Morgan Plus 8 GTR is official: 380 hp naturally aspirated V8 and modified body
The British firm Morgan Motor Company has revealed the details of a special series of Plus 8 GTR sports cars, consisting of only 9 units. Everything has been sold, of course.
Morgan ended production of the second-generation Plus 8 Roadster in 2018 as engine supplier BMW discontinued production of its aging 4.8-liter N62 naturally aspirated V8 gasoline engine family. However, in February of this year, the British unexpectedly announced an additional release of the second generation Plus 8 model from car kits received by the company, intended for some unrealized side project. The name of the unfortunate partner is not officially disclosed, but the British magazine Autocar reports that the chassis and engines were ordered in Bristol for their Bullet roadster, which, unfortunately, did not go into series – the Bristol company once again went bankrupt, revived again, but now it has different plans.
The auto kits that returned to Morgan were released in 2018, that is, they are still fully air-conditioned, usable – it was decided to make them a special Plus 8 GTR series for collectors. This special edition is inspired by the first generation Plus 8 racing cars (manufactured from 1968 to 2004 with Rover V8 engines) that enjoyed moderate success in the GT series in the 1990s and on which Morgan deployed its first aluminum chassis introduced on model roads Plus 8 second generation and cross-eyed sister sports car Aero 8.
The Morgan Plus 8 GTR has a closed body in the spirit of racing ancestors, but without a roll cage inside and with comfortable seats, although lightweight carbon fiber buckets are offered as an option, as on the first example assembled at Yas Marina Blue. This left-handed example, owned by a wealthy Dane, was on display at the Undercover Assembly in Byster, Oxfordshire, UK in November, but it was only yesterday that Morgan released the official press release for the launch of the Special Edition Plus 8 GTR.
The BMW V8 engine has been slightly beefed up and now produces 380 hp instead of the previous 367 hp. – thus, the Plus 8 GTR became the most powerful road Morgan in the history of the company (the modern “normal” Plus Six roadster is equipped with a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder BMW B58 turbo engine with 340 hp). Transmission – 6-speed “mechanics” ZF or 6-speed hydromechanical “automatic”. Dynamic characteristics are not declared.
For the Plus 8 GTR, Morgan's engineers tweaked the chassis a little and installed more powerful Brembo brakes, added reinforcements in the area of the engine shield and suspension struts, which had a positive effect on handling. The aluminum outer skin is essentially brand new: the fenders are wider and with additional vents, the slots on the hood are also larger, there is a huge splitter across the entire width of the body at the front and a designed diffuser found itself under the stern, between the vertical rails, including two exhaust pipes. The doors do not have cutouts for an outstretched hand, as in roadsters, the windows do not roll down, but have sliding sections. 90s-style 5-spoke wheels are attached with a central nut.
Inside, there are new door cards and a redesigned instrument cluster with a more modern dial design than the original Plus 8. There are vents in the roof.
Of the nine scheduled for release, only five will come out of the UK (including the blue car shown in the images), no price has been announced but colleagues at British Auto Express suggest it is between £200,000 and £250,000.
