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The Plus 4 has been a Morgan Motors staple since 1950, but eventually, all things must change. Sometimes it’s for the better, which seems to be the case as the Plus 4 becomes the Plus Four and gains a Supra powerplant.
The all-new Plus Four shares nothing but hood latches with its Plus 4 predecessor, but unless you’re an aficionado, you probably won’t notice. The new Morgan Plus Four is visually almost identical to the outgoing model, keeping that iconic 1930s look intact. Morgan says that several things keep the car looking authentic, including ash wood body structure framing and the use of hand tools in the manufacturing process.
The new Plus Four, however, is built on a bonded aluminum frame and chassis, much like the Morgan Plus Six. That chassis is shared, in fact, and has been downsized for the Plus Four. It sheds much-outdated details like the rear leaf springs in favor of modern options like four-wheel independent suspension. Staying put, though, are the wire spoke wheel options, and a lower-cost manual transmission option.
The engine for the Plus Four also changes, moving from the Ford four-cylinder used previously to a more powerful and more efficient BMW design. The 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo in the Morgan might sound familiar. If so, it’s because it’s the same engine that appears in the BMW Z4 and the Toyota Supra sports cars. The engine produces 255 braking horsepower (190 kW) and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque. This propels the new Plus Four from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds, and gives it a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). That’s with the eight-speed automatic gearbox – the six-speed manual reduces torque to 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) and the sprint speed by about half a second. Morgan is promising fuel economy at around 40 mpg (7.0 l/100km) combined.
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All of the elements of the classic Plus 4 remain intact on the Plus Four, Morgan promises. The narrower body and wing profiling are clearly visible in the new model compared to the Plus Six. Dimensionally, the new Four is almost identical to the outgoing 4, but the car now has more interior space thanks to the aluminum chassis. It’s also lighter, weighing in at only 2,224 lb (1,009 kg). Drive quality is said to be only improved with the new model.
Buyers in the UK can order a Morgan Plus Four now, with prices starting at £62,995 (about US$80,700) and delivery commencing in the second quarter of 2020. Announcements for other markets have yet to be made.
Source: Morgan Motors
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(For the source of this, and many other equally interesting articles, and to see all nine photos, please visit: https://newatlas.com/automotive/morgan-plus-four/)