This is the new Morgan Plus Four, but you could be forgiven for not noticing. The silhouette of this retro roadster has scarcely changed since the original version debuted in 1950.
Beneath its flat-cap-and-flying-goggles exterior, however, there hides a surprisingly modern car. First launched in 2020, the current Plus Four features a bonded aluminium platform, double wishbone suspension and a twin-turbocharged BMW engine.
Updates for the 2024 model tested here include LED headlamps with integrated indicators, new puddle lights, a redesigned rear diffuser (yes, really) and an optional Dynamic Handling Pack. As I’m about to discover, the latter totally transforms how the Morgan drives…
Brand new retro
The inimitable style of the Morgan Plus Four
The Plus Four accounts for two thirds of the (850 or so) Morgans assembled in Malvern, Worcestershire, every year. So while the six-cylinder Plus Six is due a more adventurous facelift – inspired by the limited-edition Morgan Midsummer – its four-pot sibling plays it safe. If it ain’t broke, etc.
Indeed, on roads populated by cookie-cutter crossovers, the Plus Four still swivels plenty of heads. Its domed bonnet, voluptuous front wings and half-height doors have a simple elegance that today’s more aggressive, aero-sculpted sports cars have lost. Fit a private plate and few people will realise your Morgan is fresh from the factory.
The 2.0-litre BMW B48 engine serves up 259hp, plus a gutsy 295lb ft of torque from 1,550rpm. With a kerb weight of only 1,044kg, that equates to 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and a 149mph maximum.
Morgan quotes an impressive fuel consumption average of 45mpg, too – although don’t expect anything near that if you are having fun.
From Munich to Malvern
The interior of the Morgan Plus Four
And fun you will have. The brawny BMW motor isn’t bursting with character, but it is mightily effective. That plentiful torque keeps it constantly on the boil, punching forcefully out of corners and overtaking other cars with ease.
Its soundtrack is gruff and earthy, with a deep gargle of induction when you floor the right pedal. Pressing the Sport Plus button opens baffles in the twin tailpipes and unleashes a fusillade of explosive pops on the over-run. It had me grinning like a naughty schoolboy.
The rear-driven Plus Four comes with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. A stick shift is the purist’s choice, yet the quick and intuitive auto ’box suits the Morgan well. My only gripes were the BMW gear selector and naff plastic shift paddles, which look and feel out of place in a hand-built sports car.
Plus Four plus points
With its standard chassis setup, the Morgan is never going to trouble a Porsche Boxster or Lotus Emira for finely honed feedback. When I tested such an example four years ago, I described it as ‘good old-fashioned fun’.
Opt for the new Dynamic Handling Pack, though, and the Plus Four gains a newfound sense of poise and accuracy. Developed with suspension specialist Nitron, it consists of stiffer springs, adjustable dampers and a rear anti-roll bar. It’s £1,995 very well spent.
Where the car became discombobulated, here it feels tauter and more tied down. You can aim that long, louvred nose at a corner, then steer it using the throttle, enjoying a newfound balance and lightness of touch. With the exception of the bonkers, three-wheeled Super 3, it’s the most enjoyable Morgan I’ve driven.
Leave life’s baggage behind
The Morgan Plus Four
Equally, living with a Plus Four – albeit only for a week in my case – no longer feels like such a culture shock after a modern car. Folding down the roof, for instance, is now simply a case of releasing two catches, rather than a multitude of finger-pinching metal poppers.
You also get central locking and a digital speedo, while air conditioning, heated seats and a Sennheiser Bluetooth audio system are on the options list.
You still need to accept some compromises, however. For starters, there is no boot, only a narrow shelf behind the seats, although Morgan does offer a luggage rack at extra cost. Stowage space inside the cabin, such as cup holders or a place to put your phone, is almost non-existent as well.
Lastly, while the Plus Four is glorious on a sun-drenched country lane, it’s less fun on a motorway in the rain. Wind roars around its bluff body, the trio of tiny wipers struggle to clear the flat windscreen and the fabric roof isn’t 100 percent watertight at speed. Anything more than an hour like this begins to feel a bit masochistic.
2024 Morgan Plus Four: Verdict
The Morgan Plus Four
At £74,406 – or close to £90,000 including options for the Morgan Plus Four seen here – the Morgan looks expensive for a four-cylinder sports car.
Visit the Malvern factory, though, and you appreciate the craftsmanship and care that goes into each vehicle. From cutting and sanding the traditional ash wood frame, to stamping the bonnet louvres and sewing the seat leather, Morgans are genuinely hand-built.
Ever since 1950, the Plus Four has been a charming way to travel. Now it’s a car that keen drivers can enjoy without qualms, blending exciting performance with lucid steering, deft damping and real exuberance when its limits are tested. Appearances, it seems, can be deceptive.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research
Morgan Plus Four
PRICE: £74,406
POWER: 259hp
0-62MPH: 4.8sec
TOP SPEED: 159mph
FUEL ECONOMY: 45.9mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 140g/km