I would start of by saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and after that, having seemingly been somewhat afflicted with an engineering appreciating chromosome or two at birth, there are indeed aspects of the Merc that appeal. I do like LARGE engines though more than happy to listen to a Lotus twin cam 4 pot, or a Max Norton single or, or , or, or, yeah the list could go on and on and on... (-: T`was following an old open top Bentley that brought me to Morgan ownership and the +8, though in truth I suspect the Trad 4/4 to be a better match of engine to it`s vintage underpinnings, but I was desirous of the burble... and in time it seems I have become a burbleholic..!
I always appreciated the look of an engine, never more so than when I was exposed to that which lay under the bonnet of a Jaguar... Those highly polished cam covers, the black enamel exhaust manifold, a work of wonder indeed... Then the Lotus Twink with it`s twin Webers.... Unfortunately I can`t see the engine in my latest acquisition, but then a 911 engine was a bit of a dissappointment ever looking a tad like the innards of a washing machine, though in time became an acquired taste, these days all I can see under the lid are a couple of electric fan grills, and alloy badges promising there is a power plant under there somewhere, I guess the design may well be a half way house to help us become accustomed to not seeing an engine, which seems likely to be replaced with an electric motor...? I guess it would be a simple matter to play back any engine sounds through the Bose speakers one might choose with the push of a button, be it a V12 or a single and anything in between... Hmm..?
Nah, as an antidote to evolution, the old +8 hits the spot for me, Carb fed, pops with occasional bangs or even flame thrown in on the over-run, taking to the air over humps and bumps, with an occasional hop to the side thrown in,and all within legal road speeds....ish. I feel fortunate to still be able to pilot the old thing other than in cold weather, and well understand those daft enough to take to the roads in a M3W, Lotus Seven or indeed anything that removes the layer upon layer of driver insulation that we all have evolved into an acceptance if not need of..... But then perhaps as ever ageing folk we really need a bit more comfort, safety and driver aids to reduce the chance of making a fool of our selves ..
