Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Speculate on the new 3/4 or +3 or 4/4

We have been speculating on the +4, and other than the more powerful engine and the narrower wings TMers were good at the forecast.
Now for the 4/4 model.
The BMW 1500 3 cylinder is a brilliant engine but no easy off the shelf in line gearbox.
The lesser powered 2.0 litre BMW would be easiest but to o close to the Plus4?
Ford 1600 ecoboost available in various guises and will mate to the MX5 gearbox. Ford crate engines are also really cheap giving Morgan room with the price point.
It would also add to the long history of the 4/4 for special editions like the 150th!!

BMW most likely as it makes sense to have a deal for all engines with one supplier --I suspect it is likely to be a 3 cylinder making it 3 x500cc for the entry car, 4 x 500cc for the PlusFour and 6 x 500cc for the PlusSix -- simples!! all on a cx or cx-related chassis

Z4 motor 2 L 192 cv = 4/4

4/4 = 192 cv
+4 = 255 cv
+6 = 335 cv

Logic mmc must be plusthree

Now we know. BMW 2.0 l four cyl. with turbo, 255 bhp. Named Plus Four, as opposed to the old + Four. Most likely exit Roadster.

The Ford ecoboost 3cyl 1.5L as used in the Fiesta ST is by all accounts a very capable engine, and would certainly put some spirit into a new 4/4. Or would need to be a 4/3. But logic would suggest the 4/4 or 4Four is name that defines Morgan as a brand, so I think a 4cyl engine is a must.

Perfect sense !

With the new PlusFour, MMC has done everything right with great attention to detail. Even the choice of engine and the power-to-weight ratio. The PlusFour is a car with a character all its own. Fortunately it is not simply a choked PlusSix.

If a new 4/4 would get the same BMW 4 pot engine but with less power and the look would be the same as the PlusFour, it would not be a real 4/4 and much too heavy. The attraction of a 4/4 was not its engine weakness but its light weight.
So MMC has two different building sites to get it right, a lighter engine (preferably the 2.0 MX5) and an even slimmer dress.

Whether other than BMW engines are so easily compatible I don't think so, because the whole CX platform seems very tuned to everything from BMW, maybe it will be the BMW 3 pot, why not.
But I don't think you can make the car much narrower on CX. Even now the undercarriage of the PlusFour doesn't look as discreetly hidden as it does with the wide PlusSix. But you have to see it in reality.
I personally would not like to see such a "grown-up" 4/4 that looks like the new PlusFour (which has become wonderful in its own right).

A BMW B38 series engine would seem the logical choice. The two 1500cc turbo variants are 100kW/138bhp and then a big jump to 170kW/228bhp although limited to 112 hybrid and 228i FWD application.

For this reason the B38A15M0 138bhp version would seem the only choice within the range given there is a RWD application and hence manual gearbox option. In keeping with the trend this would still allow modest increase in performance when mounted on CX platform over outgoing model and hopefully allow entry level pricing.

I'm waiting for a mild hybrid Eva, launch Geneva 2022, you heard it here first !