British Supercars Show Their Muscle At NEC

They're powered by American engines, but this pair are British through and through. And both proved it by making their debuts at the Motor Show.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Chris Thorp

02nd June 2004

First up is the all-new composite-bodied Marcos TSO. The road car has been penned by former TVR designer Damian McTaggart, while the chassis has been developed in partnership with motorsport and engineering firm Prodrive. Two versions of the built-to-order machine will be available, both using the General Motors 5.7-litre V8 engine found in the Chevrolet Corvette.

The entry-level model is priced at ΂£39,950 and delivers 350bhp. It has a five-speed manual gearbox, 17-inch alloy wheels all-round, and can complete the sprint from 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds.

The TSO R/T produces 400bhp, has a six-speed gearbox, 18-inch alloys at the rear and hits 0-60mph from rest in four seconds, before going on to a top speed in excess of 185mph. It costs ΂£44,950. Marcos chairman Tony Stelliga said: "The TSO marks the return of the sharp, affordable, high-performance V8 British sports car. We believe it fills a gap in the marketplace."

Meanwhile, Noble unveiled two new models at the NEC. We exclusively previewed the first, the open-top M12 GTC, in Issue 808, but the pictures to the right show the firm's new M14 supercar. It's powered by a 400bhp version of the modified twin-turbo Ford V6 that's used across the Noble range, but most of the M14's other components are new. The majority of the blue oval-derived detailing, such as door handles, has gone, and designers have also worked hard on the luxurious-feeling interior.

The Leicestershire-based company has high hopes for the M14, and it is pitching the car as a direct rival to the Ferrari 360 Modena and Porsche 911 Turbo. As a result, the 190mph machine will cost ΂£75,500 when it goes on sale in the UK in October.

As we revealed last week, Noble has also taken the bold step of scrapping its franchise dealer network. The firm will now sell its cars directly to customers via three factory-owned centres, a move that has allowed bosses to cut prices across the M12 range by up to ΂£6,500.