2008 Noble M15

Noble Automotive, a Leicestershire, England-based sports car manufacturer, recently introduced its fifth high performance model in early 2006. The M15, Noble's newest vehicle, is designed to be a grand touring car that's equally adept on track. The M15 is the first Noble to be certified for sale in the United States.

The M15, which vaguely resembles the Ferrari 360 Modena from the front, is powered by 3.0 liter, twin-turbocharged V6 sourced from Ford Motor Company. The V6, known to Ford as the Duratec, is turbocharged in-house by Noble and puts out 455 horsepower. Torque output is 455 lb-ft. at 4,800 RPM. The motor is mid-mounted and sends power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

Designed by Lee Noble, the M15 features the aforementioned gaping front end, a large rear spoiler, an effective rear diffuser and ten-spoke alloy wheels. It's a two-seater designed in the vein of high performance cars, though the trunk - located behind the engine - will hold a weekend's worth of baggage.

The M15's angular bodywork made of composite is pure supercar, though its interior features a surprising number of Ford 'parts bin' pieces, including a Focus steering wheel that's decidedly un-sporty. The M15 is notably more luxurious than previous Noble performance cars.

Still, the M15's performance cannot be denied. Sixty miles-per-hour passes by in less than 3.5 seconds, according to Noble. The car's gearing limits its top speed to 185, but Noble is confident that, with proper gearing, the powertrain and svelte body would propel the M15 past 200 miles-per-hour.

Four ventilated discs with four piston calibers bring the 18 inch front and 19 inch rear wheels to a stop and a limited slip rear differential is standard.