AutoSport UK had the following report:

“The revised version of the French team’s Pescarolo-based LMP2 prototype will be badged a Morgan LMP2 following a partnership deal with the British sportscar manufacturer. The deal encompasses the solo works OAK entry in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes Le Mans, as well as customer versions of the car.

Morgan boss Charles Morgan said: “It is a source of great pride that we have the opportunity to work with a racing car designer and constructor that has achieved such success on the international stage.

“While Morgan sportscars enjoy a great history, we have also gained a reputation for pioneering new technology, and I believe LMP2 represents a superb proving ground in which to develop innovative new methods.”

OAK owner Jacques Nicolet said he was “deeply honoured and proud” to be working with Morgan.

“In Morgan I feel the same passion that has inspired me since childhood, as well as the family spirit that I hope I have been able to create at OAK Racing,” he continued. “Who better than Morgan to embody the gentlemen drivers’ spirit needed for LMP2 competition?”

Morgan is this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1962 class win at Le Mans with the Plus 4 Supersport. It will be the first time its name has appeared on the entry for the 24 Hours since the factory ran a GT2 class Aero 8R in 2004.”

Morgan Car News and Talk Morgan wish MMC and OAK every success at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2012!

“During the past 6 months, Morgan has secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to allow it to participate in and manage a £1.4 million collaborative project to use revolutionary materials in a chassis application. The project named MagMog consists of 5 partners who are all experts in their relevant fields. The project partners are:

· Morgan Motor Company Ltd – Lead Partner in the project

· Penso Consulting Ltd – a design house with expertise in several premium sportscar designs.

· Superform Aluminium – the current supplier of Morgan Motor Company wings and body panels, Superform have the forming knowledge required to make this project succeed.

· Coventry University – Specialists in panel joining and fatigue testing

· Magnesium Elektron UK – the world’s largest manufacturer of Magnesium sheet, M.E. have unrivalled knowledge in all areas of Magnesium usage.

The MagMog chassis development project started on November 1st 2011. The project aims to develop appropriate technologies to enable magnesium alloy to be used as the primary material in the construction of a body-in-white structure for the EvaGT. This will improve structural performance at a reduced comparative weight. Magnesium is the lightest structural metal available, 30% less dense than aluminium and is the eighth most abundant elements globally. Due to its inherent properties, use of sheet magnesium for vehicle structural applications will require hot-forming, increasingly being adopted by premium car manufacturers as it can produce larger and more complex panels. Morgan Motor Company intends to provide the initial route to market by adopting the developed technologies on its next generation of premium sports car, the EvaGT.

This project, along with Morgan Motor Company’s desire to exceed the standard safety requirements for the EvaGT has resulted in the planned launch date being delayed. We now intend to launch the EvaGT at the 2014 Geneva Motorshow. While this delay is undesirable and inconvenient, we have taken the decision to pursue these projects to ensure the EvaGT is at the forefront of both environmental and safety technology.”

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.

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.

For those who wish to pay their respects, there will be a thanks giving service of Chris Lawrence’s life at the Great Malvern Priory on the 30^th September 2011 at 2 p.m. followed by refreshments at the Morgan visitor centre at the Morgan factory. All are welcome to attend both the service and the subsequent refreshments. If anyone has any questions please contact Larry Webb at admin@larrywebb.co.uk.

Despite his detour, Jay gives the latest vehicle from MMC a big thumbs-up and from his conversation with Charles Morgan, he has joined the queue of customers for this exciting trike. Enjoy…

Morgan are looking for owners of race prepared Roadster V6 (including the Roadster Lightweight V6), Plus 8s and Plus 4s, who would be willing to lend their car for a 7-lap celebrity race.

In return for the loan of your vehicle, your car will be fully insured and we will provide a new set of tyres before or after the race, any other requests will be given immediate consideration.

Owners will also receive:

•    2 x 3 day admission tickets f/ Silverstone Classic
•    2 places pre-race hospitality with celebrities
•    2 passes to VIP Paddock Assembly Walk
•    2 places post-race hospitality with celebrities
•    Signed photograph of owner with celebrity driver
•    Duplicate trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd

Morgan need owners support to make this charitable event a success. Each car driven by a celebrity will raise a minimum of £2,000.00 for The Bobby Moore Cancer Research UK.

Morgan are looking for 15-20 cars – can you help?

The celebrities currently involved are: -

•    Cerys Matthews
•    Richard Hughes
•    Tom Chaplin
•    Jonny Saunders
•    Rick Parfitt Jnr
•    Richard Allinson
•    Brendan Cole
•    Heston Blumenthal
•    Lord Charles Brocket
•    Paul O’Duffy
•    Neil Primrose
•    Charley Boorman
•    Comedy Dave
•    Frankie Poultney
•    Clive Tyldesley
•    Claire Tomlinson
•    Matthew Wright
•    David Seaman

Although, in speaking with Jayne of MMC, there were some other exciting names possibly being added to the event; therefore, this list is by no means complete!

For more information and to support this extremely worthwhile event, please contact Jayne Jones of Morgan Motor Company on: -

Telephone: 01684 580745
or email: Jayne.jones@morgan-motor.co.uk

Please mention Morgan Car News, so that Jayne knows where you heard about this event. If you would like to discuss this event or view the official Morgan letter for the Silverstone Classic Celebrity Race, you can visit Talk Morgan.

Kevin Matthews of Maximise Potential sums of this exciting conversation perfectly: -

“Tim Whitworth, Finance Director of Morgan, has the unenviable task of making the numbers balance within this last remaining marquee of British Motoring history.

Yet Tim views this responsibility as one of the best challenges he could ever be faced with, due to his clear passion and genuine attachment to the brand.

He considers himself to be an unconventional Finance Director, who takes as much interest in the human aspects of the company as the numbers, citing Morgan’s collaborative working culture as key to so much of the company’s success.

This is a great opportunity to go behind the scenes of Morgan and also the man responsible for it’s finances, in this very informative and candid interview.”

You can listen to Tim’s interview by following this link to Maximise Potential. We hope you enjoy listening to it.