If there's a sweet spot in the production history of Noble Automotive, it belongs to the M12. Sandwiched between the uninspiring M10 and the overambitious M15, the M12 was near note perfect: spiky to look at, as light as a falling leaf and - thanks to the turbocharged Ford V6 in its mid section - hugely fast around a track.
The car's long production history (a number of evolving models were built over eight years) is a testament to its popularity and a proper business model, where the majority of construction occurred in cost-effective South Africa, before being returned to the UK for final assembly.
In its original format, the M12 GTO used the 2.5-litre engine straight from a Mondeo, two additional blowers ensuring a 314hp output and - in a car that weighs 980kg - an eye-opening 320lb ft of torque. Ford discontinued the engine in 2001 though so Noble turned its attention to the larger 3.0-litre Duratec unit.
The new engine - with its internals modified and the turbochargers attached - proved as tuneable as an upright piano, and the firm's engine partner - the conveniently named Noble Motorsport - had it running at 500hp before you could say 'brisk'. A detuned 356hp version went into the GTO-3 with a five-speed 'box, but the one you want is the facelifted GTO-3R with the six-speed.
This gets you the slightly more attractive front clam, to boot - although it doesn't alter the V6's output. This was preserved for the M400, nominally a track version, which got the forged pistons, bigger blowers and unadulterated cam timing needed to have the car at its 400hp per tonne USP.
Alternatively, Noble Motorsport could do this for you as a post-op procedure, and that's precisely what you get in today's Spotted: a GTO-3R with a Stage 4 engine upgrade. As the car's impressive service history shows, this was done in 2005, upping the power to the prerequisite 425hp.
You'd still want to inspect it carefully (needless to say) but with the floor re-seal done and major service recently completed, the car looks very buyer friendly. Which is what you'd expect for a fiver shy of £50k. That's indicative of the market of course, but still surprising when you consider the last (admittedly older, lower spec) M12 Spotted contender was up for £22k just four years ago.
NOBLE M12 GTO-3R
Engine: 2,968cc, turbocharged V6
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 357@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 350@3,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2004
Recorded mileage: 31,000 miles
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £49,995
See the original advert here