Lee Noble's Exile preparing for production

Lee Noble, the founder of supercar maker Noble, has confirmed that his mid-engined supercar, the Exile, is still in the works.

Five years since Lee Noble teased a prototype supercar, it is now looking on track to launch this decade – albeit with a modified Ford Ecoboost V6 over the previous Cadillac-sourced motor. And there are also a few bridges to cross before then, including investment for production.

Noble told British outlet Autocar that he envisages the Exile going into production as a bespoke supercar, developing around 370kW from the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine to the rear wheels via a Graziano six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential.

While there will not be any traction control trickery to maximise grip on take-off (something which will save time and money on certification), it should be good for completing the 0-100km/h sprint in around 3.5 seconds.

“It’s bulletproof and it will shift gear as quick as I can move my arm,” said Noble to Autocar.

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Noble M500

For those paying attention to his original car company, Noble, the Exile (the name of his new business) is not to be confused with the upcoming Noble M500 (pictured above), despite both using a Ford V6 engine midship, although investment funds might see the Exile built by High Tech Automotive in South Africa, where Noble built the M12.

The Exile is planned to have a chassis which can sit underneath different body styles and is constructed with steel subframes and a monocoque central structure. The first body is a targa coupe made from fibreglass to keep weight at a minimum - a claimed 1100 kilograms.

Suspension is sorted with double-wishbones front and rear and three-way adjustable dampers, while behind each wheel are Wilwood six-piston calipers for added clamping strength.

The supercar will also come with a sharp price, according to Noble, who is focusing on £100,000 pricetag, or around AU$190,000. To do that, the Exile will forgo some creature comforts and electronics such as traction control, but will also help the company to build an expected 200 units per year.