it!

[Pics: Ben Lowden]

 

[anonymous-user]

fking awesome.

[ph1l5]

Blimey that's an eye watering amount of money. I wonder how many they expect to sell !

[thatguy11]

The Crack Fox said:

Christ, that looks cheap in white.

Agreed, wheels also look rather natty. Hardtop's wheels were much nicer

[soad]

ph1l5 said:

Blimey that's an eye watering amount of money. I wonder how many they expect to sell !

Quite a few, let's hope.

[loveice]

Noble really needs to employ some 'automotive design' trained designers. Both the interior and exterior of M600 are designed by 'normal' industrial designers rather than real automotive designers.

[MrTappets]

Customer demand? Do you mean someone actually bought one of these? Carefully considered the kit car styling, the cobbled-together interior, the mediocre noise it makes, the steel-chassis-with-carbon-body-and-twin-turbo-v8-so-it's-really-a-sophisticated-supercar-please-take-us-seriously construction, and thought, "Yup, that's worth 35% more than a 458"?

And now even the unbelievably dubious pretense to "analogue superiority" has been sold out.

[DannyScene]

At that price realistically I can't see them selling many at all

[JDMDrifter]

Adore the M600, have had a very close look around a few of them. A very well put together car that's a showcase of Nobles engineering, I'd call them the English koenigsegg.

This looks really well, i personally prefer the coupe looks but hey ho!

[billzeebub]

Beautiful drivers car, one of the few new cars that I aspire to...(other being mainly Lotus, Landie Defender, Caterham) just not in Essex White

Edited by billzeebub on Friday 9th January 12:07

[SteveSteveson]

What? A Noble review without the phrase "Built in a shed" or any reference to Leicester? Things must be looking up for them.

[anonymous-user]

Lovely car, though in white it looks like something from a GTA game when they aren't quite allowed to make perfect replicas of certain brands.

[kambites]

Probably my favourite current supercar and made all the better by the ability to remove the roof as long as they haven't compromised structural rigidity.

Not that I'll ever be in a position to buy a modern supercar, but if I was I think the Noble is where it would go at the moment.

[suffolk009]

I'd always thought that a Noble would make a sensible fourth or fifth supercar in my supercar-garage.

And I have a preference for convertibles - I just wish they'd made it proper convertible rather than a Targa like roof. I like flat rear deck, I think Audi R8 is about the only car that does proper convertible these days.

[soad]

SteveSteveson said:

What? A Noble review without the phrase "Built in a shed" or any reference to Leicester? Things must be looking up for them.

Clarksonisms are tiresome.

The asking price (£200,000) seemed quite hefty (back in 2009?)...has shot up since then.

[kambites]

£230k in 2015 is (slightly) less than £200k in 2009.

[J4CKO]

Why dont Noble do cars mortals can aspire to any more, like the older models ? cant say I have ever seen one of these outside of a car even like CPOP.

[Lordbenny]

JDMDrifter said:

I'd call them the English koenigsegg.

[Lordbenny]

JDMDrifter said:

I'd call them the English koenigsegg.

[Marwood79]

I'd say if you benchmark these against a 458 Speciale it actually looks like a bargain.

M600 is fulfilling a different brief.

Besides - 458's are ten-a-penny - every Joe-pretender in the square mile has got one. The M600 is the choice for the purist and is about a million times cooler for it.

There was a brace at the FOS perched just inside the Supercar carpark - bare carbon fibre weave glinting in the sun - not glarish but just immense presence. The 458 Speciale was invisible in their company no matter how red or yellow it was (I don't recall)...

[AM7]

Lordbenny said:

JDMDrifter said:

I'd call them the English koenigsegg.

Makes sense up to a point, I think JDMDrifter was referring more to the older Koenigseggs as opposed to their modern Ageras. Think CC8S, old school, back to basics engineering that stands out against the vast majority of their competitors efforts with electric computer-assisted everything.

Lovely cars though, I've only ever seen one of them out and about in the wild! However I also feel the price is a bit too strong..