Following on the heels of a lone teaser image that was released late last week, Morgan has finally unveiled the all new Plus Four which not only breathes new life into a vaunted nameplate, but also further cementing Morgan’s ties with engine supplier BMW for its future models.
When we say all-new, the term is purposely used, with the exterior styling not deviating too much from its core heritage and retro DNA. The new car only shares three percent of its components with the outgoing model, with the front fascia, side profile, and the elegant rear deck all reminiscent of the outgoing model. The big change here is an all new moniker, though saying “all-new” is a bit of an understatement, with Morgan only changing the four from its numerical form into a formally written word.
A better example of how new it truly is found behind the scenes, with the new aluminium platform bringing higher levels of stiffness and weight savings to the Plus Four. All Plus Fours will be powered by BMW‘s familiar 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine which makes 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The addition of the BMW sourced motor ends an era of Ford performance in the Plus Four, with Ford‘s 2.0 liter four cylinder being retired. However, do not think the BMW sourced 2.0 liter is a step down, it does deliver roughly the same performance figures as the old Morgan Roadster, with the sprint to 60 mph being completed in 4.8 seconds and the Four capable of reaching a top speed of 149 mph, which is very good for a car of its type.
Morgan claims that its engineers recalibrated the engine mapping to allow optimum drivability and response. This is especially true when the driver hits the Sport Plus button. This mode causes the throttle response to sharpen even further, “releasing a whole new dynamic character from the car.” When viewed alongside the Morgan Roadster, the engine’s output is on par with the bigger 3.7 liter V6, but Morgan was eager to talk about the big picture, and claimed that they “have been taken to a completely new level. As for transmission changes, the Plus Four will be the first four cylinder model to offer two different choices straight from the factory. The 2.0 liter turbo can be mated to either the standard six speed manual, or an optional eight speed automatic. Morgan claims that the Plus Four is capable of achieving up to 40 miles per gallon in combined driving.
The two seat interior of the Plus Four faithfully follows the script laid out by other Morgan models, with acres of soft opulent leather, real wood trim, and other luxury goodies. We like the new dash design here, and the dashboard mounted storage cubby is a nice nod to practicality. Like the Plus Six, the Plus Four features a digital display in the center of the instrument cluster which is the first time such a feature has ever been offered on the Plus Four.
Order books for the new Plus Four are currently open, with base models starting at £62,995 which converts to about $80,600 with current exchange rates. In the meantime, Morgan will be organizing an event at its factory in Malvern, England to celebrate the new arrival, and in a curious twist, only had last weekend to bring the car back to its factory from Geneva due to car haulers in mainland Europe not being allowed to drive on Sundays. As is the case with other recent Morgan offerings, it’s unclear if the Plus Four will eventually make its way to the U.S. But with Morgan recently saying that it is committed to bringing its four wheeled range to the U.S. we could perhaps see a more expanded effort towards doing this over the next few years.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.