Autoblog

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]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Morgan LifeCar

For a company that still makes cars out of wood, Morgan knows not only how to hang in there, but to come up with some really neat stuff. The LifeCar divides a line that reaches well into the past and well into the future. Its lines are retro modern -- or is that modern retro? -- with all the traditional early-20th-century coupe cues done in aluminum. The hydrogen powerplant is theoretically good for a 200-mile range and "sporting" British performance. Check out the press release for the full details, and be sure to look at the gallery of hi-res images below.

Morgan has signed on as one of the key players in an all-British consortium that will team to produce a high-performance zero-emissions fuel cell sports car.

Morgan's partners in the effort are QinetiQ, Cranfield and Oxford Universities, BOC and OSCar. The two-and-a-half-year project will culminate with the unveiling of the LIFECar (see above illustration), which be based on Morgan's Aero Eight and feature a QinetiQ fuel cell that will power four wheel-mounted motors. The LIFECar will use regenerative braking to recharge its ultra-capacitors which will be used to provide additional power during acceleration. The setup will allow QinetiQ to use a smaller fuel-cell than the ones in use on other prototypes of this nature. The LIFECar project's £1.9m budget will be covered by a combination of government (Department for Trade and Industry) and industry sources.

In addition to providing the donor platform, Morgan will be responsible for the vehicle's final assembly. We love the fact that this high-tech concept will have Morgan roots, as that is possibly the last marque that springs to mind when thinking of cutting-edge alternative fuel vehicles. It ensures that the LIFECar will have something many of the other alterna-fuel concepts and prototypes sorely lack: charm.

We hope that the next two years go by quickly, because this is one we're looking forward to seeing.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Morgan Motor Company]

New U.S. airbag rules going into effect in September could be a disaster in the making for supercar maker Bugatti. Apparently complying with the new rules will require a redesign of the Veyron, increasing the price of the car more than $125,000.

In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency, Bugatti president Thomas Bscher said the requirement for "smart" airbags "could well put Bugatti out of business," citing the domino effects of costly redesign of the current car, cuts in production and delay in the introduction of its next model.

A number of low volume automakers have applied for an exemption to the rule, including Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, Spyker, Lotus and Morgan.

If the NHTSA grants Bugatti's requested two-year exemption, it will only affect the 150 cars it hopes to build for the U.S. market before introducing its next version, which presumably will include smart air bags. Lamborghini is similarly affected only for its current models - the next-gen Murcielago, due out in 2009, will comply with the new rules.

[Source Financial Times via MSNBC]

The Morgan Motor Company announced on its website that the classically-styled Aeromax coupe will see limited production.

Originally designed and built as a custom one-off for a private customer, Morgan did a study to see if a production version would be viable. That answer turned out to be yes, and 100 very fortunate buyers will be the beneficiaries. The AeroMax coupe will retail for £94,000, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Interested buyers should hightail it to the Morgan website to get their name on that short list. The luckiest ones will get to park one of these swoopy split-window beauties in their garage come 2008.

(Morgan announcement after the jump)

[Source: Morgan via Winding Road]

Morgan has to be the only car company in the world whose vehicles tend to look older with every revision. At the Geneva Motor Show the company unveiled the Morgan 4 Seater, which adds an extra set of chairs in the back of this ultimate retro roadster. Also a first is the availability of engine choice for the 4 Seater, as a 3.0L Duratec V6 producing 223bhp has taken a place above the standard 145-bhp, 2.0L powerplant.

The rear seats appear to have acceptable leg room and Morgan claims a new top design contributes extra headroom to the aft of the vehicle. The rear seats can also be folded down to handle akward cargo. With the seats folded down is this the first Morgan Hatchback?

Pricing starts at £32,020 ($55,593 US) and climbs all the way up to £39,130 (67,937 US) for the 3.0L model.

Found this on PistonHeads where the author admits his countrymen never tire of the tried and true roadster formula for which the U.K. is famous. The Aquila is the new old kid on the block and features equal parts old and new in its retro, flared-fender form. The car sits on a ladder frame chassis and is motivated by a standard Ford Zetec four-cylinder making 130 hp. It’s good for a 6.7 second trip to 60 and top speed of 120 mph. Optional engines include a straight six as well as a Rover V8. Prices have not yet been announced for the Aquila, although they should surface in time for the car’s on sale date in April.