Noble Speedster 600 heading for production

When Volvo needed a new V8 engine for its first XC90, it contracted Yamaha to build the engine on its behalf. The Swedish automaker then shoehorned the engine into the S80 sedan, and have since used it as the basis for their V8 Supercars racing program. But over at Noble Automotive, they had a different idea for the eight-pot: the British sports car manufacturer bolted on a couple of turbochargers and built the M600 around it. And now Noble has chopped off its top.

Over two and a half years since it first touted the idea, Noble showcased the Speedster 600 at theAutosport International show a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham, UK – but has just now gotten the car into the studio to showcase its lines, and was kind enough to confirm its production prospects in the process.

The 600 Speedster, Noble tells us, borrows all its mechanical bits from the M600 coupe. That means the 4.4-liter V8 sourced from Yamaha and Volvo, with a pair of variable-boost Garrett turbochargers, offered in 450-, 550- and 650-horsepower states of tune and nestled in the middle of a stainless steel frame coated in carbon-fiber bodywork. Only instead of a fixed roof, it's got a removable roof panel. And instead of the Graziano-sourced six-speed manual, the Speedster has been fitted with a sequential paddle-shift gearbox.

Noble aims to put the Speedster 600 into production by the end of this coming summer, though manufacturers this small often end up pushing back their launch dates – much as Noble did with the launch of the M600 in the first place. When it does finally reach production, though, it promises to deliver the same level of performance as the coupe. And considering how much the M600 impressed the hosts of Top Gear, the Speedster looks poised to deliver a positively exhilarating wind-in-your-hair experience.

Noble Speedster 600 heading for production 2015-01-21T07:40:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Unknown