Noble M500 to hit the road in late 2022
Noble’s new junior supercar to rival McLaren Artura and Maserati MC20
After a sustained period of quiet, Noble has revealed an updated version of its new M500 supercar that it hopes to put into production by the end of the year. The new lightweight supercar has been designed specifically to sit below the space its M600 used to occupy, rivalling junior supercars like the Audi R8, new Maserati MC20 and McLaren Artura.
The M500 will be built in a similar method to previous Nobles, with a tubular steel chassis forming its main mid-engined structure clothed in composite panels. Yet unlike the M600 and its carbonfibre skin, the M500 will utilise the latest generation of glassfibre composite, which is heavier than carbon, but also far more inexpensive to produce and critically less time consuming. Still, weight is expected to be significantly less than most rivals, which commonly weigh in between 1350-1500kg.
In another change, the M500 will swap out the Volvo-sourced twin-turbocharged V8 from the M600 for a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 Ecoboost engine bought in from Ford. Final power and torque figures are still to be finalised, but Noble’s aiming for a figure around the 550bhp mark, putting it in the meat of that motor’s general power spectrum in its uses in everything from a Lincoln Navigator SUV to the Ford GT.
Unlike a majority of its uses in Ford products, the M500 will be fitted with a six-speed manual transmission only, powering the rear wheels via a limited slip differential. Suspension will likely be a double-wishbone setup with coilovers and passive dampers, a similar setup that was used on the M600 and the preferred setup over the company’s previous models.
Visually, the M500 has been updated since it initially debuted at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with refinements around the lower bumpers and slightly modified surfacing. The OEM-derived lighting is still current – we’re picking C7 Corvette headlight internals and some rear lights borrowed from a Citroen C4 Picasso (the five-seater, specifically) but the overall effect is easily distinguishable as a Noble.
Inside, the layout is simple, with two digital interfaces on the dash not including a large digital instrument cluster. Much of the interior is wrapped in an Alcantara-like material, but like all Nobles, final specification is up to the individual customer. Prices have not been disclosed so far, but given the new model’s aim at the junior supercar segment, expect prices anywhere between £120,000 and £180,000 – space occupied by a low-level R8 up to the new Artura and MC20.
