Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Aero engine tuning

That is interesting Simon, how much variance was there with the 286bhp engined S1's? I always thought being BMW engines the tolerances would be quite tight.

With regards to the S2 engines having 44bhp more from the VVT, could this not just be retrofitted? A lot of power there..

I spoke to RTCC and they told me they used to take it to a "local" place for the remapping, its not something they do personally and they didn't seem to have any details on power or price as its been a while since they did anything - which didn't inspire confidence if I am honest.

With regards to wanting more power yes around a track better tyres, suspension geometry and driver training will all make more difference in lap times, but on a road none of that really helps as you don't (or shouldn't) be driving to the limit around corners, there should always be a safety buffer.

With regards to acceleration however its fun to use all of it sometimes, and more midrange grunt is always nice. I don't think its worth chasing massive power gains (it is fast enough anyway) but I would like the same level of grunt as the GTN/S2, as I think that is the perfect balance for the chassis.

The believe local place was a company called DMS Automotive. DMS have a strong reputation for GTRs and other turbo rockets. I took something in there for a tweak and we got speaking about Aeros. They have moved and I think are now in Southampton. He did say that they would not do the car directly as it was done with RTCC and they had an agreement which was nice to hear.

It was only done for S1 and was not developed further. They do it as an individual map exercise. Rolling road the baseline spec then tweak. RTCC also did brake kits and possible a couple of other things as part of the kit. Again the brake kit was a big improvement however it was only up to the size of the revised S2 brakes so no nett gain over an S2.

I do like to fiddle a bit but when you consider the money you will need again I have to say, just buy an S2 or above ?

Morgan did the work you are going to have to do.

S1 > S2
VarioCam inlet +50bhp & torques.
Improved brakes on front
Improved gearbox (6sp and nicer shift I think)
More knuckle room in cockpit to slip opposite look moments
Clarence the tree hugging lion lights remain
Full dashboard and interior changes.
Boot you can fit the jump cables, tyre foam, charger, warm clothes etc in.

S2 > S3
New headlamps and front end
Same BHP as S2 330bhp
Same platform as S2 for hardware/engine/box/brakes.
Boot you can fit the jump cables, tyre foam, charger, warm clothes etc in.

S4 became AeroMax based and so gained a lot of updates
4.8L
Auto option
Significant changes underneath.

By the time you have done just couple of the changes to the S1 you have paid the difference between selling the S1 and buying an S2. Admittedly the S2 was even more rare and so can be fun to get hold of making the choice of colours etc a challenge.

I do agree that the unique features of the S1 were pretty cool. Low roof, wheels, small boot line, dash etc. I just think there is a fine line between improving a car and admitting what you are looking for was done by the factory.

Then again I am the one that nearly always puts a tweak on a turbo engine so I have no way of saying don't do it.....

Lifes too short to avoid doing fun stuff.

Hope this helps. I am only down the A34/M4 if you need to try one.

Hi folks - thought I would chime in as I spent the best part of 3 years while with my s1 looking at this.

Standard recaps by dms will give you a bhp benefit, but at the expense of lower down torque. So you might gain some bragging rights at the pub, but you'll likely lose out on the road in real terms.

The only real option is going for serious engine surgery, there were kits available to upgrade (German tuners mostly) to the alpina spec and beyond, but you're looking at boring out cylinders fitting new pistons machining crankshafts etc, which is all doable, but the cheapest quotes I saw back then were for around 20,000 gbp just for the kit of parts (lots of titanium happening there) and that would get an extra 75-100 Bhp at best. Bear in mind that you could do an engine swap but that you'll also need to swap the electrical loom, and that. Evans reconfiguring airbags, abs etc etc..

Yes the headers are restrictive, but there isn't a great deal you can do as the shape of the car somewhat dictates this..

After 3 years with the s1 I realised the cheapest upgrade was an s2. Likewise the best power upgrade for the s2 is an s4..

You can do upgrades, but they will cost a serious % of, the cars value and realistically you won't get it back...

The best upgrades I found in my time with my aero was actually tyres. The right rubber at the right pressures made a huge difference...

OK, so "grip"... at the risk of opening up a religious discussion, as a first-time owner, what brand or model of tyre do seasoned owners recommend?

& do you stick with factory pressures, or adjust front or rear?

Will

I had a set of Toyo when I got my S2 and they were a little slidey.
I replaced them with Vredestein UltraTrac. They were good but went off before I could wear them out. Probably not trying hard enough.
Now replaced with Michelin Pilot Supersports. BIG step up on grip, response and brake feels. The sidewall strength is high so it can be a bit more skippy on mid bend bumps when pushing on. It did improve the car measurably.

25 all around for the pressures.

The Coupe is still on the factory Avons. After trying the Pilots on the S2 it feels a little like they should be called Teflon. Nasty in wet and slide early in the dry.

I think someone on the board mentioned that the newer PS4 should be superior to the MPSS despite not being called supersports if the sizes are available.

Thanks Alistair

Yeah, I've used Vredsteins in the past - they passed my test of being relatively better in the wet than the dry - wider block spacing, so noisier & faster wearing as a trade-off for better wet weather grip.

I reckon that if you really need those few extra % grip in the dry, you're probably trying too hard for public roads. In the wet, you need all the help you can get.

There do seem to be real advances in tyre tech - each generation being measurably better than its predecessors.

I understand that Aeros can leave the factory with *whatever* brand of tyre on - probably whichever the factory got the best deal on that week.
So unlike other performance brands, the Aero isn't set up in partnership with a particular tyre manufacturer.

Will

Correct, the Supersport philosophy has been replaced by the new Pilot Sport 4s, however this isn't available in sizes under 19".

18" and below sizes are covered by the Pilot Sport 4, which is contrary to popular belief an evolution of the old Supersport (not the Pilot Sport 3!) but with the latest technology allowing it to perform safely in wet weather for daily driving whilst maintaining all its dry weather performance. It is very nearly on the same dry performance level as the Pilot Sport 4s (think it was a tenth or two difference at the Michelin test track) making it an ideal all round tyre for summer.

The Cup Sport 2 is now the fully fledged track variant, these need some warming up before offering their best so are not recommended for road cars, some are standard fitment (aka Focus RS MK3) but this is because the electronics, 4wd and weight allow them to warm up quicker, and give some degree of safety whilst cold. For the Morgan it would be..different!

Results here:
http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/20075/1

The M/N 62 BMW engine is a bit pants. To get a more powerful Aero change the engine either S62 V8 or S85 V10 - I’ve been tracking the V10 engine conversion component prices and I now believe an economical conversion can be made.

CerealSurfer, who did your remap?
That is a pretty good result!