Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Four, Supersport & Plus Six (CX & CXV Generation Vehicles) Another Plus Six bites the dust!

I suspect the challenges of maintaining the manufacturing processes at Morgan and for as long as they have done would have been very difficult indeed, verging on miraculous given the exponential increase in the amount of regulatory processes applied to all areas of the motor industry. I am left to suspect that somewhere in the corridors of governance there was a desire to turn a blind eye when it came to looking at Morgan for many a year..?

It also seems that in my time of observing matters Morgan, from the late 90`s up to the present day, that EXPECTATIONS of Morgan buyers, or would-be Morganeers has altered considerably, while the old guard are still hanging on in there in varying degrees, and perhaps even they are pleased to have more luxurious trim levels, more compliant suspension and at least some of the electronic expectations that modernity provides, even air con.. which is a long way off my initial expectations of a Morgan..But then with advancing years my Luddite tendencies were softened somewhat for me also to evolve into a selective Luddite.

As I typed above I read of the struggle to match vintage coachwork design and build practices, incorporating the ever increasing degrees in complexity that modern more efficient and cleaner engine design technological advance brought with it, to the extent that it seemed the home mechanics of the time were gradually but increasingly squeezed out of a degree of desire/confidence to resolve some of the ..err..foibles ever expected of a Morgan, that became issues which even the dealerships seemed to struggle with.... Such was the effect of digitisation... Though in time digital advances broke free from manufacturers control over many aspects of access to digital process interrogation when code readers became readily available, and internet education followed suit...?

Though to expect the MMC to incorporate ALL of that which other sports car manufacturers have done by way of digital control, perhaps over riding the process of decision making relative to the act of driving in ALL conditions..? Methinks great expectations are bound to become somewhat disappointed in varying degrees relative to the leading edge of technological advance in vehicular technologies of the day that motorists have been conditioned to expect, much as they may have done over the years..

But modern tech IS the simplest way of meeting modern design criteria? One fits the other...

I am going to be naughty (no change there I hear you say) and suggest something.

Needs a little more development, several bits?. Same was true of the Aero to a degree. Look at the results that Shooter and Peter have had with suspension changes to their Aero's.

I added Mich Pilot Sport Cup 2 on the back of the Coupe and whilst it made a difference I don't think the suspension can really get the best out of the tyre as the contact patch is a little variable. When cold they were worse but a little working and they definitely improved things. Spring and rebound have always felt out of sync which mucks up the contact patch. The S2 felt more comfortable and controlled than the Coupe in many cases. Ditto the gearing on the ZF6 could have come down a bit but at least the injection and V8 were smoother in power delivery. It is not as if it was undrivable so I did not mind however it could have been updated and improved throughout it's long life.

I see an upside for the future. Given the Aero was very low volume spending a ton on development might have been a bit painful? On the other hand the CX is the base of all production so spending time tweaking it is not only justified but perhaps given the Plus Six moments occuring mandatory? It feels like a series of tweaks would be valuable.

Change the engine tune to add a touring mode (as changing the base tune might invalidate WLTP/emissions leading to bigger problems?) for less peaky delivery.
Review the rear suspension to allow more squat to help traction and provide smoother damping?
Add the ESC with a key locked big red off button for those brave days!
Don't let people without experience out on their own for test drives.

Maybe?

If the Six's suspension development was anything like the Aero S5's, then it needed a little less development!

The changes we're making on the Aero take its setting back towards where the development team had them before Morgan decided to make the car more like a trad - stiff at the front, soft at the rear.

Your suggestions are all very sensible Alistair.

I'd add a remap to make the low end power delivery more progressive.

Will

What about a nice piece of ash bolted under the accelerator pedal, just leaving half an inch clearance, as the new owner gains experience they take it to an approved dealer to have some shaved off

My TVR Cerbera had a second spring on the last inch of throttle travel. Blackpool Traction Control!

Yep. That sounds like Blackpool technology.

My gut is telling me this will end in 'tears'...

There is something wrong with the 'legislation' here... that allows the approval of brand new design of a new car in 2019, that manages to avoid the usual regulatory restrictions with respect to 'safety', because of low build numbers! So, why have to install an 'airbag'?... is this some kind of 'selective' ability to satisfy some regulations but not others?

The most powerful Morgan ever produced is allowed to be sold, free of all the various driver aids that are fitted to the other cars that use the same drivetrain, just because the manufacturer cannot 'afford' to develop and test a suitable system... pardon? In that case, give us a car, like the Morgan's to date, that have not ended up in accidents so soon after release. Clearly, the power/drivetrain etc of the car takes the 'average' driver by surprise, a problem exacerbated by the fact that 'we' have all got used to background systems in modern cars that simply 'look after us' when the physics of the car engineering exceeds our 'abilities' as drivers to manage them...

Lotus is another 'Low volume' manufacturer who manages to develop and launch cars to the market with driver aid systems in place... so why is MMC not able to foot the bill to get this (what I would consider in 2020 fit for purpose R&D) and legislative passage to make the company 'exempt' from such requirements?...

Don't get me wrong here, I am not having a downer on the Plus Six/four etc, I am genuinely concerned about this great new product running into potentially serious issues with accidents/write off's/insurance claims/premiums etc etc that could potentially label the car as one to avoid... and that would be very sad.

Pete,
I agree it doesn't make sense when you splurge £80 k plus on a car.
John

It is not the outright power that is the problem. It is the fact that turbocharged engines develop full torque at fairly low RPM. The end result is like trying to force an old nut that is stuck with rust using an open ended spanner: when it inevitably rounds off the nut and slips you are going to get banged up knuckles

I always thought that the ideal sports car was one with moderate power, perhaps a little more than the family sedan, light weight, and excellent handling. Why the current formula seem to want to compete with a Top Fuel Dragster of a few years back I can not imagine. On today's roads the fun is to be had getting along a curvy bit of road at sane speeds in a car tha sticks on the curves like the proverbial dermot sticks to a blanket.

Almost every day we hear of a Lamborghini, or Ferrari, or similar that has been written off but there are many more of these on the road than Morgan PlusSixes. Personally I have never hankered after a mega powerful supercar but I can admire the form and style.

Even with the PlusFour Morgan seems to have opted for the most powerful version of the motor and could easily have taken something with a lower state of tune that would have been more manageable.

In the end this risks to be subject to a similar history as the Chevrolet Corvair.