At Williams this week we drove a used initial release Plus 4 and spent some time in a new 2021 Plus 4.
The new sports seats are a world apart from the original planks, good enough to make me change my views about keeping the Plus 8 until the end of Time.
I've asked Henry to work out a "cost to change".
As part of this I want to find out if the AeroMax wheels are compatible with the Plus Four...

Mor on this in a few weeks, I'm going back to Williams on 13th December to explore the topic and to leave Tarka there to get a couple of issues sorted.
1. Reversing lights don't come on
2. Cruise Control doesn't work
3 AirCon doesn't work.

My guess is that it is electronics.... a worry!

Peter

Good to hear Peter.

As you've seen both an early and current example of the CX, could you tell if anything more felt different aside from the seats?

Looking forward to hearing how it all goes in December!

P

Hello Peter. What are the things that Plus 4 has that will make you change your Plus 8?

Blimey Peter, how will you cope without that glorious V8 soundtrack?

Yes quite... the V8 sounds like Tom Jones being assaulted by the Mujahideen in a shower cubicle. I think you'd miss that.... and the torque. Plus, we all like the warmer weather.

I've never kept a car for more than 4 years before, I've had Tarka for 7 years...

A number of reasons to think about changing... Partly it is an urge for something new and the joy of specifying and following the build of my Morgan.
I was also partly seduced by an offer from Motorway to buy my car at £69k, so based on my possible specification it would be £6k to change. But I don't believe that offer for a moment. Even so I've asked Henry if he could match it...
The drive back from Williams in the rain and dark was not at all enjoyable, even with LED lights. Worn road markings and mostly no cats eyes on the A36 didn't help one bit.

Then there is the cost of ownership, Road Tax, Servicing and Insurance, they add up to £1500 a year, without adding anything in for repairs. I reckon than in the last 12 months it has cost close to £2.00 a mile, all in.

But, as Neil has said, the sound is special, the PlusFour sounds good for a modern Turbo 4, but a V8 it isn't.
I may well just SORN it when it comes back from Williams...

SWMBO isn't supportive of changing for, as she put it, half a car.... so I suspect that I won't be changing.

OK let's open a book

My bet is that Peter buys a new one....what do you all say?

Nick

Its not unusual to have thoughts about changing your car especially if fiddly little annoying things happen on a regular occurrence. That can from time to time detract from your full enjoyment of the car. You walk away having left the keys with the garage to fix it, with the calamitous thoughts of the worse it could be and how deep will I have to dig this time to get it right. Add to that the sense of the 'chase' and excitement of specifying a new car and no wonder we have anxiety, pangs of remorse, uncertainty, interspersed with potential childhood joy of being handed the keys to the sweet shop.

I try not to make decisions when I'm vexed with a car and the grass is looking so much greener over there, I usually count to ten and then ten again till the mist disappears, calm is restored, there is a sense equilibrium, mind you often easier said than done.

I'm waiting to get my Morgan into Lifes to get the rad changed since early August, such is the back log of works it now looks like it will be January before Mat will have an empty workshop, much of the delay has created by backlogs in spares for Morgans he is working on. I've become a little more philosophical about it, but beautiful sunny days like today, grate with me. I just hope that once its fixed, as I've waited so long that I haven't built up a false expectation that everything major is now fixed and it should be problem free motoring going forward . Something that in my experience of Morgans to-date and their reliability reputation will always bite you on the bum........that may lead to the thank you and goodbye time. The only time I've ever had to be a member of the AA or RAC recovery service has been whilst I've owned a Morgan......

Car changing is a complex mental process.
In my early days, the shortest time I kept a car was six months, and I changed every twelve to eighteen months, driven by the need to improve from my current car, and never being satisfied, along with poor purchase choices. With the benefit of hindsight, most of my early cars I should have walked away from.

Later in life I was much more careful and my usual tenure became over ten years up to twenty two years, which is my current record.

It's primarily about choosing well, and being satisfied. Careful fettling will head off a lot of niggles.

In Peter's case, there will be no more Aero Plus 8's It's a rare limited edition desirable car. Whereas all things being equal there will be a lot more Plus Fours and Plus Sixes. When you rattle all the issues up together, I'm not sure there's a clear cut choice.

If I was looking for an Aero, I would only consider the Aero Plus 8, and I would probably chose that over a CX car.
Right now, the only model I could be at all tempted by would be a late 3.7 Roadster. Because that model ticks my boxes more than any others.

But I don't see the sense in spending another thirty plus grand on top of my current Roadster.

Peter,
I have changed my Plus4 for a MY 21 Plus Four — did I need to do it?— no - did it cost an arm, leg and kidney? Yes!- €40k or so to change!! Am I happy — YES— with a niggle( leaky radiator- to be fixed with new component under warranty) the plus four is a real joy to drive and the comfort seats I find brilliant. We spent 2 weeks in the Pyrenees in September and it proved a fantastic car for the mountain passes and steep sharp turns for which the auto box was great.
I don’t have the sport exhaust so that might give you the noise you may seek, but the sound as is is just right according to the sat nag!!!
Overall it is light years ahead of the 3 previous Mogs — go for it!!

Cheers!