Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Six & Plus Four (CX-Generation Vehicles) Any thoughts?

I was in Perth over the weekend and took the opportunity to pop into Revolutions to see the Plus Six in the flesh. I didn't torment myself by taking a test drive because I'm not in a position to buy even if I wanted one.
For what it's worth, here's my tuppence worth.

Much more room in the cockpit, not so keen on the Matt finish of the dashboard, the gear change and steering wheel mmmm, I think I could live with them, as a complete package it does look ok but changing any one of these would lead to a disjointed look I feel.

The comments regarding the seats I can understand, for me all they require is more support at the sides to make you feel more secure whilst on the move. They are comfortable enough and according to Elliott have become more comfortable with usage.

The doors feel heavier and I like the new handles, they close well but do squeek so there are still things to tinker with.

Luggage space depth appears less than in a trad but being wider is probably about the same or more overall, just a different shape.

The lack of a spare wheel and anywhere to put it concerns me, not sure if it should?

The car is visibly wider and therefore looks shorter although I'm assured it's slightly longer

For me it looks fantastic, the styling is what drew me towards Morgan in the first place, I didn't want a Morgan because I like tinkering with cars, I'm not keen on their tendency to creak, squeek and leak. I don't particularly like a car with heavy steering or clutch, no air-conditioning in 40° heat (not Scotland obviously) 1930s steering and suspension, limited luggage space and tendancy to break down. I tolerate these shortcomings because I love the style, craftsmanship and tradition. Any changes I can make to improve my driving comfort and experience I will, provided it doesn't impact on the value or safety of the car. For me the tradition is still there and if the other things I mentioned are absent then great.

Elliott tells me the performance is mind blowing, he was also sceptical of the "I would buy one if it were manual" comments. His opinion is the car would be almost impossible to drive as a manual, given his driving credentials I am more than happy to accept his opinion on that front.

If I were in a position, and following a successful test drive would I buy one? Maybe, however I might be tempted to wait and see what MMC build on the CX platform next. I don't think I'd have too long to wait!!. I imagined I would be the type of buyer the Plus Six was aimed at, now I'm not so sure, I can't see any potential supercar buyer being tempted either, or if they are I can't see the love affair lasting if the car is still a Morgan (creaks, leaks and squeeks) lack of electronic gadgets etc. When asked if an Aero owner might be tempted to change Elliott replied he didn't think so because it simply doesn't sound as good.

My opinion is the CX platform was ready and the Plus Six was put out to "test the water". I look forward to seeing which direction MMC will go in terms of body style. As I've said previously something that looked like the SLR would definitely be on my list.

Any thoughts?

Interesting points, Gordon. I'm having a test drive on Thursday, so hopefully will have some more to add then. I suppose the Plus Six is "testing the water" by default, being the first of the new breed.The price has attracted some criticism, but as it's a replacement for the Plus 8, I don't think it's too bad. I'm considering a new car for next year, so it'll be interesting if Morgan bring out something else in the Spring!

I wonder why he thinks the car would be impossible to drive as a manual.

Presumably because a human wouldn't be able to match the speed of the gear changes that the auto box can do?

I tried to keep the post as brief as possible.

To elaborate on what Elliott said, the car has an eight speed box, it would be near impossible to drive the car to its maximum potential with a manual box because of the clutch and gearchange work required. It is just about possible using the paddle shift though.

The plus 6 is the start of the future - more models based on the CX platform are due - likely well within 2 years I was told by a dealer . I did have a test drive, although i'm not in a position to buy, which was great. I found there are still some rattles which was surprising. I expect it'll leak a bit too but I'm only guessing! A Morgan shaped BMW? No, its very much a Morgan and hugely desirable. A 2 litre BMW powered version with manual box and lower price tag would be an excellent proposition. I don't think we'll need to wait long for that, or something very similar, to launch.

Whilst it looks very much like a Trad Morgan, its character is different. That likely won't be an issue for lots of buyers so the future is bright at Malvern. Those that love the "Trad" however will likely cherish them even more. Personally I'd like a CX chassis car as everyday transport and a trad to fettle and take care of.

Bit like a classic mini and a BMW one. Both are great but deliver different things to different people. Those that have sampled both know which is the best fun to drive...….

Gordon,

I've driven the Plus 6 and spent some time looking around the Williams example. I think your analysis is spot on: it is a cracking car, other than the seats. The engine and gearbox combination is one of the best available: BMW developed them to work together and they were the best bit of my ownership of a M140i. I don't think BMW offers the engine with a manual box in any vehicle, though I could be wrong.

As others have said, the chassis, with a smaller engine and manual box option, will be a cracker.

Anyway, this Aero Plus 8 owner wouldn't consider changing, mainly for the reason that Elliott states, but also because in the UK the big Plus 8 is really rather rare!

Pretty much echo's my thoughts when I saw the car at Geneva. I only sat in it briefly but I didn't notice any particular problem with the seats. What did surprise me was that a car with the power to weight ratio of the PlusSix does not have traction control. I imagine that the lack of traction control is one of the things that would make it difficult to drive in a manual version. It is also a surprising omission given that the BMW using the same engine has traction control and that the sensors necessary would be in place because the car has ABS.

I don't need, and certainly could not use, the power and potential of the PlusSix. In fact I don't think it even has a lot of sense unless you live on a racetrack or somewhere in Germany where there is no speed limit on your local stretch of Autobahn. Just as much fun could be had with the same car fitted with a smaller engine and you could get closer to its maximum potential in the real world.

As for the automatic gearbox: I opted for my first modern automatic when I purchased the Jaguar XE and I have no regrets. When I want to play I use the paddle shift. It is a challenge to get used to it and I can't help feeling that a stick shift would be a bit easier to adjust to, but that is another story. If I was buying a CX PlusFour I would most like opt for automatic.

Certainly if I was buying today and was offered the choice between a Plus 4 and a CX PlusFour I would choose that later.

Sorry ....... in my view a Morgan has always been a new classic car with a powerful engine and no more. The Plus Six looks good from the outside but I do not like the rest. The display on the dashboard is a disaster and the automatic gearbox does not belong in such a car. It looks for me like a replica car. If I want a car with these things I buy a modern looking sports car and then things fit together.

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Player

Well, I love it..

I think it's a genuine step forward for Morgan, and takes the best qualities of both the Aero and the Trad ranges and puts them into a modern, great handling car that is still genuinely Morgan. I love the fact that it's got that silky smooth, torquey straight six and an automatic transmission. There's no doubt that the motor industry in general is moving towards automatic transmissions, especially so with bigger engines, and with hybrid drives becoming the norm, the future will always be a two pedal driving experience.

The lack of traction control is probably down to the fact that the parameters of the vehicle the system was designed for are so different from the Morgan. The weight and wheel sizings and the point at which the system is calibrated for, would mean a huge amount of re-programming of ECU's, and would cost. Given the amount of R&D that BMW use, it's probably wise that Morgan didn't try to go it alone.

I can't wait to get some hands on with the Plus Six. I'm deliberately waiting until the fuss dies down and I can spend a little more time with one.

But is it a little TOO sanitised, though? The Roadster has the ability to be a Jeckyll & Hyde character, something that demands respect and something that will bite you hard if you abuse it. The big +8 is the same. Will the Plus Six turn out to be a similar character..? Hmmm..