New Car Model
New production model from a car manufacturer, available to the public to purchase
2012 Morgan Plus 8
Dec 2nd
What do you say when Charles Morgan, of the Morgan Motor Company, asks you if you’d like to drive the companies latest V8 powered sports car? Well, anything other than “yes please!” would be extremely rude.
Here, in brief, are my initial impressions of the 2012 Morgan +8; The first things that impresses you about the reborn Plus 8 are both the ride quality and steering feel. After spending many hours behind the wheel of a standard Aero 8, an Aeromax and a variety of Classic Morgans, the new +8 went straight to the top of the pile in terms of steering precision. The poise is aided by the chassis being closest to the Series 1 Aero and thus with the minimal overhang of the Plus 8 bodywork, the car feels both nimble and lithe (this is also helped by the fact the 2012 Plus 8 will have an excellent power to weigh ratio).
This power to weight ratio also meant the Plus 8 felt extremely quick – acceleration was always rapid (no need for the right gear or the right RPM, the torque seemed to mean the power was always on tap) and it was only the rules of the road that restricted your ability to proceed at a physics bending pace; all the above was only exacerbated by the superb handling adding huge confidence, even on a slightly damp British winter road. A quick nod should also be made to the exhaust note, which in typical V8 fashion is there to egg you on – in the new Plus 8, you cannot help but fall in love with the idea of pressing down on the accelerator, simply to hear the tune it plays.
Aesthetically, the 2012 Morgan Plus 8 is a very purposeful looking Classic. The rear and the front perspective afford it a wonderfully wide stance; in the Black bodywork of the development car, the Plus 8 possesses an attractively menacing quality, more subtle than many performance cars but with plenty of presence. The profile is more difficult to judge because I simply don’t like the wheels on the development vehicle and therefore, tried to imagine it with another set in situ. Were a set of Classic Morgan wheels fitted, I think you’d be hard pressed to tell it apart from the rest of the range from afar (which given the heritage of the profile, is certainly not a bad thing!). I will watch, with interest, which wheels MMC choose to fit to the production cars because I believe getting them correct is essential to completing the package. I’m sure the company will devise a suitable solution; their Sport line for the Classic range has proven they understand simple beauty and the elegance of clean lines.
Whilst not fair to judge a development vehicle on fit and finish, the interior was a nice place to sit, the cut down doors adding to the elbow room. The dash was still a work in progress but was coming together nicely: blending Classic and modern with panache. The hood seemed substantial and consideration has been given to the side screens and the fit of them when the Plus 8 is at speed. As it stands, the development car was rattle free and felt very solid and well put together. I look forward to sitting the finished product but all signs point to another Morgan cabin that is a pleasure to spend time in.
I believe that gives a fair reflection of my opinion on the new Morgan Plus 8. It is quite easy to fall under the spell of this wonderful vehicle and even in development form, it is an extremely attractive package. Once the development process is over and the car has reached the public, I believe the Plus 8 will sell itself; the words of others, such as myself, will become superfluous to the individuals experience behind the wheel. This is a Morgan which needs to be driven to truly appreciate the depth of its potential and the magic it is capable of.
Morgan 4/4 75th Anniversary Specification Announced
Nov 2nd
Today Morgan Motor Company announced the specification for the latest Morgan Four Four offering. Created to honour the 75th anniversary of the iconic Morgan 4/4, the Anniversary edition will be produced as a limited run special. Morgan Motor Company state that the 75th Anniversary combines “the low size and weight benefits of the entry level 4/4 with the power train from the larger more powerful Morgan Plus 4. A carefully selected set of standard options, with additional unique body graphics, completes arguably the best standard combination of body, engine and aesthetic in the Morgan Classic range.”
This new Morgan 4/4 Sports car is being offered in 3 colours: Sport Black, Sport Red and Old English White. All come with black perforated leather interior, carpets, hood and wheels. The dashboard is polished Tawny ash and a Mota Lita wheel is standard. The combination of the Ford sourced 2.0 engine from the Classic Plus 4 and the narrow wings of the standard 4/4 should make for a very spirited drive. The car is available for £38,750 + on the road charges from Morgan Motor Company and their associated dealers. To discuss the 4 4 75th Anniversary specification photographs and information, or to see more photographs of this exciting Morgan sports car, visit Talk Morgan.
First Drive of 2012 Morgan Plus 8
Oct 10th
One of the team behind Talk Morgan, Brian Voakes, had the chance to drive prototype 2012 new Morgan +8 in September 2011; which is believed to be the first time a member outside the MMC team has been offered a drive of the new V8 engined traditional Morgan. As an owner who has had the keys of many Morgans pass through his hands and done many miles behind the wheels of both traditional and Aero Morgan, Brian was well placed to comment on how this exciting model is shaping up. With praise such as, “(the new Morgan Plus 8 is) really well planted and also very light and without the same slight roll-oversteer you get with most post Series I Aero’s, but there is now doubt that it is fast and there is certainly nothing much wrong with the set-up straight out of the box” you can tell this car has left a positive impression on one stalwart Morgan owner. The rest of the story and photographs of the development Morgan +8+ can be found on Talk Morgan.
2011 Morgan Plus 4 SuperSports
Feb 3rd
Morgan Motor Company have announced the 2011 Morgan +4 SuperSports. The company have this to say:
“At the 1950 Earl’s Court Motor Show Morgan introduced the 2088cc Plus 4 car to the world. This highly capable machine became the platform for annual innovative performance upgrades within the company. The perfect balance between engine size and weight was the catalyst for the birth of the Plus 4 Super Sports race ready car. This car introduced the infamous low-line aluminium body and a highly tuned mechanical specification taking Morgan to victory in their class at the 1962 Le Mans 24 hour race. This ground breaking success encouraged Peter Morgan to introduce many permanent additions to the Plus 4 which has continued to evolve to this day.
To celebrate this on the sixth decade of the Plus 4, Morgan Motor Company is proudly reintroducing the limited edition Plus 4 Super Sports.
Like it’s sixty year old predecessor, the 2011 Plus 4 Super Sports features a carefully considered specification including an array of performance upgrades, track inspired accessories and fashionable sixties themed aesthetics. This truly versatile car contains all the reliability of the modern Morgan but with a large injection of legendary 60s racing spirit.”
The key aspects of the new +4 SuperSports are 200bhp 2.0 variable cam engine, upgraded throttle bodies, performance exhaust, uprated sports suspension, 3.73 limited slip differential and 3-turn steering rack. The list price of the new 2011 Morgan Plus 4 SuperSport is £49,995 inclusive of VAT. The full brochure can be found on Talk Morgan – MMC and dealers are now accepting orders for this Morgan sports car.
New Morgan 3-Wheeler for 2011
Oct 4th
Today, Jayne Jones of the Morgan Motor Company confirmed the launch of a new Morgan 3-Wheeler at next year’s Geneva Show. She went on to say that the maker of fine British sports cars, whose business was founded on the design and production of 3-wheeled vehicles, anticipates the price tag to be “under £30,000″. Enthusiast and potential customers do not have long to wait for more information as she added that details of the car’s design and power plant would be revealed in November 2010.
Morgan EvaGT 2+2 Sports Coupe
Jun 11th
The Morgan Motor Company have sent Talk Morgan and the Morgan Car News a preview of their upcoming press release for the Morgan EvaGT, previously only refereed to as the Morgan 2+2 concept. Here is the information provided by MMC: -
At a time of global conservation with a drive towards improved fuel economy the Morgan Motor Company introduces a new concept for a sporting family, the Morgan EvaGT. The four seater Coupe takes its inspiration from the British sports saloons of the early 1950’s. Among these were the Bristol 400 series and the Frazer Nash BMW 328. After the Second World War rationing forced designers to conserve and make the most of the materials at their disposal. However the pressure cooker of war had also led to an abundance of innovative engineering ideas. Steel was scarce so lightweight aluminium was used for bodywork. Smooth “in-line” straight six cylinder engines were fitted to give long distance comfort and reliability. Because the engineers had often worked on aircraft development during the war aerodynamics contributed to high but economical cruising speeds.
The Morgan Motor Company is the last survivor of these British sports car manufacturers. Of course the company is lucky enough to have 100 years of continuous success behind it and like Bristol and Frazer Nash; Morgan has a history of successful collaborations with German suppliers BMW, Siemens and Bosch. But Morgan also works with a number of young engineering companies in the United Kingdom and with world class British university research departments.
The new challenge is to make cars that are more efficient than any we have seen so far. The Morgan Motor Company is in a good position to respond to this challenge because the company is small and flexible with a proven track record of fast development cycles. It currently manufactures one of the greenest sports cars in the world, the Morgan Four Four Sport. Morgan achieves this result with the use of the new Ford 1.6 Sigma engine coupled with a light chassis. Morgan currently has a young well qualified technical team working towards a potential 5 engineering PHD’s, who will make full use of research departments at the University of Oxford, Cranfield and Birmingham City to tap into a technical knowledge network to make more efficient cars. This team is helping to develop a high torque electric motor twice as powerful as others of the same weight and size and a powerful lithium phosphate battery with a higher charge density to achieve the most efficient performance for weight so far.
The dynamic team at Morgan has made a commitment from 2010 that they will bring out a new model every two years. The legendary sports car manufacturer will target new niches…..electric sports cars, a fun weekend vehicle and the first of the new cars will be the Morgan EvaGT, a four seater Coupe aimed at young families, with a bit of drama or automotive theatre as we like to call it. This is a revolution for a car company famous for making the same car for 50 years!
The Morgan EvaGT
Brief provisional specification
Chassis:
The Morgan EvaGT makes full use of clever technologies that the Morgan Motor Company has developed to manufacture a lightweight car. Morgan was one of the first car companies to see the advantage of a bonded aluminium chassis to give rigidity but also to save weight. The EvaGT uses a further developed version of the bonded aluminium chassis of the Morgan Aero SuperSports, a chassis that successfully competes in International GT3 Sports Car Racing. Compliant with European and US safety approvals.
Bodywork:
Morgan was the first car company in 1995 to see the benefit of superformed aluminium, an aircraft technology, to manufacture smooth accurate body parts. Morgan Design have sculpted a new shape for the Morgan EvaGT that focuses on natural materials and understands their unique technical properties. Using computer technology in design and in manufacture to ensure accuracy, the parts are then hand finished to make sure they feel as good as they look. A perfect “A” class surface, minimal shut lines, hidden wipers, flush door handles and sharp creases deflect air over the surface of the car. The new Morgan EvaGT represents a philosophy of lightweight luxury that embraces authenticity, sustainability and innovation achieving its final result through the process of skilled craftsmanship.
Technical Specification (subject to change):
BMW 3 litre straight six mono twin turbo with direct petrol injection 306bhp and 400nm torque
- Euro 5 and 6 compliant at 200 gms Co2/km, US FMVSS, CARB and EPA approved.
- 40 mpg / 7.06 litres/100kms
- 6 speed sport automatic or 6 speed manual gearbox.
- Rear wheel drive with fully independent intelligent suspension
- Aluminium body panels with a laminated internal safety structure.
- Predicted weight of 2755 lbs/1250 kg
- Predicted 0-60 mph 4.5 seconds/ 0-100km/h 4.5 seconds
- Predicted top speed 170mph / 273 km/h
Launch
The first public view of the Morgan EvaGT will be at the 60th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Carmel, California, USA on the 15th August 2010.
The Morgan Motor Company will be taking orders worldwide with a request for a deposit of £5000 from prospective clients for an allocated build slot. The first 100 cars of a limited run are planned to begin production mid 2012 and the “on-road” price will be competitive for a car of this class.
Morgan LIFECar2
May 20th
LIFECar2 – The Next Generation of LIFECar
Following on from the rapturous response that LIFECar received, Morgan Motor Company has decided to take LIFECar from a prototype, to a fully fledged production vehicle. There have been some changes to the original brief, making the car more practical, while retaining the revolutionary features that made LIFECar unique.
In the place of the original hydrogen fuel cell is a super-efficient, series hybrid drivetrain, developed using some of the countries best universities, making use of the wealth of knowledge in their research departments. The drivetrain will power a vehicle that epitomises Morgan core value of innovation. The use of sustainable lightweight materials will ensure that not only is the vehicle fuel efficient with a low carbon output, but that at the end of its very long life, it will be easily recyclable.
Some key figures for the LIFECar are:
- 1000 mile range
- Ultra lightweight (sub 800kg)
- 15 mile EV range
- 0-60mph in 7 seconds
- ~£40,000 Price
Universities involved with LIFECar2 are:
- Birmingham City University
- Oxford University
- Cranfield University
More information on this exciting project as soon as we receive it! in the interim, Talk Morgan has detailed photographs of the interior and exterior of the LIFECar in the member’s section.
Morgan Roadster Sport in Sport Teal
Apr 19th
Morgan Roadster Sport in Sport Teal
Hot off the press from Milan, we have just received photos of the wonderful Morgan Roadster Sport from Morgan Motor Company. The photos show the new Sport model in, the fresh for 2010 colour, Sport Teal.
MMC have this to say about the new Morgan sports car: “A new introduction for 2010, the Roadster Sport adds performance and luxury to the basic formula.
With a minimal range of options to add to the comprehensive specification, which already includes a mohair hood and tonneau, black coloured stainless steel wire wheels and tan leather upholstery, the Roadster Sport offers style – pure and simple. 220 Bhp, a wider frame front for more secure handling yet still with 225 g/km Co2 emissions, the new Euro 5 Roadster Sport delivers performance with responsibility (Editor – thereby following in the footsteps of the Morgan 4/4 Sport).”
For more information on the Morgan Sport Range, visit the Morgan Motor Company and see their list of dealers for Morgan sports car sales. To discuss these wonderful automobiles, view photographs and meet other enthusiasts of Morgan cars, visit Talk Morgan.
Morgan Aero SuperSports – the latest limited production Morgan sports car
Mar 27th
Morgan Aero SuperSports
Following in the footsteps of the instantly collectable Morgan Aeromax, Morgan Motor Company introduced the Aero SuperSports at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. As of February 2010, Morgan are proud to announce that over half of the 200 limited production run of SuperSports have already been sold.
Innovations include the use of high tech super formed aluminium panels for the entire body. This process allows the most complex of shapes to be made in aluminium which are then fitted by hand over a traditional ash frame. Beautifully detailed inside, the coachbuilt ash frame proves that construction of the Morgan Aero SuperSports remains true to Morgan philosophy. Using this unique mix of technology and high quality materials, the car is assembled with care and dedication by the craftsman and women in Malvern. This method of construction offers a minimum of carbon emissions and maximum sustainability.
The body is bolted to the stiff yet lightweight AeroMax chassis which is fitted with the 367hp 4.8 litre BMW V8 engine. This gives SuperSports performance to match its name. For the first time a Morgan comes with an automatic gearbox as standard. The latest ZF 6HP 26 gearbox gives the fastest change in the world and endows the automatic with better acceleration and fuel economy than the manual thanks to its lock up clutch, low power loss and instant change characteristics. It also delivers lower CO2 emissions, 260 g/km, a figure not normally associated with a 0-62 mph (100 kph) capability of just 4.2 seconds and a top speed in excess of 170mph.
Reassurance and security are provided by Electronic Brake Distribution, cruise control, ABS and Siemens electronic airbags.
The technically advanced engine and lightweight construction give the best of all worlds – performance, economy and low emissions, yet still with all of the safety systems one would expect in a modern performance car.
Morgan believes that with the Aero SuperSports it leads the way in exclusive bespoke low volume car construction. The production techniques use quality raw materials and advanced technologies that are not available to Morgan’s competitors in the world of luxury car production. Owners of the Morgan Aero SuperSports will be joining a very exclusive Club with a unique opportunity to share their motoring dreams.
A selection of photographs of this wonderful Morgan limited edition sports car can be found at the excellent resource, of information on all the Morgan cars, Talk Morgan.
New Morgan V6 Roadster Sport Launched in 2010
Mar 23rd
New Morgan V6 Roadster Sport
Morgan Motor Company have launched the second model in the Morgan Sport Series line up with the Morgan V6 Roadster Sport.
The company have recognised that not all owners want to personalise their car at the production stage and therefore are offering a well specified car direct from factory. MMC have this to say: -
“Choosing the Morgan that’s right for you can be a daunting task, so we’ve make it easy. The Sport Series comes with a simple yet comprehensive and well thought out standard specification.
Few car manufacturers have actually increased production recently, however such has been the demand for the Morgan 4/4 Sport, that the Malvern based factory has had to add 50% to the annual production of this model.”
In order to capitalise on this appeal, the company unveiled its latest model, the V6 Roadster Sport, at the 2010 Geneva Motorshow. This carries the spirit of the entry level Morgan 4/4 Sport into the powerful 220Bhp V6 3.0 litre, with a few more luxuries on top.
Updates have included the latest Euro V 220 Bhp V6 3.0 engine, which gains 10% more power over the previous Roadster model with no trade off on CO2 emissions at 225 g/km. Changes to the front track give more sure footed handling, and minor revisions to the rear lighting and interior packaging complete the model year changes.
Both Sport models come with a choice of 8 exterior colours all designed to match the tan leather upholstery. On the Roadster, natural distressed tan leather, a black stoneguard and bonnet strap can be factory ordered if desired.
An extensive range of photographs of the Morgan Roadster Sport can be found at Talk Morgan, the web based enthusiasts forum for all cars produced by MMC.
New Morgan 2+2 Car for 2012
Mar 3rd
Charles Morgan has announced that a new Morgan model, a 2+2, will be shown for the first time at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August of 2010.
The company are aiming to put the new model into production for 2012-2013, pricing is yet to be confirmed; however, Morgan Motor Company would like to position the Morgan 2+2 at £40,000.
More news on this exciting addition to the Malvern range as and when it comes in.
New Morgan Model – Aero SuperSports Car
Apr 24th
Morgan Aero SuperSports
Throughout 2009 the Morgan Motor Company is celebrating one hundred years of continuous manufacture of motorcars. The company has remained in one family’s ownership since the founder HFS Morgan made his first car in 1909.
As part of the Centenary celebrations Morgan announces a truly special model.
Designed and engineered in house, the Morgan Aero SuperSports is a lightweight aluminium sports car with a luxurious specification. The interior features a comfortable combination of polished hardwoods, hand stitched leather and electronic technology to create a driving environment that is efficient, ergonomic and sumptuous. In spite of all this opulence the overall weight of the car is still minimal so the car is responsive to driver inputs and economical to run. More >
New Morgan Sports Car
Apr 16th
In a communication with Morgan car forum, Talk Morgan, on April 16th 2009, Mr. Charles Morgan revealed some new tantalising details about the new limited edition Morgan. Based on the Aeromax, the Aeromax 2 (or Aeromax Super Sport as some are speculating it will be called) will be latest model from the artisans at the Morgan factory in Malvern Link. Mr. Morgan had the following to say: -
“…the car will be at Villa d’Este next week (24th – 26th of April 2009) so all our fans have not got too long to wait!
The new car is without doubt the most beautiful Morgan ever built.
I also like the new aerodynamics of the GT3 car very much but the production car is so much more elegant. Is that a bit of a giveaway?”
More to follow as this story develops!
Morgan 4/4 Sport Photographs
Sep 2nd
Morgan Motor Company have released some new photographs of the 2008 4/4 Sport. The car featured in the photos is shown in black. These photos can be viewed by following this link.
2008 Morgan Aeromax Review & Video
Jun 11th
Digital publication, Drivers Republic, have driven and reviewed the stunning, limited production, Morgan Aeromax. The feature length article includes a wonderful review by ex-EVO contributor Richard Meaden and some fabulous photographs of the most recent model to be born at the Morgan factory in Malvern Link.
It really is worth a look for any enthusiasts of the Morgan Motor Company.