Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) looking for another Mog - which to go for???

Have had similar thoughts - love my 03 4/4, she is of course one of the family, but yearn for a Roadster (since I followed one out of Brooklands last year)and wonder if I should use the current fairly good residual in 'Mog' to invest in new 'Mog'.............can't afford both unfortunately. Then there is the whole question about ownership - is it about heritage for the future or a gleaming new, sounding great vroom vroom?

Every car is different as is every owner - that's what makes the Morgan experience so rich.

repeat after me.
"I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site,
I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site
I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site
I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site
I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site
I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site
I must not look at Morgan Dealers' web site
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Lots to consider, especially in the UK with Road Tax likely to keep on rising.
Insurance doesn't seem to vary much between models.
Depreciation is nil if you keep away from new.
So in no particular order............

Cost of Road Tax
Complexity of electronics
Long door or short door
Stainless bulkhead or steel bulkhead
Traditional hood or easy up hood
Exhaust noise
Spare wheel or no spare wheel

My recent experience of Roadster vs Plus 4 - on the motorway no difference. Plus 4 is sharper off the line - lower geared.
Plus 4 sips fuel in comparison to Roadster (which does 30).
Roadster has better exhaust note above 4k revs and flies above 4k revs, but in most situations there really is very little difference.
I've toyed with a Plus 8 for a long time, and miss the exhaust note of the Rover V8, but for now I'm happy as I am.

Uncle Melvin Rutter has a +8 4 seater in your price range - if you like the seats colours -
I am almost tempted.

Love my 4/4 sport - enough under the bonnet for me plus cheap tax, insurance and around 50mpg!

A Roadster owner drove my Plus 4 on a mountain road this summer and was amazed that it could round uphill hairpin bends in second gear and then accelerate away smartly. He said that for the Roadster it would be first gear on the hairpins.

I have also followed a 4/4 on "normal" B roads and I doubt I could have gone any faster.

I suspect that it goes a bit like this:
if you like an economical car, keeping the engine reving, swapping gears and the occasional drifting in the corners (narrow tyres) go for the 4/4,

if you want easy long distance touring, loads of get-up-and-go on the open road and a very nice V exhaust note go for a Roadster, a Plus 8, or if money is not a problem the new Plus 8 (BMW engine)

if you want a good all-rounder with enough power for the real world plus excellent touring capability it has to be the Plus 4.

Then if you want the ultimate expression of the Plus 4 talk to Williams about a Plus 4 fitted with Duratec 2.5 engine

Lastly you could always wait to see what new offering is coming from Morgan for 2014

Good summary Peter. It certainly fits in with my experience.

+1