Noble M500 specs revealed, Ford power to return

Niche British manufacturer Noble is back, revealing its new M500 supercar which will become its first new model since 2008.

As first reported by Autocar, the M500 will become the successor to the M600, first launched in 2008 and lauded for its Volvo and Yamaha-derived 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, a unit which produced up to 485kW and 819Nm on its highest boost setting.

While Noble says the new M500 is set to retain around 70 per cent of the M600's underpinnings, it has turned to Ford for its latest powertrain, choosing the 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine which is also found in the Blue Oval's GT supercar (as well as some of its pick-up trucks), aiming to develop around 410kW when it enters production.

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It's not the first time Noble has turned to Ford for its power solutions – turbocharged V6 Duratec engines featured in the M12, M400 and M15 before the its change to Volvo power, although at the time the Swedish manufacturer was also owned by Ford.

Autocar claims the prototype weighs around 1400 kilograms but its production weight could be shed down to 1250 kilos, roughly the same as its predecessor but now with a less powerful engine to push the mass around.

Hallmarks of Noble's past will remain, as the M500 is tipped to go without anti-lock brakes or airbags while also retaining a gated, six-speed manual transmission for maximum driving purity.

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Since the M600's production run came to an end in 2018, Noble has been working on the more refined M500, smoothing out its body to give a sleeker, more modern look but also giving the car a flat floor, allowing air to be channelled towards the rear diffuser for maximum downforce.

Expected to go on sale for a base price around £150,000 (AU$280,000) before options and special edition packages, Noble targets production of roughly 50 units per year, or one every week on average.