Pleased to be of some help, and want to re-state my love / admiration / absolutely huge enjoyment of the car... Mine's not a million miles different in looks from yours - Stingray Grey with black leather/roof but normal chrome wheels. I think for most people the car looks wonderful without needing wild paint colours (although I do love the wild machines too). Mine was built in Jan/Feb 2007 but I bought it 'new' in August 2007 although it was a low mileage (140 miles) trade plates demonstrator.
I know this will not work for all S4 owners, but I've driven S3 vs S4 and the automatic and...
1. S4 engine has a slightly smoother sound at tickover (tiny difference) but feels very similar on the move. Possibly the suspension has a bit more initial compliance without extra roll but hard to say for sure. All later cars feel more special with side windows down as well as the top, and this may be the only real aural difference, because the demonstrator was driven this way, and I drive mine like this more now.
2. I preferred the storage behind the seats in the S3 and the speaker location pointing forward is better. The S3 car feels more airy with greater legroom.
3. The S4 boot is a bit bigger but you lose as much as you gain and the cockpit is more cramped. The air vents in the S4 are much neater but that doesn't bother me at all.
4. The handbrake on the S3 is the end of a long line and I prefer it although I can't make the car stay still on a steep hill! We also have the last of the old logos and they are consistent (not so on some S4s).
5. The fuel filler on the S4 is neat but the central chrome filler is fun on the S3 (although mine is still sometimes a very slow piggy to fill).
6. The extra hot air engine venting on the S4 looks great and is probably a good idea - my S3 gets quite warm in these areas.
7. Perceived performance is extremely similar and the cars essentially drive the same. I'm not suggesting that an S4 is not faster but I really couldn't feel it and I wanted to - I was set on a trade 'up' - but after the test drive I simply could not tell the difference. Both are extremely fast cars!
8. The auto is great and I loved the way it changed at 6700rpm, but for some reason I think a manual gearbox suits the car and for me it was swings and roundabouts.
9. I'm sure an S4 auto is faster for most people most of the time but if you want to go round tracks fast you're probably better off with a Porsche GT3. Otherwise you'll never really tell unless you're a great driver on a straight track.
10. I'm sorry the Aero 8 is no more (at least in <£100K form) and I'm sure a new derivative with a more fuel efficient engine but great dynamics will emerge - truly hope so! Good luck to Morgan and all who have an interest in individuality.
11. Wrong thread and I will try to add to the right place, but I also had the steam in the cockpit issue from the aircon and some of the responses were clearly not helpful or correct. After a long drive in damp and cold conditions I stopped the car (at the Morgan factory) and re-started about 15 minutes later. Massive steam poured into the cabin as though the de-humidifier had poured its contents back into the system. (I had something similar on my Renault Alpine GTA V6 many years ago when the aircon still worked - must get that done!). It is an air-con issue but may not be a 'problem' - after a few minutes with fans and windows open I was back to normal. But a Morgan will never be a BMW even if it uses the same engine. (Thank the Lord.)
