Out of Africa - Noble M12 GTO 3

After his involvement with replica Ferrari P4's, Lotus 23's and original Ultima and Ascari cars Lee Noble founded Noble Automotive in 1999 to build relatively affordable but really fast cars.

He kept the prices of his light weight space framed chassis vehicles down by using the Hi Tech Automotive manufacturing facilities in Port Elizabeth, South Africa to assemble the basic chassis and body and then shipping them to England for drive train installation and testing.

The M12, originally planned in Coupé and Convertible forms, was in production from 2000 to 2008, only one M12 Convertible, a prototype was ever produced.

All M12's are powered by twin turbo Ford V6 Duratech engines this GTO 3 model is a 3 litre / 185 CUI 365 hp variant the top end M400 left the factory with 425hp.

The Nobel M12 production rights were sold to 1G Racing who manufacture & market their M12 as the Rossion Q1. Salica Cars also manufacture M12 derived vehicles known as the Salica GT, 550hp Salica GTR and Salica GTC convertible.

In 2006 Lee Noble sold Noble Automotive and resigned from the company in 2008, setting up Fenix Automotive in the Meridian Business Park in Leicester, a V8 powered <a href="http://noblesportscarsgallery.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&amp;updated-max=2012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&amp;max-results=2">Fenix GT</a>, again using the Hi Tech manufacturing facilities is expected to be launched on the market this year.

My thanks to the <a href="http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/">Pistonhead</a> who brought this vehicle along to the <a href="http://psychoontyres.blogspot.com/2011/01/sunday-service-mini-plant-car-park.html">Sunday Service</a> at the BMW plant back in January.

I hope you have enjoyed today's Twin Turbo Duratech edition of 'Gettin' a lil' psycho on tyres' and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don't forget to come back now !