My gut is telling me this will end in 'tears'...
There is something wrong with the 'legislation' here... that allows the approval of brand new design of a new car in 2019, that manages to avoid the usual regulatory restrictions with respect to 'safety', because of low build numbers! So, why have to install an 'airbag'?... is this some kind of 'selective' ability to satisfy some regulations but not others?
The most powerful Morgan ever produced is allowed to be sold, free of all the various driver aids that are fitted to the other cars that use the same drivetrain, just because the manufacturer cannot 'afford' to develop and test a suitable system... pardon? In that case, give us a car, like the Morgan's to date, that have not ended up in accidents so soon after release. Clearly, the power/drivetrain etc of the car takes the 'average' driver by surprise, a problem exacerbated by the fact that 'we' have all got used to background systems in modern cars that simply 'look after us' when the physics of the car engineering exceeds our 'abilities' as drivers to manage them...
Lotus is another 'Low volume' manufacturer who manages to develop and launch cars to the market with driver aid systems in place... so why is MMC not able to foot the bill to get this (what I would consider in 2020 fit for purpose R&D) and legislative passage to make the company 'exempt' from such requirements?...
Don't get me wrong here, I am not having a downer on the Plus Six/four etc, I am genuinely concerned about this great new product running into potentially serious issues with accidents/write off's/insurance claims/premiums etc etc that could potentially label the car as one to avoid... and that would be very sad.
I think it is a tricky one to answer this, I for one would rather be able to go out and buy a car that has no driver aids (afterall that is one of the things most of us Morgan owners seem to enjoy) and therefore I am glad the legislation allows this - otherwise where do we stop?
Driving is inherently dangerous, do we ban any car that isn't a huge SUV so people are safer, do we automate everything and so on and so forth.
I think perhaps more emphasis needs to be made on just how much performance there is available, to ensure that people are aware but that is down to the dealers for the most part. I think a manual version would go someway to easing the issues for some, time will tell if that becomes an option!
Otherwise for me its a case of respecting the vehicle and what it can do, and a bit of common sense that a light car with huge turbo power is going to demand some serious respect.
