Well, it’s Friday and let’s have some fun on four wheels! The Morgan Motor Company is like an “indie” brand in car making and we are featuring their mighty Morgan Plus Six Automatic.
TGIFriday: Review of the Morgan Plus Six Automatic
We were intrigued by the Morgan Plus Six since its introduction in 2019. Since then, we didn’t really have a chance to see the car in person nor drive it. Our interest was reignited when our friend Thomas Baillod mentioned that he uses one as his company car. When we were in Switzerland this past April, we caught up with him and the car. Only to be awed be it’s classical good looks, and the wonderful exhaust note.
Morgan Motor Company was founded in 1910 as an automobile company. The manufacturer uses ash wood to build its frame but over an aluminium chassis for structural rigidity, good corrosion resistance and lighter than steel. The Morgan Motor Company’s current lineup comprises of the 3 Wheeler, Plus Four and Plus Six.
First Impression / Exterior
As we arrived at the Villa Castellane, Thomas’ Morgan Plus Six stood out as work of art and truly recognisable as a Morgan. The design language is highly distinctive, with a curious blend of old and modern. The design could be traced back to the Morgan +4 of the 1950s.
Thomas’ example is painted in British Racing Green. He has also chosen green for the canvased side screen and roof to complement the body. The green is remarkably similar to the green accents on the Villa Vastellane where his office is located.
Chrome finishing on the grill, the headlight, windows and luggage rack contrasts nicely with the green body. Together with the retro bodywork with those gorgeous curves of the body, the paintwork and silver accents give the car very vintage vibes. Wheels are 19 inch Plus Six Alloy Wheels in Silver which we understand is an option over the standard 18 inch Alloy Wheels. Tyres used are Michelin’s Pilot Sport tires. We think this is quite fitting for a 1,160kg sports car.
Interior
The interior of the Morgan seems to be more a focus on materials and the beautiful leather trim than instrumentation. This rather basic dashboard is fitted with analog tachymeter and speedometer and buttons for controls. We think this is a breath of fresh air, an aversion to the digital panels mimicking gauges fitted in most modern cars. We also love the tactile feel of the switches. The cockpit in this particular example has a matte black dash board with a walnut veneer centre console, further accentuating the vehicle’s classic car design language.
The seats and the dashboard in Thomas’ car is wrapped in tan natural leather. When he put his roof down, we could see the bespoke tan leather head rest of his showing off the gorgeous leatherwork. Note also the embossed Ba111od nameplate and logo on the hear rest.
Powertrain
Bolted on to the gorgeous Morgan Plus Six is an engine to match. The car uses a BMW B58 is a inline six engine with a single twin-scroll turbo charger. The inline six engine is mated to an eight speed ZF automatic transmission. This combination is a tried and tested power plant and is a standard transmission also used in the other BMW models with similar engines.
But technical specifications and aesthetics only tell part of the story. We next talk about what makes the Morgan Plus Six such an engaging motor car. The drive.
The Drive
The engine roars readily to life with a throaty growl from a cold start. The exhaust note is quite addictive, and sends a tingle down our spine. The symphonic exhaust burbling in the background is certainly a nice change from our hybrid rental (Honda HR-V) that we have been driving for the past few days in France.
Once the engine is sufficiently warm in the cold April weather of Neuchâtel, we proceeded to head out. One immediate thing that we notice for this car was the manoeuvrability. The long hood and steep sloping rear makes the end of the car hard to judge. Coupled with the tight space of the parking lot, the narrow driveway and the tiny gate exit, the lack of reverse camera and proximity sensors (with exception of the rear where reverse sensor is available) makes for a nervous driving affair as we gingerly drove out of the lot.
However, once on the open road, the car performs reasonably well. During our drive, we notice that the car stays planted over corners due to its low center of gravity and stiff suspension. Steering feedback was excellent. Every single input through the steering wheel was immediately felt. The car offers a superb handling. With most of its weight over the rear wheel, traction is good. But as the vehicle lacks traction control, is quite fun to throw around. Though as it lacks the motherhood electronics, we suspect that its limits are lower than most modern sports cars.
What is also evident during the drive is the road noise and exhaust notes. Rather loud. This is not a luxury car, cosseting the occupants in quiet luxury and comfort. But this is exactly what we signed up for. A driver’s car. Taut. Agile. Acceleration is brisk, enabling the lithe Morgan to sprint from zero to 100 kph in just 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 267 kph. As speed gathers quickly, the driver and passenger is hugged by the seats. Neither will be sliding all over the cabin on hard corners. A naughty hard acceleration immediately as the traffic lights turn green rewards the adrenaline junkie with a throaty exhaust note and a gentle push into the seats. Nice!
As the Plus Six is a convertible, chassis flex becomes evident and noticeable when the car is being pushed hard. No we did not test these manufacture claims. After all, the short drive we took was in the Neuchâtel city center.
Competitive Analysis
Design wise, the Morgan is relatively unique. The genre, so to speak is a new classic looking car with a modern power plant.
Mitsuoka Himiko
One possible candidate is the Mitsuoka Himiko, a car that is the most similar to the Plus Six. Classic car aesthetics with a modern power train. The Mitsuoka is powered by a Mazda MX5’s 4 cylinder 1.5 liter engine. The Mitsuoka offers better creature comforts like in-car infotainment that the Morgan lacks.
BMW Z4 M40i
Another consideration is the BMW Z4 M40i. Both the BMW and the Morgan share the same powertrain. Same engine. Same gearbox. Both have similar architecture with front engine, rear wheel drive. Both are convertibles. Though the Z4 is a sleek, modern sports car compared to the Morgan which is more a classic car. The Z4 M40i’s suspension is tweaked by the famed M Division, and we expect the driving characteristics to be no less than thrilling. It is equipped with traction control to keep the driver safe. The Z4 also offers a boot, which the Morgan lacks. Though we are quite besotted by the rear chrome luggage racks on the Morgan for its cool looks, but probably less practical.
Conclusion
We LOVE it! The Morgan Plus Six certainly might not be your daily driver (or only car) nor does it have much creature comfort. Interior space is somewhat cramped, though both Peter and Stanley can fit their 1.75m frame comfortably into either the driver or passenger seats. But it has sex appeal. Oodles of it!
This is a car that we would love to drive after a long day at work. Imagine this. Right after working overtime in the Central Business District and you head to this gorgeous beast for your ride home. The aesthetics are on point. It has X factor in gobs, with a design that turn heads and attract the curious eyes. Each Morgan is specially specced by their first owner to reflect their individual taste. A cold start reinforces this. With the straight six roaring into life, pop it into Sports+ mode and hear the gorgeous exhaust. The low rumble and reverberation puts a smile on your face. Floor the accelerator, and the car rewards with exhilarating acceleration. Throw it around the corner, and it feels like light and nimble. Nice. Very nice.
Though in Singapore, the retail price is a hefty SGD 570,000 before COE. But happiness is priceless…
