Morgan Supersport goes pink with more wood than ever (but at least it's still petrol)
It might have emulated the Jaguar Concept's pink-hued bodywork, but unlike the controversial Coventry Cat, at least the new Morgan Supersport is recognisably a Morgan.
'Jaguar sort-of stole our thunder,' says chief designer Jonathan Wells, 'but we had chosen this colour before we saw their car.' In case you were wondering, the hue is called Armeria Lilac.
And no, Morgan isn't planning a launch video featuring new-age models in pastel shades and no cars, as did Jaguar. Instead, it is using a historic name (Supersport was first used in 1927 on a three-wheeler, with which the company made its name) and its past in shaping the bodywork over wooden frames, as well as looking to the future for what it calls its best ever sports car.
In fact, the latest Morgan has more wood than ever, underpinning a hand-beaten aluminium body with swooping wings. The bonnet is the longest in Morgan's history, although the characteristic and distinctive twin lines of louvres no longer feature. With some exceptions, this latest £102,000 two-seater has all the things we expect of a car conceived and built in the Malvern Hills.
Sustainability – and petrol engines
With the body frame of sustainably-sourced ash and more than 60 per cent of the aluminium frame and bodywork made from recycled material, the whole car weighs comfortably short of 1.2 tonnes.
'This is a sustainable car,' says Matthew Hole, Morgan's managing director. 'It's made of wood and recycled aluminium – and Morgan owners keep their cars for a long time.'
That weight includes the 335bhp, 3.0-litre, straight-six-cylinder turbo engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox. While the BMW B58 straight-six (also used in the existing Plus 6) is being phased out in the German firm's cars due to EU emissions legislation, Morgan can still use it mainly because of the light weight of its cars (less weight equates to fewer emissions).
Hand-built in Malvern
In fact, the very afternoon of the unveiling, Hole was due to meet the Government's business secretary, along with his counterparts from Aston Martin, Bentley and other luxury and sporting marques based in Britain, to plead their case to continue manufacturing petrol-engined models such as this. Hole says he confidently expects to be allowed to produce petrol-engined cars beyond 2035.
And as well as providing valuable highly-skilled, well-paid employment, Britain's small specialist car makers also bring in valuable export revenue.
'We hand build our cars in England,' says Hole. 'When I occasionally lift the bonnet of our British rivals, it's clear they are hand assembled, not built.'
Morgan has been working on the Supersport for more than four years since an initial sketch was mooted. 'When the last Aero was sold, we wondered what we would do next,' he says.
'We wanted to turn everything up a notch or two and the performance up to 11. It should be a Morgan for all seasons and we confidently expect it to be our best-handling model ever.'
Uncluttered styling
The style was previewed on last year's Midsummer barchetta concept, which went into very limited production. Think smoother panels (or surfacing in industry parlance) and an absence of clutter such as louvres, hinges and brackets.
Such has been the level of change that the firm's current chassis (renamed CXV) has had to be re-homologated for sale. 'We had to re-crash test a car,' admits Hole, 'and we think this will be the safest and best-riding Morgan ever.'
The bodywork has more wind-cheating aerodynamics and better ducting for the engine and heating and ventilation system than previous Morgans, which should keep owners cool in hot climates and warm in cold ones.
Interior and roof
New door hinging and side screen assemblies should improve the sealing and reduce the wind noise (as well as making it less likely you'll rip your fingernails on the screens), while the luggage space behind the seats and in the boot has been much improved.
The removable hard-top is made of carbon-fibre composite and the rear screen is one of the largest ever fitted to a Morgan, vying with that of the 1963 Plus 4 Plus coupe, which proved a sales dud.
The facia is completely reworked from the Plus 6, with a welcome redesign of the instruments reviving 'proper' analogue dials with a raised font style which echoes the earliest Morgans (the company was founded in 1910). There's a big increase in perceived quality.
Export imperative
Export markets will be key to keeping production up to 200 cars per year, which Hole predicts will split 25 per cent in the UK, 50 per cent in Europe and 25 per cent in the rest of the world. But not in the US.
While Morgan is one of the first specialist car makers to have gained dispensation to access US markets under what became known as the 'Obama law' and the first seven cars are about to cross the Atlantic. They are four-cylinder Plus 4 models (rather than the six-cylinder Plus 6 or Supersport).
Hole says the cost of gaining federal approval for the Plus 4 has cost more than £2 million and given him sleepless nights.
Of his small firm's tilt at the US, he says: 'We're planning to sell our quota of 325 Plus 4s a year and we're not about to change our plans.'
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