Lee Noble announces his new supercar project

The spirit of the original Noble M12 will be revived by the new Fenix Automotive supercar from Lee Noble

By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

19 November 2009 01:00

Brit supercar visionary Lee Noble today has announced his new supercar project. His latest venture is called Fenix Automotive Limited – and it'll launch a new sub-£75,000 V8 supercar by this time next year, it was revealed today.

The new Fenix-designed sports car will be a lightweight, mid-engined V8 that'll carry on where the original Noble M12 and M400 left off. Although the new supercar hasn't been named yet, Noble promises it'll be an ideal track-day tool capable of ripping to 100mph in less than seven seconds or pootling around on a weekend road trip.

Hang on. Is this related to the new Noble M600 we've read about elsewhere?

This is where it gets a tad complicated. Lee Noble left his own eponymous company after new owner Peter Boutwood took over. He's had nothing to do with the new Noble-badged M600 – and the new Fenix Automotive Limited business is his new pet project, with no connection to the Noble car company that's still based in Leicestershire.

The new Fenix car will be faster than any previous Lee-era Noble, although it won't challenge the ballistic 225mph Boutwood M600. That car does, however, cost a heady £200,000 and employ exotic composites galore – making it quite a different proposition from earlier Nobles.

So when do we see the new Fenix V8 supercar?

Early in 2010 for first pictures, with customer deliveries promised by the end of 2010. They will be built in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in the same plant that built the Noble M12.

'Our new car will offer buyers performance and dynamics that they’d normally have to spend well over £100,000 to experience, but at a far more affordable price,' says Lee Noble. 'It will combine simplicity, strength and agility, while its two-seat, closed body will ensure sensible levels of refinement for road use. And thanks to a feature which will be revealed nearer the car’s launch, it will be amazingly practical too, for both track and road users.'

>> Click 'Add your comment' to rate Lee Noble's new supercar venture

By Tim Pollard