2004 Noble M12 GTO-3R

Noble Automotive Ltd. was founded in 1999 by British entrepreneur, car designer and engineer Lee Noble and, using his experience from his time spent at Ascari, he quickly established his company's commitment to designing and manufacturing high-performance sports cars with a mid-engine, rear wheel drive layout. As chief designer, he oversaw the evolution of the company's first model, the M10, into the M12 which was first produced in 2000. This soon became a benchmark for its incredibly compliant ride, pin sharp handling and impressive power delivery, receiving almost universal praise from, frequently difficult to impress, motoring journalists.

Lee Noble sold the company in August 2006 to Peter Dyson and later moved on in 2008 to work on other ventures, however, as well as being a knowledgeable collector of exotic cars and a successful business entrepreneur, Dyson was an M12 owner and a huge admirer of both Noble Automotive and the M12's attributes. He has taken Noble Automotive forward, with new hi-tech premises in Leicestershire and their current model, the M600, is a highly regarded supercar and a serious competitor to many more established and revered marques.

The M12 was produced in four versions (GTO 2.5, GTO-3 3.0, GTO-3R 3.0, with the M400 being the ultimate variant), all being powered by a sympathetically tuned (forge decompressed rods, cylinder block modifications with cylinder bore oil spray jets, crankshaft balancing, and turbo oil feeds built into the heads, along with ST 220 camshafts, coil top plugs, and a new MBE engine management system) twin-turbocharged Ford Duratec V6 engine. The basic structure consists of a steel tub with a full steel roll-cage and G.R.P composite clamshell body parts. These cars are extremely lightweight and stiff, with the ability to perform very well on both road and track, and offer surprisingly good ride quality and lots of confidence-inspiring feedback.

At launch, the M12 had 310bhp with the help of its pair of Garrett T25 turbos, giving a top speed of 165mph and a 0-60mph time of 4.1 seconds. With its quasi-racer feel, being heightened by the very visible Alcantara-trimmed roll-cage and no-nonsense instruments, this really is a driver's car. There was no ABS, no traction control and no ESP, just real engineering integrity and a brilliant design and the M12 was able to compete dynamically with the best junior supercars of the day.

This particular example, built in 2004, is an M12 GTO-3R and has been enjoyed by just two owners from new, the second from three months old, who between them have covered a little less than 14,000 miles. Finished in a gorgeous shade of Azure Blue with black hide, this sensational driver’s car presents extremely well throughout with minor chips to the frontal area as you might expect for any vehicle of this nature. Having been in professional storage since 2009, the Noble has now been released from its slumber, recommissioned and presented for an MOT inspection, passing with flying colours in readiness for its next custodian. This increasingly desirable track-derived sports car, complete with its original book pack, now provides the opportunity for exciting and entertaining road use or exhilarating track day excursions. Which ever you choose, having an M12 in the stable must surely be a box ticked for any serious petrol head.