Rossion Q1: New U.S. Supercar Comes From Noble Stock

The Noble M400 supercar is getting a U.S. version, the Rossion Q1. The new car will be built by 1G Racing of Cincinnati, which recently purchased intellectual-property rights to Noble cars.

The Rossion Q1's body has been redesigned with a reshaped front end, added air intakes and side ducts. A rear wing is optional. However, the company emphasizes that the Q1 retains "the pure, unalloyed heart and soul of Lee Noble's incredible chassis." The Q1's turbocharged 3.0-liter Ford Duratec V6 engine has been tweaked to make 450 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, giving the car a 0-60-mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 185 mph. The complete car will sell for $90,700, 1G says. Buyers can also get the chassis alone, without drivetrain, for about $69,000.

Noble cars are known for being low-frills, but the Q1 will have such items as satellite navigation, power mirrors and a high-end sound system. Nevertheless, the company describes the car as "free of the superfluous gadgetry that mottles the sensation of true driving." That means no traction control or stability management, which the company calls "the outside meddling of artificial mechanisms."

When it bought the rights from Noble Automotive, 1G Racing agreed to come up with a new name by mid-July. Noble has stopped building the M12 and the M400 derived from it, but the U.K. firm still makes the M15. Like the Noble cars, the Rossion Q1 will be built in South Africa.

First deliveries of the Q1 are expected by year's end, the company says. Details are available at the Rossion Cars Web site.