GENEVA 2018 - Morgan Plus 8 50th Anniversary & Aero GT

Mar 16, 2018

#Morgan

MORGAN MOTOR COMPANY UNVEILS PLUS 8 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

- The Plus 8 50th Anniversary is based on Morgan’s production Plus 8, featuring a bonded and riveted aluminum chassis and will be the final Plus 8 to feature a BMW V8 engine

- Fifty limited-edition examples of the model will be produced and individually numbered

- The celebratory model is available in two race-inspired specifications: blue ‘speedster spec’ or a British racing green edition with a soft-top

- Each of the 50 Plus 8 50th Anniversary editions is available in right or left-hand drive and with automatic or manual transmission

- At 1,100kg, the Plus 8 is one of the lightest V8 passenger cars in the world. It is capable of 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph

- Specific design details have been carefully considered to celebrate 50 years of the Plus 8. Most prominently, the 1968 prototype Plus 8, known as ‘MMC 11’

- Each Plus 8 50thwill come with a Christopher Ward C1 Morgan Plus 8 Chronometer anniversary watch featuring a piece of the original ‘MMC 11’ Plus 8 in the back plate

- The Plus 8 50th Anniversary will cost from £107,500 excluding local market taxes

Morgan Motor Company has today revealed the 50th Anniversary edition of its iconic V8-powered Plus 8. The family-owned British marque officially unveiled the Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition at the Geneva Motor Show.

Named after the famous eight-cylinder engine beneath the car’s hand-built body, the Plus 8 50th Anniversary edition will be a true V8-powered thoroughbred tribute to the model that has been Morgan’s crowning vehicle for 50 years.

The bespoke sports car manufacturer will produce 50 of the special-edition models, each one hand-built and carrying a unique model number and sold through its existing dealership network.

Born on the racetrack, the Morgan Plus 8 is a special combination of craftsmanship, luxury and technology. Over 6,000 Plus 8s have been hand built at Morgan’s Pickersleigh Road factory in its 50-year history.

At just 1,100kg, the Plus 8 is one of the lightest V8 passenger cars in the world. It is capable of 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph.

All Plus 8 50th Anniversary models will sit on Morgan’s renowned aluminium chassis. The Plus 8 50th Anniversary will be the last Morgan vehicle to feature the naturally aspirated BMW V8 engine.

Available in both automatic and manual transmission variants, each Plus 8 50th Anniversary can also be specified as a right-hand or left-hand-drive model.

The Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition is available in two striking race-inspired colours and two specifications – blue ‘speedster style’ with an open cockpit, or green ‘traditional convertible’ with a soft- top.

Drawing inspiration from the first production Plus 8, MMC 11, a spun aluminium domed panel adorns the rear of the car. Other accents celebrating Morgan’s motorsport pedigree include towing eyes in yellow, sporty white brake calipers and ceramic-coated twin-cannon- style white exhaust tips. The exhausts have been specially made to amplify and refine the dramatic V8 soundtrack.

The addition of extra bonnet louvres and a leather bonnet belt hint at the aggressive nature of the V8 engine, while the number ‘8’ painted onto the front grille celebrates the racing days of the original Plus 8.

Each car will be individually liveried by Morgan’s craftspeople and finished with a unique number on the exterior back panel of the car. A plaque inside each car denotes its unique number of production.

Morgan’s in-house design team specially commissioned new five-stud wheels for the special edition, reflecting the original cast wheel commonly equipped to Plus 8s throughout the years. The 50th Anniversary edition wheels are refined to handle the increased power of the V8 engine and finished in a specially created celebratory champagne colour.

For the interior, a naturally waterproof black leather has been chosen to provide durability essential for vehicles without a roof. A highly detailed motorsport-inspired, twin-pleated stitch has been chosen for the seat centres. Specially designed dial faces complete the heritage feel of the matte-finished walnut dashboard.

Continuing the success of Morgan’s partnership with fellow British company Christopher Ward, a C1 Morgan Plus 8 Chronometer Anniversary watch has been specially designed to accompany each Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition produced. Each Christopher Ward and Morgan Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition watch contains a small piece of the original ‘MMC 11’ car embedded into the back plate. Each piece will be numbered 1-50 and every owner will receive their corresponding numbered watch for their Plus 8.

The limited-edition Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition will cost from £107,500 excluding local market taxes.

Steve Morris, Managing Director, Morgan Motor Company, said: “The Morgan Plus 8 sits firmly as one of the most iconic and revered models of Morgan’s 109-year history. From launch, the combination of a lightweight roadster combined with a V8 engine has proved a triumph for buyers around the world, be it for road or track use. For many, the Plus 8 is the archetypal British sports car combining handcrafted, bespoke luxury with exhilarating performance – and that’s exactly why the Plus 8 has been a mainstay of the Morgan range for 50 years.

“With half a century of success behind the car, it’s essential that we mark the moment with a limited production range of vehicles that celebrate everything the Plus 8 stands for, emphasising the heritage and history of the model and providing the perfect platform to extract the maximum performance and excitement from the 4.8-litre 367bhp V8.

“The Plus 8 has been a part of the range for my entire Morgan career, and it is an honour and a privilege to unveil this celebratory model here in Geneva.”

Jon Wells, Head of Design, Morgan Motor Company said: “Firmly established as Morgan’s crowning vehicle for fifty years, the Morgan Plus 8 continues to pioneer new technology within the classic Morgan bloodline. Deriving its name from the famed eight-cylinder engines it has adopted throughout the years, it consistently offers the greatest power to weight ratio of any Morgan. The Plus 8 has always been the driver’s Morgan. Born on the racetrack, and having been no stranger to it since, has meant performance pedigree underpins every Plus 8. When combined with an uncompromising attention to craftsmanship, luxury and material choice, there is no more desirable Gentleman racer.

“Each design detail of the Plus 8 50th has been considered to celebrate the Plus 8’s significance to the Morgan company and its customers over the last 50 years. This famous V8 was a renowned model throughout the automotive industry in the Sixties, and has today evolved into an unrivalled machine, offering raw exhilaration and effortless power delivery. Overlooking the long wide bonnet, sat directly on the rear axle, when driving a Plus 8 you are very aware of, not just its soundtrack, but its significance and its capability. The design of this special final edition hopes to do both justice.”

MORGAN LAUNCHES ‘GLOVES OFF’ AERO GT TO CELEBRATE THE FINALE OF THE AERO RANGE

- Morgan Motor Company has unveiled a new limited-run variant of the Aero 8; the race-inspired Aero GT at the Geneva Motor Show

- The Aero GT’s unconventionally aggressive appearance features all new hand-worked body panels including wing top louvres and an aerodynamic enhancing rear diffuser – all of which have been tested extensively to reduce drag and significantly increase downforce

- Just eight examples of the Aero GT will be produced, marking the end of Aero 8 production at Morgan’s Pickersleigh Road factory. Each of the eight vehicles have already been allocated through Morgan’s established Dealership network.

- The Aero GT features the Morgan N62 V8 engine. As with the Plus 8 50th Anniversary model that was also revealed at Geneva, this will be the final Morgan model to feature this naturally aspirated V8 engine

- All eight examples will be built with a manual transmission

- All bespoke Aero GT vehicles will be built by the Morgan Special Projects division and individually tailored to reflect the customer’s personal specification

- The Aero GT is priced from £120,000 + local market taxes

The Morgan Motor Company has today revealed its most extreme road-going model to date, the Aero GT. The family owned, British manufacturer officially unveiled the car at the 88th International Geneva Motor Show.

The longest established independent automotive manufacturer, Morgan Motor Company will produce just eight of the special Aero GT variants. All vehicles will be individually built bespoke to each customer. The Aero GT represents the end of Aero 8 production, guaranteeing that every Aero 8 owner will be the custodian of a very significant piece of Morgan history.

All 8 Aero GTs have been allocated through the Morgan Global Retailor network, and will be built with a manual transmission. Powered by the same 367bhp BMW N62 V8 engine used in the Aero 8, the Aero GT will travel from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 170mph. Each Aero GT will be built with Morgan’s latest adjustable suspension.

The Aero GT will be built by the Morgan Special Projects department. Morgan’s approach will see each Aero GT built as an individual bespoke special edition, rather than eight identical examples.

Each customer will have an individual design consultancy with Jon Wells, Morgan’s Head of Design before the car enters production, remaining in build for 8-10 weeks. As with every Morgan, each customer will have the opportunity to follow the build of their vehicle closely and witness their car come to life.

The dramatic evolution of the Aero GT is most striking in its restyled wing impressions and louvres. Their addition serves both functional and aesthetic advantages, and were developed alongside the design of the latest Aero 8 in 2015.

Taking inspiration from the aggressive aerodynamic profiles seen on Morgan’s striking 2009 GT3 race car, similar body form functions were explored during the development of the Aero 8. However, these were not immediately put into production but paved the way for future exploration of what a ‘gloves off’ Aero 8 could look like.

For the final eight Aero 8 vehicles, Morgan’s design department applied knowledge developed throughout the research process of the latest Aero 8 in order to introduce the aerodynamic enhancements as seen on the Aero GT, striking a balance of exhilarating performance along with head-turning aesthetics.

The striking body panels of the Aero GT have been sculpted in such a way to ensure that tension and elegance is expressed in each line. All surfacing of the new panels was proven digitally via Computation Fluid Dynamics simulation prior to full scale validation. Each panel is created using the technologically advanced Superforming process synonymous with modern Morgans, before being hand finished and transformed into Aero GT panels.

The front canard details and wing top louvre vents are proven to reduce low pressure on the sides of the Aero body, making a notable difference in frontal downforce. At the rear, the dramatic diffuser reduces air pressure from beneath the vehicle, increasing rear downforce and reducing the visual weight of the rear-end.

All Aero GT’s have the option of a carbon fibre hard-top. Taking inspiration from 1960s race cars, the hard-top on the Aero GT features a rearward facing roof vent that reflects the rear graphic of the tail-light, while improving the drag coefficient of the vehicle.

Finite enamelled ‘GT’ badges signify the model variant. Each is individually hand made by a British Jeweller.

The interior is hand-finished with a series of painted stitching and pinstripe accents, and an extended choice of wood options.

Steve Morris, Managing Director said: “One of our greatest strengths as a brand is our ability to be responsive and create a hand-built car which is truly bespoke to each customer. The Aero 8 has been a stalwart of Morgan production for almost 20 years, it offers an exceptional driving experience and unrivalled looks, further enhanced in Aero GT guise.

“Every Morgan is built to an exacting specification and is bespoke to each customer; their personality is displayed in every detail. Owners invest a great deal of emotion in choosing and tailoring their own perfect specification, this investment is rewarded at the first drive of their unique and exhilarating vehicle. The Aero GT is the ultimate ensemble of this formula.”

Jon Wells, Head of Design said: “The Aero GT, unlike its predecessors, adopts an unconventionally aggressive aesthetic. However, a purist approach to achieving a design in which ‘form follows function’ has been rigidly adhered to. This is most apparent in the new additions to the body work.

The additional wing top louvres, side impressions and dramatic rear diffuser have all been tested extensively to ensure they work together to reduce drag and increase road holding capability. The merits of these additions were first unearthed during the early development phases of the 2015 Aero 8 whilst we were exploring the requirements of a more aerodynamically efficient Aero. This was a key requirement of the initial Aero 8 brief.

Each new panel has been sculpted by hand, by Morgan master craftsmen. The beauty of working so closely with talented sheet metal workers and coachbuilders is that designers are relatively unrestrained in their ability to challenge the forms and their functions. Unlike many, we can make special limited-edition vehicles that really exercise the imagination of the designer and the ability of the craftsman.

The Aero range has always offered Morgan the platform to explore the boundaries of mechanical and styling design and I am delighted the family has allowed one of our wildest ideas to become a reality.”