Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Living With a Plus 8

The body on the Plus 4 and the Roadster could be widened in the cockpit without widening the car: wider cockpit, narrower mudguards.

Tin hat on - I don't know about Morgan's financial state so please don't read this as any inference on that..... Merely looking at some statements based on my personal experience.

Anyone who thinks they can build a Morgan on the Aero tub for £40k should try it.

One thing building the two race cars up from scratch and researching the build price of an Aero V10 has taught me is the true price of building cars. Even if you take trade prices into consideration.

Unfortunately if the Aero product was going to live upto the chassis the retail price should be more like £250k - you'd still sell the same quantity!! Just not always to the same people.

An Aero based model of any type 4,6 or 8 cylinder is unlikely to ever be £40k - I remember all the chat on Pistonheads in the early/mid 2000's when everybody was arguing for a TVR Chim replacement for a magical £30k.... It didn't happen then and unlikely for Morgan @£40k now.

From and engineering/price point perspective there needs to be a new cheaper chassis developed and I can see that this may happen through continual evolutions of the trad chasis - the way Charles was heading before the introduction of Chris Lawrence. It's a bit of half way house performance wise but it's how other low volume sports car manufacturers keep costs down.

This will extend the trad life whilst the Aero lineup can slowly but surely improve in quality and extend its price point even higher.

The big cost step for the trad will be (if ever) the trad moves away from its current axle and f/r suspension set-up, wishbone based suspension and a IRS non live axle based rear has many more components which ultimately cost. In any version this will drive up base cost to build and ultimately price.

Good news is that on this journey there are plenty of exciting opportunities to grasp - I look forward to seeing them.

I agree, except that the trads have already been widened enough as they are. Put in a modern turbo engine with a water-cooled intercooler and we would see improved torque, power and fuel efficiency.
Harald

Picked up the Plus 8 the last weekend in November.

Now, January 11th we have completed 1000 utterly delightful miles, today a 100 plus to Farnham for lunch with Nick and Linda.

So that is in just 50 winter days, almost all hood down, but without heated seats and a good heater I doubt we would have done it. The seats are on all the time and make a massive difference. Hood up in the wet the car is snug, dry and warm.

So, on that basis at least 7500 miles a year. Problbly a good few more, given warmer weather envourages use.

In my view the Plus 8 is as usable, on a day to day basis, as any soft top 2 seater: a fair weather car it isn't!

It sounds like you're making really good use of it.... Have you forgotten what a trad drives like now?