Autoblog

Morgan seems to relish its past; so much so that it still builds cars with frames hewn from ash wood. How could such a company move forward with its designs while giving a clear nod to its history? May we suggest getting in contact with Georgian designer Vladimer Kobakhidze, who penned the Morgan Space concept seen in the gallery below.

Looking over the renderings, this concept is obviously a Morgan, but features a more modern and aerodynamic look. It's very similar to the direction the automaker itself took with the Aeromax -- a design we almost but not quite like. Pontoon-like front fenders blend into a tight waistline that then flows back into the wide rear haunches. The whole car culminates in an boattail-like point at the rear. Like current Morgan production machines, power would come from BMW but the craftsmanship and panache would be classically British, with wood and leather covering every interior surface. Unfortunately, this is nothing more than a design exercise; don't expect to ever see it for real.


[Source: Diseno-art]

Considering how often Morgan radically changes the design of their vehicles, the company has shown up rather often on our pages as of late. Last week, the Morgan LifeCar was shown in Geneva, and while we are impressed by the concept that the enigmatic British company was able to crank out, the AeroMax isn't a concept, but a real vehicle that is now officially in production. Originally announced in 2006, the AeroMax successfully blends modern and retro in both design and engineering. Featuring a frame made from ash wood, a body pounded into shape from aluminum and a 4.8-liter, 367 horsepower V8 engine from BMW, the lightweight sporting coupe can accelerate from 0-60 in just about 4 seconds and keep going to a top speed of around 170 mph.

Despite the seemingly low-tech construction methods, this is the first Morgan to feature an automatic transmission and a Canbus wiring setup. Other standard features include Electronic Brake Distribution with ABS, tire pressure monitoring and dual power rear windows which open like wings allowing access to the available leather luggage. According to Morgan's website, all 100 are already spoken for, but they've started a reserve list in case any orders get canceled. If you want one, better get on that list soon.

[Source: Cool Brit]