Morgan Plus 8 GTR Project

Morgan is planning several special projects in the course of 2021. The first is the Plus 8 GTR, small-series production of which is scheduled to start as early as the summer. Based on the normal Plus 8, this car represents the possibilities Morgan can offer to customers. Production of the Plus 8, and with it the Aero chassis, actually ended back in 2018, yet Morgan is now using this basis again. The bonded aluminium chassis revolutionized car manufacturing at Malvern Link, Morgan’s headquarters, in 2001 with the Aero 8. Accordingly, they now want to find a worthy conclusion, although the current models are already all based on the new CX platform. This was made possible by buying back some rolling chassis from another company, which actually wanted to use them for its own project but failed. Only nine units are to be built. Production will take place entirely at the Morgan Design and Engineering Centre (M-DEC).

For the first time in many decades, the Plus 8 GTR again features a high shoulder line as the lower edge of the side windows. Taking a cue from the GT race cars of the 1990s, five-spoke wheels with center locks sit in the flared wheel arches. Also new are the front spoiler lip with large air intake, air outlets behind the front wheels and on the rear edge of the hood as well as a diffuser at the rear end. A hardtop sits above the passengers. On the powertrain side, the familiar BMW naturally aspirated V8 engine with 4.8 liters of displacement remains. In the normal Plus 8, this produced 362 hp. For the GTR, the power output will be a bit higher. Customers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed automatic from ZF. Whether road approval is possible remains to be seen.

Images: Morgan Motor Company