► Really, it’s a new Morgan Plus Four
► Updated looks, same ethos
► BMW power, 0-62mph in 4.8
There’s a new Morgan Plus Four. Which is at once obvious – when you look at the headlights – and incredibly subtle if you take the car as a whole. This is over 70 years of evolution in action, and we have to say we rather like it.
Essentially an update of the model that debuted on the new CX-Generation Aluminium Platform in 2020 and went on to underpin the wild Plus Four CX-T, the new Plus Four has received relatively few visual changes, yet somehow still manages to look fresh while championing an overall design ethos that dates back to the 1950s.
Under the skin, which is aluminium formed over an ash frame in the traditional manner, there’s reworked suspension and even the option of a Dynamic Handling Pack, developed with legendary specialists, Nitron. Power comes from BMW’s latest TwinPower 2.0-litre petrol.
In a motoring world full of angry angles and electric cars with enormous power, this is surely an excellent way to stand out from the crowd in 2024.
What’s actually new about the new Morgan Plus Four?
In terms of bodywork, the front and rear wings have been replaced. Now cold formed, they feature ‘a greater level of surfacing’ in an effort to make them appear more sculptural and changing the way they reflect light.
There’s also a new front splitter and a new rear diffuser – we had to look twice as well – both with a matte grey finish that makes them less visible and ‘lifts’ the main body of the car. There’s further subtlety in the gorgeous new aluminium rear-view mirrors, which despite their tiny appearance have been homologated for all of Morgan’s current markets.
The front and rear lights are new, too – but you probably guessed that. Both sets are bespoke to Morgan, and incorporate the indicators for the first time, removing that separate element from the body. The look of the eight-inch headlights, which are an inch bigger than before, might be a bit much for some purists, but Morgan says light output is improved all round, which can’t be a bad thing.
What about mechanical changes?
The standard chassis gets revised spring rates and damper valving, and can be optionally replaced by the new Dynamic Handling Pack.
Developed with Nitron, this includes new springs mounted on adjustable spring platforms and new single-way adjustable dampers, plus a rear anti-roll bar. All of which suggests owners will be able to tailor the handling to their preferences a little more.
Morgan says the ‘Plus Four prioritises driving feel over performance figures and lap times’, even so. You can still have a manual gearbox – though as the somewhat incongruous BMW shifter highlights in some of the interior images, a modern automatic transmission is also available.
How fast is it?
The BMW engine in the Plus Four produces 255bhp and 258lb ft, which in car weighing just over 1000kg (dry) is enough to see off 0-62mph in 4.8sec if you spec the eight-speed auto. The six-speed manual manages the same in 5.2.
Regardless of transmission, top speed is 149mph. Which is quite something to think about.
Apparently the Plus Four will do 45mpg (39mpg with the stick shift), and has an official CO2 rating of 142g/km (165g/km manual).
Any updates on the inside?
Revisions to the cockpit include changes to the Sennheiser hi-fi system, LCD screen and dashboard, as well as new interior lighting and… a new keyfob.
The Sennheiser audio system – which was first introduced into the Plus Four in 2022 – is specifically described as lightweight, but now features additional speakers hidden under the seats, higher quality components elsewhere and more volume. The speaker grilles in the doors references the bonnet louvres.
Morgan is keen to point out that traditional leather techniques are used inside, referencing the ‘sparingly’ used Scottish hides as a byproduct of existing food and agricultural process rather than specifically produced, and trimmed in such a way that waste is minimised.
Will Morgan always be so… traditional?
We’ve already seen signs that the firm is broadening its aesthetic approach with recent concepts and the latest three-wheeler, the Super 3, and Morgan CEO Massimo Fumarola speaks of ‘greater opportunities for experimentation’ elsewhere in the Morgan model line-up in the future.
But the Plus Four is considered the ‘time-proven brand anchor’ – to quote chief design officer, James Wells – and is treated with a more ‘delicate approach’ as a result.
What does the new Plus Four cost?
Prices start at £76,141 on the road and refreshingly there’s no cost difference for either transmission. But there is a deeply tempting options list, which includes multiple shades of wire-wheel paint finish and a jaw-dropping number of leather colours.
A further innovation (…) is the introduction of a three-year warranty as standard on the Plus Four. This can be extended to four years at an additional cost.
The car continues to be hand-built at the Pickersleigh Road factory in Worcestershire. Production begins in May 2024, and you can order one now.