NOBLE PRESS RELEASE:

ALL-NEW NOBLE SUPERCAR
TO LAUNCH NEXT MONTH

A radical new Noble is set to wow press and public when it’s unveiled in March. Named M15, the car will remain faithful to the company’s M14 concept as a user-friendly supercar, but will have an all-new chassis, drivetrain configuration, interior and body - as well as more power.

With a guide price of £75,000 the M15 represents a major departure from Noble’s current models. It will target buyers who are seeking a more exclusive and driver-focused alternative to mid-engined cars in the £110-130k price bracket, while also tempting those who are eyeing up the 2007 Lotus Esprit.

“The M15’s fresh styling and engineering emphasise our desire to present a genuinely all-new car to the market,” said Lee Noble, Noble’s MD and design chief. “While the Noble M12 series continues to win us accolades for its performance and dynamics, we’ve worked hard to ensure that the M15 is in a different league altogether. As before, this has been achieved without us having to resort to big, heavy engines or trick electronics. The M15 will be nothing less than a pure-bred driving machine.”

Among the M15’s highlights will be:

• Dry-sumped engine with 455bhp/455lb ft of torque
• In-line drivetrain using a new, bespoke gearbox
• New, 57 per cent stiffer spaceframe chassis
• Generous boot space, front and rear
• New interior with high levels of standard equipment

The M15 will sit above Noble’s current models from launch, leaving the completed range as follows:

Noble M15: £75,000 (est)
Noble M400: £55,995
Noble M12 GTO-3R: £49,950

Full details and pictures of the first complete M15 will be available for publication in March.

The new Lotus Europa S, a Grand Tourer (GT) inspired two-seater, will provide Lotus customers a spectacular sportscar with significantly enhanced levels of touring and cruising capability, as well as higher levels of practicality and refinement to complement the simplicity of the Lotus Elise and Exige models.

The Europa S follows the core Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight, enabling this refined and high-performing GT car to weigh a mere 995 kg, making it class- leading in this respect. This low weight has been obtained through the clever use of advanced and high-tech materials including an extruded and bonded aluminium chassis, composite body panels and a very advanced composite energy absorbing front crash structure.

When compared to the award-winning Lotus Elise, the Europa S has a larger boot / luggage compartment and easier cabin access, resulting from lower chassis sides and a higher roof line. Combined with a full leather interior, Satellite Navigation, driver and passenger airbags and carpets all as standard, Lotus has created a “Business Class” driving experience which remains true to the Company’s design philosophy.

The new mid-engine coupe will deliver high levels of performance from a high torque (263 Nm or 194 lbft at 4200 rpm) 2.0-litre turbo engine producing 149 kW (200 hp or 203 PS) at 5400rpm.

The Lotus Europa S achieves around 90% of its maximum torque at only 2000 rpm to give class-leading levels of acceleration from low engine speeds, propelling the car from 0 - 96 km/h (60 mph) in around 5.5 seconds, and 160 km/h (100 mph) in around 14 seconds. Maximum speed is approximately
225 km/h (140 mph). Being a Lotus, the Europa S has a competitive power to weight ratio of 201 hp / tonne (204 PS / tonne or 6.68 kg/kW).

The introduction of a GT-inspired car, represents both an important and unique addition to the Lotus product range, as Clive Dopson, Managing Director of Lotus Cars, explains: “The launch of the Europa S re-affirms our position as an innovative player in the highly competitive sportscar marketplace. It allows Lotus to extend its product appeal beyond our traditional customer base, and provides yet another demonstration of the key Lotus brand attributes and high levels of quality for which we are particularly proud.”

Trevor Houghton-Berry, Head of Commercial Operations for Lotus Cars explains further the positioning of the Lotus Europa S: “No longer will the outrageous fun and exhilaration of driving a true Lotus require Lotus customers to make such significant compromises when it comes to the practicality of living with their ‘pride and joy’ on a daily basis. The purity and simplicity of the Lotus Elise and Exige ranges is now perfectly complemented with the arrival of the new Europa S - a car which stays true to the Lotus philosophy of ‘Performance through light weight’, but recognises that for some, the Elise and Exige experience may sometimes prove just a little too ‘extreme’!”

Full production of the Lotus Europa S is scheduled to commence in July 2006 at the award-winning and world-class Lotus manufacturing facility at the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, UK.