The traditional British sports car maker Morgan is letting go of the V8 engine. The Plus 8 and Aero 8 will be shelved, and new Morgans will not feature the BMW N62 V8 dating back to the early 2000s. Morgan has fitted V8 engines in its cars for 50 years, starting with the Buick-derived Rover V8 in 1968 — but whatever it has coming will have a different cylinder count.
Morgan has announced it will introduce a new "Wide Body" sports car next year, one that will slot above the four-cylinder models and largely replace the V8 cars, even if it's not aimed as a direct replacement for them. There is a new platform, said to be twice as stiff as the older aluminum chassis, and Morgan says it will have a new powertrain "never before installed in a Morgan." Wide Body can be taken to mean that the new car will — daringly for Morgan — feature integrated fenders, some 70 years after Cisitalia's 202 coupe did that.
To sign off the BMW V8, Morgan has released a short video documentary, above, consisting of an interview with the factory's chief test driver, Keith Dalley, showing him completing the final Plus 8 test drive on English countryside roads, with the familiar V8 soundtrack. But in the end, as Dalley pulls in the garage and turns off the lights, there's an audible hint of what Morgan has in store for next year. Listen carefully for the engine sound — could it be the turbocharged V6 Autocar is predicting?
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Morgan has announced it will introduce a new "Wide Body" sports car next year, one that will slot above the four-cylinder models and largely replace the V8 cars, even if it's not aimed as a direct replacement for them. There is a new platform, said to be twice as stiff as the older aluminum chassis, and Morgan says it will have a new powertrain "never before installed in a Morgan." Wide Body can be taken to mean that the new car will — daringly for Morgan — feature integrated fenders, some 70 years after Cisitalia's 202 coupe did that.
To sign off the BMW V8, Morgan has released a short video documentary, above, consisting of an interview with the factory's chief test driver, Keith Dalley, showing him completing the final Plus 8 test drive on English countryside roads, with the familiar V8 soundtrack. But in the end, as Dalley pulls in the garage and turns off the lights, there's an audible hint of what Morgan has in store for next year. Listen carefully for the engine sound — could it be the turbocharged V6 Autocar is predicting?
Related Video:
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