BMW discontinuing its naturally-aspirated V8 meant that Morgan also had to put an end to its Aero 8 and Plus 8 families. The resulting farewell is the 367-horsepower Aero GT, and while Morgan’s electrification program ran into some difficulties, the team is very much on schedule with its next big move.
Autocar‘s Steve Cropley reports that a team of around 30 Morgan employees is working on a brand new aluminum chassis, with the plan being to launch it with a traditional model as part of Morgan’s 110th anniversary celebrations in 2019, followed up by a brand new flagship coupé in the mid-2020s.
According to Morgan, the new chassis is comparable in weight to the outgoing one, but twice as stiff, as well as wider and more spacious, providing greater comfort for larger occupants. Morgan managing director Steve Morris said the new flagship shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for the Aero or Plus 8 models, but rather a clean sheet idea marking a new era in the 109-year-old company’s history. Internally, the refer to it as “the wide-bodied car.”
While Morgan remains quiet about the powertrain, Autocar expects the two-seater coupe to launch with a turbo six, followed up by more powerful and electrified models.
Morgan Design Chief Jon Wells believes Morgans should have a short overhang up front and a longer one at the rear, with a low deck, round headlights, a rounded mouth, elegant front wings “whose highest point is over the car’s front wheels,” and a driver positioned behind the car’s center line:
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