Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Four, Supersport & Plus Six (CX & CXV Generation Vehicles) now the cx has been around for a while

Thank you all for your comments. The classic car market is powered to a great degree by nostalgia, the drive to own what we had when young or lusted after when young. That is the role fulfilled by my current fezza or would be if it made sense to use it frequently. But the trouble with Ferrari is the equationat (mileage x £2 = depreciation) so you buy a nice example, as I did, with low recorded mileage and then it doesnt get used for more than at best 2000 miles a year. It doesnt make any rational sense except on the occasions you do drive it.

But there is also another factor - performance. I chose my first Ferrari after I sold my Elise. I tried all the then available alternatives but the Ferrari was the only one that gave me the mid engined go cart drive. I am a boy racer at heart. Nothing is as enjoyable as overtaing someone round the outside on a roundabout and then blasying away. Plus my father had always promissed himself a Ferrari but sadly died before he got round to buying one. I am sentimental - the fezza is Dads car !.

I never really enjoyed Fezza no 1. I was nervous of repair bills, reluctant to add miles, and not that fond of 18mpg on a good day. In a burst of common sense it got replaced by an F type V6 supercharged. The Jag was an excellent sports car and fun to drive but with three issues. The first was the ridiculous size of boot since the car had to be a spider. The second was the drivers seat squab which put a damaged hip ( bike crash) onto a hard bolster. The third was a flappy paddle box with no less than a ridiculous 8 gears which meant you ended up driving it in full auto all the time. It had to go but it was a pity because as an every day useable car it had a lot going for it.

You should learn from your mistakes but I didnt. I bought another low mileage Ferrari, this time a model earlier than Fezza 1 with a manual box and fewer electronics. Even more fun to drive than Fezza 1 which was 100bhp more powerful and with flappy paddles, but with the same mileage and depreciation issue.And service bills and increasingly unavailable spares since it dates from 2003.

I guess I am writing this as much as anything to try get my thoughts clear in my own mind. I am past the age of "get out and get under" or I would go for a true classic. Maybe an XC120. I want an every day useable car but I like the mid engined dynamics of the likes of Lotus and Ferrari. And I love open cars. Does it have to be a Porker which on previous trial drives I have found a bit soul-less? What else is there in this space. And a Porker wont cost less in depreciation than the Ferraris in the price range I buy.

I'll stop here before I write a Luddite style philosophical post about life and the meaning of sports cars.

All very insightful Howard. And I can now understand your thought process a bit better.

The new Lotus could be an option. Have you seen/driven one yet?

As for a Porsche, please remind me which model/derivative you have driven? I test drove and contemplated the current 911 and while it's a fantastic car on all levels, it felt more GT than sports car, to me at least. The Boxster ticked the boxes in regards to more sport than GT front. I've had a 'normal' Boxster which I miss to this day as well as the Spyder which is from their GT division. The Spider felt a bit more visceral and along with the unique to the Spyder top, it leant itself to feeling a bit like the Morgan in that I only drove it on a sunny day. Might be worth going to have a look.

As for depreciation, used prices are still at or at times above the cost of new unless you go for one that is 3-4 years old.

Lastly, if all out power can be put aside, a tidy air cooled generation of the 911 is oh so special. The noise, feeling etc is there in spades. Alas, so are maintenance costs. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the Audi R8. I've had a significant amount of seat time in various versions. This far has a split personality but in a good way. It's no harder to drive than a Golf when driven normally but step on it and drive with a bit more vigorously and it's devilish side comes out. Both the V8 and V10 have a glorious soundtrack. Plus, for the cost of a new Boxster or CX, you are in a very tidy and early example. Only negative is just how wide the thing is!

Good luck!

This..

Having driven a CX, it left me feeling it was anonymous & boring.

Sorry but I just don't understand SBM's comments above - my Plus Six is probably the least boring car I've ever driven, or it is a least up there.
I have been touring in my 4/4 and it was masses of fun. The Elan Valley brought the best out of it and I can't think of a car I would rather have done that trip in. I will try the P6 next. time and let you know if I prefer it, but I somehow I doubt it.
I find Porsches far less engaging (this includes the GT3)
Just shows how we all want different things from our cars.

CXs and trads are just different. The trad has all the foibles I like in its handling & feedback.
The CX is just a magnificent package & a modern car. The auto cars in particular are very fast & very competent but I prefer the trad. Each to their own.

Having driven both the MY 22 and 23 versions in the past couple of weeks I wouldn't agree.

go and try the A110
it is a 'more comfortable Elise/Exige'

Surely if the A110 is your thing then you won't even be considering a Morgan, they have almost nothing in common. A Supra or a Cayman would be more to your taste (or a Civic Type R)?
The Morgan P6 is lighter, faster (mine is about 3.5 secs 0-60 with mods) better looking (to me) and a soft top. I don't see how you can compare the two together.
The original Alpine rally car is much more appealing, however.

That's exactly my plan for when I can't get out of the Elise well with the roof closed. But that's many many years, decades down the road...at least I hope so.

I agree - had two Plus 4s and an Aero 5 over ten years - the Plus 6 has trad looks but is in a different league in terms of handling and performance.

Loved the Aeros noise and theatrics, but the Plus 6 is so easy to drive and use I found I was hardly using the S5
it’s a keeper for me, but yer pays yer money.......