Well..I honestly don't believe MMC would leave the £50k-£80k market sector, may be in a couple of years time...

In the meantime, I took the Rangie out for abit of off roading

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ej7vE3rXko

Very unlikely Brian, can't see the new owner would daft enough to let that beautiful dark blue Aero go...








apart from me

seems like the seats have a new design,
or am I wrong??

Sorry Kin, I feel your pain I promise not to pull your leg on this topic again.

Cheers
Brian

Well, I've spent the weekend totally away from cars, and come back to this fresh with a few genuine questions.

It's a lot of money, I could perhaps (and may still at some point) justify a 'max on exclusivity alone, but don't see that a 'new aero' is worth that kind of dough when it's not substantially different to my series 2. The new car certainly won't outperform the s2 significantly in terms of ride, handling or power or interior as it's still the same car running basically the same engine on the same chassis with the same dash, brakes wipers, electronics etc, just a different set of body panels from all I can tell. Hell, a quick trip to DMS for a tweak of the EMS and I'll be running 370bhp too if I want it enough!

So, from the enthusiast perspective I fear for future sales. A lot of owners like me who could stretch really hard to trade up, just wont as the value add over the current car just isn't there. If it was a serious step forward in terms of specification you could make a case, but all indications are that its really not.

However, for the company I guess this is a small concern and they would expect to lose some of us as potential customers, and as far as MMC are concerned I've never bought an Aero new anyway, so I'm not really a lost customer at all!

What I do fear for is the fact that this is a serious jump in not only price bracket, but competition. 70k puts you on Aston AMv8 and Audi A8 / Porsche 911 and Jax XKR / Maserati GT money - competition the Aero has in the past been able to hold its own against in terms of performance and handling (just) while playing the individuality card.

At 130k, the same car cannot in truth hold a candle to the competition - Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo / GT2, Ferrari California / F430 / Aston DB9 / Bentley Continental GTC are all in this price range and every one of them is superior to the Aero in every way, except in styling. Every one of them will leave an Aero for dead in a straight line and probably the corners too.

So, I guess my concern is, that at the current price point, the aero is in the same ball park as the competition, and the exclusivity and style make it a winner for some buyers.

At 130k+, the lack of ability against the competition is considerable, so you have got to be a total morgan enthusiast to justify it.

If the marketing guys have done their demographic plots and determined there is a solid market for 50 cars a year at 130k vs 100 at 70k then I'm sure the numbers add up. In the long term I think it would be a shame if there are less people like me who 'wander' into Aero ownership because the like the style and the fact that the car delivers in its class, rather than the fact that it just looks like it does and is made in Malvern.

As someone who plans to get an Aero Mk3 or 4 in the next few months, I have watched the announcements of the new Aero with interest. I guess, in that respect, I may be an example of the enthusiastic, new wave of Morganistas who love the heritage of the company and want to get involved.

I admit to being worried not about the new Aero itself ( as I am sure it will be beautiful ) but rather at the possible pricing policy I am hearing about.

Hearsay is suggesting that the new Aero will be well north of £100k GBP. I guess we wait for the official pricing, but that is a lot of money and sadly, it makes me think twice about Aero ownership. I can "justify" the £80k or so for a new Aero at current levels, but for me ( and many others perhaps) there is a barrier at the £100k mark.

Of course, £130k price tags did not deter Bentley Continental owners nor, come that , Aeromax purchasers. But these are very different, specific cars - the Bentley is a car that I see epitomises the credit crunch as so many of them were bought on finance with a remortgage to fund the deposit !

The Aeromax was a phenomenom - a beautiful thing that captured imaginations like no car in recent times and maybe never to be repeated.

So, the idea of a "regular Aero" costing maybe £110-130k worries me. I can see the residual value of S3 and S4 cars holding up very well indeed if this is what happens and I will count myself as one of those people looking for the perfect S4 with low mileage in the secondary market rather than buying a new Aero...

For the sake of the good people in Malvern and the lovely dealers around the country , I hope the new Aero is a success. But if the price is at the levels suggested, I'm oot !

Likewise been away for weekend and eagerly read this thread but where's the pictures - come on Simon please please pull some strings with Mr Morgan; when's the TM pre release picture date please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you delete the Targa option and get a Aeromax II/GT3 II? I can't think of one that's really better than the closed car YET- 911, Sagaris, NSX... and er night rider ?

Looks like game, set and match Btg!

I believe the official release is 24th April so the pictures should be out then and you will be able to see better the coachlines compared to the pictures that have been doing the rounds.

As soon as I have the official snaps, I will post them.