Morgan Plus 8: Reviving a Classic - Sports Cars
I love the idea behind this car and I love how it was built. Fans Morgan they have already noticed that this is a special model: the traditional case is enlarged and lengthened just enough to hide the modern mechanics. However, most people will see a classic car that doesn't just have a guy with a pipe at the wheel, a lady with a scarf on her head and a picnic basket strapped to the back, but instead just turn on the gas to make the exhaust pipes roar and force the car to splash forward with a sharp edge, from which everyone, fans and critics alike, will be left speechless.
However, his crazy move shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given that at least V8 4.8 hidden under the hood growls menacingly from the side exhaust. The combination of such a classic shape with a very large motor is not new to Morgan: this machine is the latest in a long line Plus 8.
The original 1968, very lightweight and with a partially ash frame, was powered by a Rover 8 V3.5 engine that guaranteed sporting performance ideal for competition. As Charles Morgan says, the new Plus 8 she is a worthy daughter of her mother. “It reminds me a lot of the Plus 8 prototype with the Buick engine. I was a kid at the time, and Maurice Owen, a development engineer, always took me on a prototype walk with him. It was terrible! '
Recipe Plus 8 it was so exciting that the car remained in production until 2004. In the meantime, the old Buick has been swapped out for an 8-liter V4,6 Range Rover with 219 hp. The Aero 8 with an aluminum frame and an early 2000s BMW engine was supposed to be the swan song of the series, but it was the other way around.
The Aero 8 has managed to concentrate 50 years of evolution into one model, equipped with a welded and riveted aluminum frame and bespoke BMW mechanics, under an aerodynamic and classic body in perfect Morgan style. But it never became the bestseller Plus 4 and Plus 8 were before it. The same fate befell the more elegant Aero Supersports, which was its successor. Therefore, the development team decided to return to its former glory, taking this miracle of modern aluminum frame and engine. Bmw v8 and hiding them under a classic and very light body (with its 150 kg, the total weight of the car is only 1.100 kg).
La Plus 8 it's a strange mixture of old and new. Keys to open receptionist they are old-fashioned, but the engine starts modern and even with an immobilizer. The driver's seat is intimate and comfortable, the steering wheel is equipped with air bag at chest level and touching the low windshield with your hands. Large dials are located in the center of a very simple and spacious instrument panel, and below them is a squat aluminum lever Automatic transmission six-speed, interesting option. When you start the engine, the big V8 feels very close thanks to the twin side tailpipes on either side (optional) and interior insulation that allows engine sound to come through even with the roof up.
When you shift the transmission to Drive, the V8's sound becomes quieter and the handbrake-held car caresses like a dog on a leash. This model should have power steering, even if at low revs it doesn't feel like it: with an engine so energetic from low revs, something more controllable would be needed when 333,6 hp. / t are felt from behind. I inadvertently realized the full power of the Plus 8 when I left the factory, probably still within earshot of Charles Morgan. I had to sit in a convoy of cars, and, wanting to take advantage of the only possible opportunity in this steady movement, I gave good revs, riding on the rear wheels, while the V8 sang with all its might due to lack of grip Avon ZZ5 even if I must say that the asphalt was frozen and very dirty.
At first, it's strange to drive the Plus 8 on a winding road. The front wheels feel distant and independent from each other and are easily distracted, a flaw that the Aero 8 has, but it's exacerbated here. This is an inconspicuous feature, but on bumps in the middle of a turn, it can upset the balance of the front axle and cause the car to deviate from the trajectory. And in especially strong bumps, the rear also has problems. Too bad, because otherwise the Plus 8 is fantastic on these roads, even at real supercar speeds.
Il Automatic transmission it fits perfectly with this machine. It's smooth and responsive, and the good connection between the accelerator and rear allows you to ride backwards. The steering becomes more perceptible with speed, but without exaggeration, which creates a pleasant feeling from the car.
It's a relaxing machine at long hauls, with the exhaust humming pleasantly at highway speeds. Or so it should be. The sound of the air on this example - but not on the production car, Morgan assured us - drowned out all other sounds, including the stereo sound, which I discovered only later, hidden under the dashboard. Plus 8 is also heated andair conditioner which, however, cools unevenly. All the shortcomings that the Porsche 991 Carrera S certainly does not have, which costs a little less.
But that's not the point. Plus 8 is interesting in itself. It doesn't feel right at first, and in some respects the feeling is confirmed even after a few kilometers behind the wheel, but if you are used to driving modern cars, it will take you a couple of days to tune in to the Morgan. It's not like learning a traditional 911 service in which you eventually learn how to unleash its full potential, it's more about accepting its limitations and enjoying what it is: Morgan. Fast and traditional. In short, Plus 8.
