If you’ve never heard of the Noble M400, you’re not alone. That’s because this is a low-volume car that was designed in England and built in South Africa. However, since these supercars are virtually non-existent, seeing one demolished is truly a sad sight. That’s exactly what happened recently in California as one of these ultra-rare machines went up in flames.

California Highway Patrol officers received a call about a vehicle on fire and responded quickly responded to the incident. Thankfully, as CarBuzz points out, no one was hurt as a result of this fire.

How did this Noble M400 catch fire?

Since all we have of this Noble M400 story is this unfortunate aftermath, we have more questions than answers. However, CarBuzz reports that the engine originated toward the rear of the car. As a result, this likely means some engine component likely failed, causing the fire. Thankfully the driver quickly noticed and pulled over.

As CHP officers arrived, the Noble M400 was already completely engulfed in flames. From there, there isn’t much anyone can do since there was no salvaging this rare machine.

While it is difficult to pinpoint the fire source, it is worth remembering that this is a low-volume supercar built in the early 2000s. Since Noble was a tiny company at the time, it didn’t have the means to do extensive testing for long-term durability.

Despite this, it is worth pointing out that these cars don’t have a track record for catching on fire. As a result, the fire-causing fault is likely an isolated incident.

Under the hood lives an engine out of a Ford Fusion

If this Noble M400 looks somewhat unusual, wait until you hear about what’s under the hood. While comparable Ferrari and Lamborghini models offer bespoke engines with plenty of heritage, the Noble takes a completely different route. According to CarBuzz, under the M400’s hood lives a 3.0-liter V6 engine out of the first-gen Ford Fusion.

To boost its power output, CarBuzz reports that the Noble M400 counts on two turbocharges, a revised fuel-injection system, and high-lift camshafts. The result is 431 hp and 390 lb-ft. While that might not sound like a lot of power compared with modern supercars, it is worth remembering that the M400 tips the scales at just 2,337 lb.

Is Noble still in business?

While the Noble M400 dates back to the early 2000s, the company that made it is still in business today. In fact, the British carmaker currently builds the M600. Unlike the M400, the M600 utilizes a twin-turbo V8 engine out of a Volvo XC90. With 650 hp on tap and a carbon fiber body, this supercar can reach 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds.

Despite being around for over a decade at this point, you can still go online and place an order for a brand-new M600. The price? Around $283,456.