Geneva International Motor Show, Inside Lane, Morgan

Morgan Plus Four: A new dawn for Morgan Motor Company

Words and photos courtesy of Morgan Motor Company

All-new Morgan Plus Four is revealed at the Morgan factory in Malvern, UK (3 March 2020)
The all-new Plus Four represents the most revolutionary advancement in the model’s 70-year history – 97% of its components are new
The Plus Four replaces the outgoing Plus 4, the model name differentiated by the use of the word ‘Four’, replacing the numeral ‘4’ in the outgoing model
The car is underpinned by the CX-Generation bonded aluminium platform, and has been developed alongside the Morgan Plus Six over the past four years
The all-new Plus Four has been radically updated compared to the previous-generation car, yet its unique driving charm remains
The Plus Four retains the narrower body and unique wing profiling that are a hallmark of the company’s core range of models
All-new corner packaging has been engineered, facilitating the use of low-offset wire wheels, a breakthrough for a modern platform with double-wishbone suspension
The Plus Four features the first-ever four-cylinder turbocharged engine to be used by Morgan: the 2.0-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo, which produces 255 bhp (190 kW) and up to 295 lb ft (400 Nm) torque
The powerplant equips the Plus Four with performance on a par with the outgoing Morgan Roadster: 0-62 mph (100 kph) takes from 4.8 seconds, while top speed is 149 mph (240 kph)
A six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic gearbox are available, marking the first time this model has been available with a choice of factory-fitted gearboxes
The all-new Plus Four achieves up to a 30% decrease in CO₂ compared to the outgoing Morgan Roadster. WLTP combined figures are as low as 159 g/km CO₂, making it one of the cleanest Morgan cars ever produced. Fuel economy is up to 40 mpg (7.0 l/100 km) combined.
The legacy of lightweight Morgan sports cars continues, the new car weighing from just 1009 kg
The Plus Four is on sale today (3 March 2020), priced from £62,995 inc. VAT in the UK

MALVERN, United Kingdom — The Morgan Motor Company today introduces the next iteration of its core model, with the launch of the all-new Morgan Plus Four. The car represents a revolutionary successor to the Plus 4, a model that has formed the backbone of Morgan production since its debut in 1950. Now, 70 years after the first Plus 4 rolled off the production line at Morgan’s Pickersleigh Road factory in Malvern, UK, a new chapter begins.

DESIGN & DYNAMICS

The Plus Four is based on the bonded aluminium CX-Generation platform, so called because it made its debut in Morgan’s 110^th year (2019). Exponentially more rigid than the outgoing steel ladder chassis, yet astonishingly lightweight at just 97 kg, this advanced platform transforms the car’s ride and handling capabilities, making it truly competitive against its 21^st-century competition. However, the famed Morgan driving experience of the model hasn’t been forgotten – its agility, response and balance will be instantly familiar to anyone who has driven a Morgan sports car past or present.

Despite sharing the CX-Generation platform with the Morgan Plus Six, the design of the Plus Four is markedly different. Four-cylinder Morgan cars have always featured a narrower body than the larger-engined models in the range, and the new Plus Four is no exception. Compared to the Plus Six, the Plus Four is 104mm narrower in the central body and 78mm narrower overall, and features uniquely profiled wings.

The Plus Four retains a similar footprint to the model it replaces but, thanks to the advanced packaging of the CX-Generation platform, brings increased interior passenger and luggage space. Furthermore, ingress and egress have been dramatically improved. Together, these advancements enhance the day-to-day usability of the car, and make it available to an even greater number of customers.

The all-new Plus Four boasts a number of ‘firsts’ for a CX-Generation Morgan, not least of which is the availability of new 15” wire wheels. The addition of this wheel design, which represents a core part of the company’s design language, required extensive development work, including redesigned wishbones, suspension uprights and braking components. A newly designed alloy wheel style, which references sports cars of the 1960s and 70s as well as Morgan wheel designs of old, is also available.

POWERTRAIN, PERFORMANCE & EMISSIONS

Morgan has built on its long-standing relationship with BMW, choosing to use its 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo engine. It marks the first time a four-cylinder turbocharged engine has featured in a Morgan car, and produces 255 bhp (190 kW) along with, in the automatic variant, 295 lb ft (400Nm) of torque. In combination with a dry weight of just 1009 kg, it provides effortless performance: 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) takes just 4.8 seconds; top speed is 149 mph (240 kph). The manual variant develops 258 lb ft (350 Nm) of torque, which combined with a dry weight of 1013 kg, results in a 0-62 mph (100 kph) time of 5.2 seconds. Power and top speed match the automatic model.

While headline power and torque figures remain consistent with BMW applications, the engine mapping has been specifically calibrated to allow optimum driveability and response in the Plus Four. As with the Morgan Plus Six, a sport plus mode is available, engaged using a button on the centre column. It sharpens the throttle response, releasing a whole new dynamic character from the car. Overall, engine output is comparable with the outgoing, steel-chassis Morgan Roadster, however, real-world performance and dynamics have been taken to a completely new level.

The all-new Plus Four also marks the introduction of a manual gearbox for the first time in a CX-Generation platform Morgan. The six-speed gearbox has been optimised to provide a perfectly weighted movement which, combined with its carefully chosen ratios, delivers an engaging driving experience. The gearbox pairs beautifully with the 2.0-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo engine and offers further choice to the customer.

For the first time in the model, an automatic gearbox is also available from the factory. The eight-speed automatic features paddle shift, and has already proven to be a perfect match to both the CX-Generation platform and a BMW engine in the acclaimed Plus Six. Moving the gear selector away from you puts the Plus Four into sport mode, which changes shift patterns and response, resulting in a more dynamic driving experience. Ratios can also be chosen manually, using either the gear selector or the steering-column-mounted paddles.

While power and torque levels have risen by more than 65% compared to the outgoing Plus 4, the cutting-edge drivetrain technology provides the Plus Four with a similar fuel economy of 40 mpg (7.0l/100km), and a reduction in CO₂ to just 159g/km for the automatic variant (manual car: 39 mpg (7.3 l/100km); 165 g/km CO₂). The lower emissions ratings, representing a 30% decrease versus the outgoing Morgan Roadster, make the car more accessible in overseas markets where taxation is linked to CO₂ output.

CRAFTSMANSHIP, SPECIFICATION & PRICING

Traditional Morgan values remain crucial to the production of the all-new Plus Four. Every Morgan sports car is built at the company’s Malvern home, and uses time-proven production methods: a hand-made ash frame, hand-beaten aluminium panels and hand-trimmed leather interior. Craftsmanship is, and continues to be, at the very core of Morgan production, where the ethos of 21^st-century coachbuilding is practiced daily.

The Plus Four has an extensive standard specification, which includes features new to the model such as automatic LED front and rear lighting, remote central locking and ABS, as well previously optional items such as power steering, a mohair hood, sun visors and door check straps. All-new optional equipment includes puddle lighting and an in-car audio system with Bluetooth connectivity. In total, one trillion combinations of options are available, allowing the individual desires of every customer to be fulfilled.

The all-new Plus Four is available to order from today (3 March 2020), with customer deliveries commencing during Q2 2020. Prices start at £62,995 inc. VAT in the UK. From launch, the car is available to build to your exact specification on the Morgan Car Configurator at configure.morgan-motor.com/plusfour/

SHOW CAR DRIVE-BACK

Morgan is a company that thrives when presented with a challenge, and just days before the planned unveiling of the Plus Four at the 2020 Geneva International Motor Show, it was presented with one, when the show was cancelled following the coronavirus outbreak.

An alternative event was planned, to take place at the Morgan factory in Malvern, UK, but the show-stand car needed to be brought back. With only the weekend to spare, and car transporters unable to driven on Sunday in continental Europe, Morgan Head of Design, Jon Wells, and Lead Digital Designer, Michael Smith, were dispatched with immediate effect to drive the car home.

Taking the first available flight to Europe, and armed only with a set of number plates and their overnight bags, the pair tracked down the car, which had just arrived by transporter in Geneva. Battling a variety of weather conditions, and with just enough time in hand to visit some iconic locations along the way, they covered more than 1000 miles as they made their way back to Malvern. The journey was not just an early indication the car’s long-distance touring ability, but a valuable proving of its durability.

Morgan Motor Company Chairman and CEO, Steve Morris, said:

“The all-new Morgan Plus Four represents the very best of the Morgan Motor Company. It features rare craftsmanship, the instantly recognisable Morgan silhouette, and now, industry-leading technology thanks to our CX-Generation aluminium platform and BMW powertrains.

“A fitting successor to one of the world’s longest established nameplates, this new model displays some of the most celebrated key features of our classic range, and strikes the perfect balance between tradition and modernity.

“The all-new Morgan Plus Four represents a four-year development programme, carried out by our world-class design and engineering team.”

Morgan Motor Company Head of Design, Jonathan Wells, said:

“This project has presented Design and Engineering with an incredible task: to protect and preserve our core model’s unique proposition while completely redesigning it.

“Despite the packaging constraints that complex that modern architecture presents, I believe the team have managed to protect what was important – the proportions, the posture, the tradition and the human-mechanical interaction.

“Almost every component has been evaluated and redesigned, and while many of these studies addressed small details, it is the quality and culmination of them that deliver an entirely new Plus Four today.”

SPECIFICATION & OPTIONS

The Morgan Plus for is available as in manual and automatic variants, priced at £62,995 and £64,995 respectively
A range of solid colours are available as standard. Further solid colours, metallic colours, matte, two-tone and three-stage pearl finishes are also available, as are the options of paint protection film, and a polished bonnet and cowl
A newly styled 15” alloy wheel design comes as standard, finished in silver or black as an option. A new 15” wire wheel design is also on offer, in a choice of silver, black and polished finishes
A black mohair hood is now standard equipment. Other colours, as well as contrast piping, are available
As with the outgoing model, a rear-mounted spare wheel is available. A luggage rack is also available, for both four- and five-wheel cars.
LED front and rear lighting, automatic headlights, ABS, power steering, sun visors and door check straps are now standard.
An all-new discreet in-car audio system with Bluetooth connectivity is available
Optional puddle lighting system is now available for the first time in a Morgan core model
Remote central locking is now included as standard, again, for the first time in a core model
A newly introduced, fine-grade pebble grain leather is standard on the Plus Four, and a premium soft grain leather interior is available as an option. Premium saddle leather details enhance the interior door handles and seat belt guides
Interior carpet can be upgraded to a box weave finish as an option, available in a range of colours
The seat backs are finished in black composite as standard, or can be specified as leather wrapped or painted to match the body colour
Seat finish options include horizontal pleating, quilted twin needle stitch and square box stitch, while headrest embroidery options comprise the Morgan logo, Plus Four script or a custom design. Contrast colour seat stitching, and piping are available as options
Lumbar adjustment is standard. Heated seats are available as an option.
The hand-crafted interior is brought to life through a range of dashboard and centre column top finishes. The dashboard and centre console are available in a selection of finishes, including body coloured, a variety of gloss and matte wood veneers, and leather wrapped

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Engine: BMW 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo, inline four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic with comfort, sport, sport plus and manual shift model; Six-speed manual
Maximum power: 255 bhp (190 kW) at 4400 rpm (automatic); 255 bhp (190 kW) at 5500 rpm (manual)
Maximum torque: 295 lb ft (400 Nm) at 1000-4300 rpm (automatic); 258 lb ft (350 Nm) at 1000-5000 rpm (manual)
0-62 mph (0-100 kph): 4.8 seconds (automatic); 5.2 seconds (manual)
Top speed: 149 mph (240 kph) (automatic); 149 mph (240 kph) (manual)
Power to weight: 253 bhp / tonne (automatic); 252 bhp / tonne (manual)
Fuel consumption (combined)*: 40 mpg (7.0 l/100km) (automatic); 39 mpg (7.3 l/100km)
CO2 emissions*: 159 g/km (automatic); 165 g/km (manual)
Length: 3830 mm (automatic); 3830 mm (manual)
Width: 1650 mm (automatic); 1650 mm (manual)
Height: 1250 mm (automatic); 1250 mm (manual)
Dry weight: 1009 kg (automatic); 1013 kg (manual)
Homologation: European Community Small Series Type Approval. Euro 6 emissions standard
Fuel tank capacity: 46 litres (automatic); 46 litres (manual)
Chassis: CX-Generation bonded aluminium platform