Revealed: Noble M600 Supercar

The British marque parted ways with its usual Ford six-cylinder power plant and looked to Volvo's 4.4-liter V8 with two Garrett turbochargers bolted to it. In the M600, 650 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque are on tap, although the driver has the ability to toggle among 550-hp and 450-hp settings as well. A six-speed manual is the only transmission offered for the powerful V8. Noble expects hypercar performance numbers with an estimated 0-60-mph time of less than 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 225 mph.

"This is a car designed to provide a pure and uncorrupted driving experience that you're totally in control of. The driving experience we've targeted is closer to that of a Ferrari F40 or a McLaren F1 than those of more modern, more 'civilized' supercars. The M600 will do nothing on the driver's behalf," said Peter Boutwood, Noble managing director.

Noble manages to keep weight down to only 2,810 pounds and provides very little driving assistance from the ECU with its lack of antilock brakes or stability control. The two-seat, midengine car does have a red lever in the passenger compartment that can enable traction control if driving conditions become dangerous, however. Other features include 19-inch front and 20-inch rear alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tires, Alcon brakes, fixed-rate dampers and a fixed-ratio steering system.

The interior is not as stripped down as on previous Noble versions. Among the features are leather upholstery, aluminum pedals, a sport steering wheel, a stereo system and carbon-fiber trim.

The M600 is priced at the equivalent of $330,000 and will make its public debut at the Goodwood Revival in the U.K., September 19-21.

Inside Line says: The long wait for a true successor to Noble's M12 seems to be well worth it now that we have seen the 650-hp M600. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent