Noble M15 (2007) CAR review

The M15 is Noble's slant on an everyday supercar. With it, the British sports car maker wants to take on the Porsche 911 GT3, but at £74,590, the Noble undercuts the Porker by £4500. By taking a swipe at Germany's finest, Noble is trying to elevate itself into the big league.

It uses a tubular steel spaceframe chassis clothed in GRP panels, similar to that found in the existing M12/M400. The M15 uses an evolution of the same bi-turbo V6 Ford-derived engine but where it differs is in its layout. Where the V6 is mounted transversely in the M12, the M15 adopts an inline engine layout. With it comes a lower centre of gravity and better packaging. It's longer, wider, lower and much faster than any Noble before it.

Give me the lowdown…

The Noble Grand Tourer concept originally made its debut as the M14 show car in 2004. That used the existing M400's chassis and mechanicals. But the M15 throws out much of that hardware in favour of a new chassis, a new layout, new gearbox (built by Graziano), a new interior and fresh styling. Underneath that glass rear window lies a 3.0-litre V6 pumping out 455bhp – with 30bhp and 5lb ft of torque more than the searingly rapid M400. The M15 will crack 60mph in just 3.5sec before continuing to 180mph. Keeping it in check is a limited slip diff and massive 330mm brake discs.

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