Morgan is slowly but surely growing out of its niche by releasing new models on a more regular basis. The next car in its product pipeline is a flagship two-seater that will fill the gap left by the Plus Six, without directly replacing it, and a pair of preview images gives us a better idea of what to expect.
It doesn’t take decades of car-spotting experience to tell we’re looking at a Morgan. The flagship, whose name hasn’t been announced yet, falls in line with the design language that has characterized the brand’s cars for almost a century. It’s not a Xerox copy of an existing model, however. Put on your X-ray glasses, peek through the psychedelic camouflage, and you’ll notice the styling looks more muscular than the Plus Six’s. There’s a wider air dam up front, more rounded wings (or is that an illusion?), and a more swept-back rear end. It’s hard to tell, but we’re guessing that the flagship is a coupé with a removable hardtop.
Although the styling is decidedly evolutionary, Morgan hinted at a revolution in the chassis department. Its next flagship rides on a new platform called CXV that’s both lighter and stiffer than the existing bonded aluminium CX chassis to which it is related. We’re also told that we’ll discover “a range of new technical features and engineering enhancements throughout,” though we’ll need to be patient to find out what they are.
Technical details remain under wraps as well. All we know at this stage is that the flagship will use a BMW-sourced straight-six. The brand is likely referring to the B58, which is a 3.0-litre turbo-six found in the 3 Series, the 5 Series, the X3, the Ineos Grenadier, and the Toyota Supra, among many other cars. It’s also the engine that powered the Plus Six. The other straight-six in BMW’s arsenal is the S58 fitted to models like the M2, the M3, and the X4 M, though the odds of seeing it beneath a Morgan’s bonnet are lower.
BMW makes several variants of the B58, with outputs ranging from 322 to 382 horsepower. Time will tell which version Morgan chooses, though even the less powerful tune should give the flagship more than enough power. We’re betting the six-cylinder will be linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
More details about Morgan’s new car will emerge in the coming weeks. The model is scheduled to make its debut in the spring, but a company spokesperson confirmed to Hagerty that it will not be sold in the United States. Instead, “the Super 3 and the Plus Four remain the focus for the American market.”