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Largest Project Ever Something has changed though. Morgan's participation in GT racing in 1997 gave a hint that the something was afoot. Quiet development of the race car and the lessons learnt were being fed directly into Aero 8 road car project. The development programme was the largest project ever undertaken by the company. Headed up by Morgan's Managing Director Charles Morgan and Chris Lawrence the team's Technical Director, it set out to bring Morgan into the 21st century whilst retaining the unique character of the original sports cars. New Techniques Computer Aided Design systems aren't something you associate with the traditional techniques used by Morgan, but they are an indication of how far this company wants to progress. Prototype cars were designed and built based on the GT car's chassis and using derivatives of the racing suspension and braking systems.
The partnership with BMW is more than just a case of buying the engines in. BMW seconded two engineers to Morgan to develop a bespoke engine management unit. Morgan also took advantage of the new relationshop to test the cars at BMW's test track in the south of France. Aluminium Aluminium plays a big part in the construction of the car. The engine is mounted in a cradle constructed from aluminium extrusions, a design giving the necessary strength and durability for crash safety. Aluminium sections are also used in the construction of the chassis. These sections are bonded and riveted together to provide the required torsional stiffness. Alumium is used in the manufacture of some of the braking and suspension units contributing to the relatively light kerb weight of 1000kg. The body panels are also aluminium but incredibly they are still mounted onto an ash frame
The torquey engine coupled with a six speed Getrag gearbox will project the Aero 8 to 60mph in less than five seconds. Top speed will be around 160mph thanks to extensive wind tunnel testing at MIRA. The aerodynamic profile of the car is such that the drag is similar whether the roof is up or down. It's drag coefficient is 40% better than the current Morgan Plus Eight. A flat underbody and discreet Venturi tunnel at the rear contribute to the high speed stability of the car. Interior The interior is trimmed in Mulberry leather and in place of the traditional glove box, there is a removable leather case, large enough to carry a laptop. The boot is large enough to carry the proverbial golf clubs and will also house the audio and sat-nav system from Blaupunkt.
The car will retail at £49,950 (including VAT) with the first cars rolling off the production line at the end of July with a US spec version available a year later.. Two hundred cars a year is the target. 21st Century It's an exciting development from a company very much associated with the past and will give Morgan credibility amongst more mainstream sportscar enthusiasts. Morgans and flat caps may not be inextricabilty linked for much longer.
Link: www.morgan-motor.co.uk
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Morgan
aren't exactly renowned for breaking the mould or being at the leading edge of car design.
Manufacture of their wooden framed sports cars has continued using the same techniques for
decades. Waiting lists remain several years long and status quo seemed to be a core part
of the business.
Goodies include air conditioning, cruise
control (this is a drive by wire engine) and the windows are electrically heated - all of
them, including the rear screen, side windows and windscreen.