Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Plus Four, Supersport & Plus Six (CX & CXV Generation Vehicles) Plus Six: Auto to Manual

A pipe dream: pedal box / hydraulics from a Plus Four, manual box from BMW or Toyota. Fix to electronics, traction control... required?

Has anyone ever given this any deeper thought?

AI Overview (for what it's worth.)

Converting a Morgan Plus 6 from automatic to manual is exceptionally difficult, as the car relies on a tightly integrated BMW B58 engine and ZF 8-speed automatic drivetrain. no commercial manual swap kits exist for the CX-generation Plus 6 because BMW's software architecture and homologation requirements strictly lock the engine to this automatic transmission.
Hardware Challenges

Drivetrain Replacement

:You would have to physically remove the ZF automatic unit and source a compatible manual gearbox that can bolt onto the BMW inline-six block.Pedal Box and Hydraulics: Cutting and custom-fabricating space for a clutch pedal, master cylinder, and fluid lines inside the narrow Morgan footwell.

Transmission Tunnel:

Modifying the physical aluminum-and-ash framing or transmission tunnel cover to fit a manual shifter linkage.

Software and Electrical Hurdles

ECU and CAN Bus Integration: The BMW B58 engine computer and vehicle electronics expect constant data feedback from the automatic transmission module.

Error Codes and Limp Mode:

Without custom-engineered standalone engine management or deep software rewiring/flashing, the car's electronics would register severe faults and refuse to run properly.If you want to proceed, would you like to explore custom standalone ECU options or discuss finding a professional race fabrication shop that handles bespoke BMW powertrain swaps?

Was that just a Google search? Very impressive. Pretty negative though!

I think the mechanical side could be DIYable, subject to the propshaft. Not easy, finding the right space for hydraulics, box, shifter etc. But do-able, I'd have thought. The electronics could be an absolute nightmare... don't understand what it takes. Black box stuff.

Would invalidate warranty! Then there's the DVLA side of things.

Big, big job. Probably put it on the pending pile, daft ideas section and wait to see if anyone more capable ever does it.

Manual shift would make it perfect, with the roof down. (Wind noise on the softop roof is my other negative.)

Get a manual P4 & chip it. Same torque & bhp is possible.

I like the look of the fours, but I do prefer the cabin space in the six and the straight six creamy, smooth power and noise. Always loved in-line 6s since I had a BMW320 in the early 90s. Turbines.

Couldn't part with the +6, not now. Nearly perfect is still brilliant.

The six is too wide for my garages , but I do prefer the sound.

Yes, I have to watch the mirrors carefully, through the garage door.

Drive the car with the paddle shifters. Put it into Sport and away you go.
I do this sometimes with the P4. It's a great option for when you want the fun or option to manage the drive away from auto.
I was a bit negative about going auto when looking at the P4. Did test drives in manual and auto. The auto was a no-brainer. Easy driving in most circumstances but the option to go manual with paddles or lever. Kickdown was good in auto.
I wouldn't go back to manual in a CX.
I loved the Plus8 with 5speed box having learned the response from revs/gear selected. Great fun. Having learned the P4 response it is a great option to do either manual or auto, switch from one to the other to suit. Overtake? Nudge to Sport and benefit from sharper response. Mind you, kickdown in normal mode is good.
Last April driving through Glencoe, overtake of a slow lorry.....Mrs sospan comment...." you're doing #mph "after simple kickdown!

Not sure Plus Six owners are aware but BMW Z4 production (with the same engine and auto gearbox) ended about three months ago.

However, there is a Final Version called the "M40i Handschalter" this is the same 3 litre B58 engine (produced circa 340-380 bhp) but with a MANUAL gearbox. I believe the Supra had a manual version quite a while ago.

Therefore, in theory the Plus Six Auto to manual is very much a possibilty?

Yes just a google search...it brings up the AI overview and then you can drill down further with supplementary questions on the subject matter it raises. So I asked about Supra manual gearbox and ecu transplant to a Morgan Plus 6 and the following popped up.

AI overview


I f you introduce the manual Supra gearbox transplant into the Plus 6 and whether that ECU is also a good start Yes, the mechanical parts of a modern 6-speed manual Toyota GR Supra (which shares its BMW B58 engine architecture with Morgan) will physically bolt up to the Morgan Plus Six, but the ECU will not directly transfer. While the hardware fits, swapping the electronics introduces significant digital and software roadblocks.⚙️

Hardware Compatibility

The Engine block:

Both the Toyota Supra and the Morgan Plus Six utilize variations of the BMW B58 3.0-litre inline-six engine. Because they share the same block footprint, the Supra's manual transmission bellhousing will line up perfectly.

Cabin Modifications:

You will need to source or fabricate a clutch pedal box, master cylinder plumbing, and a modified center console to clear the manual shifter assembly within Morgan’s tightly packaged cabin.🖥️

ECU & Electronics Challenges

The Anti-Theft Lockout:

You cannot simply swap the Supra's ECU into the Morgan. Modern BMW/Toyota ECUs use a heavy cryptographic security handshake (Immobilizer / EWS) tied specifically to the donor vehicle's key fobs, instrument cluster, and chassis.

Coding and Integration:

The Plus Six is factory-configured purely for the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. Attempting to use the Morgan ECU with a manual will cause limp mode due to missing automatic transmission control module signals.🔧

The Real-World Solution

Instead of transferring the Supra ECU, top custom build shops use aftermarket engine management or specialized reprogramming:

Keep the original Morgan ECU.

Flash it with custom software overrides (such as those from BMW tuners like Litchfield Motors) to trick the module into believing it is running in a manual configuration.Flash the system to suppress all missing automatic transmission error codes.

These are AI suggestions supplementary questions you may want to pursue


Would you like to look into aftermarket standalone ECUs that support the B58 engine platform?
Are you trying to figure out the specific BMW/Toyota part numbers needed for the manual flywheel and clutch assembly?
Do you need information on specialist custom tuners who handle manual conversions on modern BMW-powered platforms?