New Noble M600 arrives with targa top and paddleshift gearbox

A Noble M600 with a targa top and new paddleshift gearbox is on show at the Geneva motor show.

The model is related to the Speedster concept of the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed (pictured). It is expected go on sale with a price of around £220,000 this year.

Read our Noble M600 Speedster review here

The open-top version of the Noble M600 supercar gets a targa roof that takes less than 30sec to lift on or off via two clips, but the roof can't be stowed away in the car so a portable canvas alternative is provided.

It also comes with a Noble-developed paddleshift sequential automatic gearbox, rather than a dual-clutch system. According to Noble boss Pete Boutwood: "​It’s not an off the shelf double-clutch transmission, but a proper sequential robotised manual transmission. This is to maintain a raw driver feel and to make you feel like you are really driving it."

That automatic gearbox comes as standard, but Boutwood has previously indicated that a manual could also be made available on demand. "If a customer wants a manual that much then we are the right size to give them what they want," Boutwood said at Goodwood, adding: "In fact, I really rather love the idea."

The production model is very similar to the first prototype, which was shown at last year's Autosport International. But the hatch over the back has been slightly modified to be sleeker and better at cooling its V8.

"The real beauty is that you can hear the engine," Boutwood said. "It's intoxicating."

The M600 model has a been a relatively slow burner for Noble, with just 27 produced in the last six years, but Boutwood said sales are now starting to take off.

"We’re getting enquiries every day now I think because people have realised that there’s nothing quite like a properly analogue car," he said.

With its V8 twin-turbo engine now built by Judd and offering a little more power than the advertised 600bhp always claimed for the motor, Boutwood days the Noble brand is starting gain traction.

"Customers come from traditional supercar manufacturers to us for two reasons: reliability and the driving experience."