As supercars and hypercars continue to evolve and grow ever more powerful, automakers have bestowed these increasingly potent machines with state-of-the-art driver aids and electronics packages to help keep their immense power in check. Unsatisfied with the industry shifting away from the fully-analog experience of true driver’s cars, the UK’s Noble Automotive opted to introduce its M600 model in 2010 — a high-performance supercar devoid of the usual suite of electronic aids. And now, after a dozen-year-long hiatus, the Leicester-based firm is rolling out a successor to its flagship offering with what’s been christened the M500.
Described by Noble as a “little brother to the M600,” the British marque’s new model features similar dimensions and a comparable design — albeit with softer lines — when compared to its predecessor. However, the M600’s Yamaha-built 650-hp, twin-turbocharged V8 engine has been replaced with the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 from the Ford GT that’s been paired with a manual six-speed gearbox — an arrangement that’s good for 500hp. Like the M600, the M500 lacks active suspension or aero, electronic stability control, and even ABS, with its only real electronic aid being traction control. Cloaked in a weight-saving glass-reinforced composite body sitting over an M600-derived steel tubular chassis, the M500 also sports an integrated rear wing, a triangular twin exhaust setup, double-wishbone suspension, hydraulically assisted power steering, and headlights borrowed from a C7 Corvette. And, just like with the M600, the M500 will be built by hand and manufactured in low volume.
Due to launch later this year, the Noble M500 is expected to carry an MSRP of around £150,000 (~$205,000).
