The Aero 8's styling has been the subject of much comment
on PistonHeads and elsewhere. It stands accused of being cross-eyed thanks
to the switched over VW Beetle headlights used in the quest for improved
aerodynamics - so let's tackle that issue before going any further.
Small companies like Morgan simply can't afford the six figure sums it
can take to have special headlights designed, approved and manufactured,
so they have to use what's available 'off the shelf' and make their cars
to suit. Morgan did just that and gave the car its unique look. Point
taken?
Whether you like its looks or not there's no denying the Aero 8 has
tremendous road presence, while that 'Plus 8 meets Boyd Coddington' (top
professional hi-tech hot rodder) styling has resulted in a 21st Century
car that's still unmistakably Morgan.
Under the skin
The Aero 8's body might still hark back to the 1930s but what's
underneath doesn't. The bonded and riveted aluminium monocoque chassis and
fully independent wishbone suspension is developed from Morgan's 1997 GT
racer. In true racing fashion this utilises Rose joints rather than rubber
bushes and also features a unique (as far as I know) cantilever set up on
the rear whereby the coilover units are mounted purely between the upper
and lower wishbones and aren't attached to the chassis at all.
Another feature taken from racing is the undertray to reduce drag from
air flowing under the car, complete with venturi style central flip-up at
the rear to reduce lift.
Under the hood
(Apologies in advance for any confusion caused to our American
readers.)
Getting in or out of the Aero 8 with the hood up requires a certain
amount of agility, especially when you haven't got room to open the door
fully, partly because it's so low and partly because you've got the width
of the running board to contend with.
Once you are in you'll discover that the narrow cockpit isn't
over-endowed with space, and not just width-wise, and I think anyone much
over six foot will struggle to drive an Aero 8 with the hood up, while the
hip-hugging seats make it a sure bet that Pavarroti won't be ordering one.
For those of more average stature though it's an interesting
environment in which to play. You can't help thinking that Morgan's
interior designers have been taking a close look at what their
counterparts at Lotus and TVR have been doing, with the specially made
aluminium control knobs and bits of bare chassis visible just below the
doors.
The specially made high-back bucket seats offer plenty of lateral
support but sadly don't adjust for rake. The steering column on the other
hand does adjust, but I can't see anyone having it set at anything other
than fully up and fully forward as even then you have to adopt the classic
bent arm driving position.
Your feet will find the well-spaced pedals straight ahead, though being
Morgan they are floor mounted, angled back towards the driver and take
some getting used to. Cockpit width restrictions mean no room to stretch
your left leg when not in use, so you're forced to keep it bent against
the transmission tunnel where at least the heat soak from the six-speed
Getrag gearbox keeps it warm. And if you don't want a warm leg then the
standard air conditioning will soon solve that.
Behind the Wheel
Look through the Aero 8's windscreen (electrically heated as are all
the windows) and you're presented with an imposing view down that long
tapering bonnet, with that front end seeming a hell of a long way ahead -
which it is.
As with the Plus 8, the rear-view mirror stuck in the middle of the
windscreen causes an awkward blind spot, which combined with the wiper
makes it difficult to see the nearside wing. No big problem at parking
speeds when you can bend forward for a clear view, but that's hardly
practical when blasting down country lanes. Having said that, like most
cars, I got used to it and after a couple of days I was blasting down
country lanes quite happily.
Simply mounting the mirror higher would alleviate this problem, but
then you'd be able to see even less through the hood's slit like rear
window than you can now. As it is, rearward visibility with the hood up is
minimal with no rear three-quarters vision whatsoever, so you have to rely
on the door mirrors, which makes pulling out from slip roads on to busy
motorways an interesting experience…
The hood doesn't fit very well around the doors, leaving gaps resulting
in draughts and whistles at high speed. Not good, especially on a £50,000
car, so Morgan are working on improvements to the fit.
But hey - this is a Morgan - you don't drive Morgans with the hood up
anyway.
There's no question about it - unless it's raining the only way to
drive a car like this is with the hood down, even if it does mean getting
well wrapped up. Driving hood down not only eliminates the whistles (but
results in even bigger draughts!) it also enables you to better hear the
exhaust note emanating from that BMW V8, which at 'cruising' revs is
glorious.
Under the Bonnet
(Again, apologies for any confusion caused to our American readers.)
The specially chipped 4.4 litre lump found beneath the bonnet of the
Aero 8 might 'only' produce 285bhp compared to the 400bhp available from
the 5 litre version as fitted to the Z8, but with just a ton to shift it's
plenty, and I can well believe Morgan's claim of 0-60 in under five
seconds.
Actually, like the Plus 8, the Aero 8 is more about mid-range torque
than absolute power - 325lb/ft at 3600rpm to be precise - and the result
is a car in which you can accelerate past normal 'A' road traffic without
having to change down from sixth. Even when you're going uphill. So long
as you're not pushed for room of course. If you are then third gear is a
very useful overtaking tool that will get you from 40mph to the far side
of legal very quickly.
As for top speed, Morgan claim 160mph, but frankly, once you get the
Aero 8 into three figures (which isn't difficult) it's so windy due to the
flat screen you don't feel inclined to keep pushing it. Given the obvious
limitations of the styling, Morgan's work on the aerodynamics seems to
have been successful, for while a drag co-efficient of 0.39 is poor by
modern standards it's a huge improvement on the Plus 8 and the Aero 8
still feels well stuck to the road at 100mph+.
Round the Bend
(Well several bends actually.)
OK, so it's good in a straight line but how well does that race derived
suspension work on the road? In short, very well indeed. It thumps a bit
over patchwork road repairs, but generally it provides a nice balance
between comfort and handling.
Regarding the latter, pushing it into a tight 30mph right hander I'm
prone to using as a test aid did reveal a trace of understeer, but nothing
dramatic. If dramatic is what you want though then the Aero 8 will happily
oblige with power oversteer - just combine a tight turn, second gear and a
heavy right foot and you'll get all the sideways action you could want.
Even during fairly violent manoeuvring you can quickly bring it back
into line when those 225/40 ZR18 tyres do let go, and I felt far more
confident pushing the Aero 8 into bends along a twisty B road than I did
driving the Ginetta G4 along the same road last December, though I had
driven a lot more miles in the Morgan and conditions were better.
Tighten your line midway through a bend and you can really feel the
Aero 8 dig in. There's no noticeable roll despite the lack of anti-roll
bars and mid-corner bumps don't unsettle its composure. Have to say I
preferred it to the Tuscan Speed Six and found it reminiscent of the
Marcos Mantis - but then as the Aero 8's suspension was designed by Chris
Lawrence who also worked with Marcos so maybe that's no coincidence.
The power assisted steering still requires some muscle power at parking
speeds but is nicely weighted and really comes alive once you've got some
speed up. And should you have too much speed up then the all-round AP
Racing vented discs (330mm front/306mm rear) will soon slow you down, with
hard braking from 80mph on a dry road producing no lock-up despite the
absence of ABS.
Morgan Put the Boot In
(American readers consult your dictionaries once again...)
If you have any preconceptions about Morgans being museum pieces then
shed them now. The Aero 8 is a serious performance car that would make a
highly entertaining track day toy, while wind-up windows and a lockable
boot (what, in a Morgan?) also make it a practical proposition for daily
transport.
Maybe that's why it's attracting buyers who would never previously have
even considered a Morgan as well as tempting around a third of people who
had an order in for a Plus 8 to opt for an Aero 8 instead - and with
around 250 orders already placed it looks like continuing Morgan's
tradition of producing cars with waiting lists even longer than their
bonnets. |