Morgan Plus 8 4.8 V8 2dr Car Review - May 2013

The Morgan Plus 8’s cockpit could be described as cosy, with a confined driving position which, while it may not suit the more portly driver, does help engender a feeling of security. Some of the controls suffer from the cramped nature of the interior, for example the dash interferes somewhat when selecting operating the gear lever for the six-speed automatic box. That gearbox is mated to the Plus 8’s ace up its sleeve however, the 4.8-litre, BMW V8 engine that produces a ferocious 367bhp, and gives the car a top speed of 155mph and a 0-62mph of just four-and-a-half seconds. The lightweight nature of the hand-built body means that straight-line performance is mouth-wateringly good, but the steering and brakes struggle to match this and their unpredictability results in a thrilling but not relaxing drive.

The 2-door roadster styling of the Morgan Plus 8 can only be described thus: it looks like a Morgan. Slightly beefier and bigger than the old Plus 8 maybe, but unmistakably a Morgan Plus 8 nonetheless. The previous Plus 8’s longevity ensured that its body shape became a national institution, almost as quintessential a part of British summer as warm beer and drizzle. The cloth hood will keep you dry from the latter but not much else, and despite its price tag the spartan Plus 8 isn’t exactly overflowing with mod-con’s. There is power steering, central locking, alloy wheels, air con, electric windows, cruise control, driver and passenger airbags, immobiliser, and CD player with MP3 connectivity, all included as standard, but that’s about your lot.

Modern safety standards were an insurmountable stumbling block for the previous Plus 8, leading to its discontinuation in 2004, but the new Plus 8 at least comes with anti-lock braking and driver and passenger. Practicality probably won’t feature too highly on the list of requirements for the prospective Morgan driver, and that’s probably for the best. There is a lockable storage box behind the seats, but no boot, so I’m afraid the clubs will have to sit in the passenger seat and your golf partner will have to make his or her own travel arrangements. Reliability shouldn’t be an issue, particularly from the BMW engine, but a two-year, 24,000-mile warranty is hardly inspiring.

The £85,200 Morgan Plus 8, despite its lightweight design, comes with considerable running costs. Fuel economy figures show the Plus 8 returns a meagre 25.7 mpg combined, with urban figures falling as low as 17.2 mpg. The CO2 emissions readings for the Plus 8 are even more eye-catching, and with the 4.8-litre petrol engine churning out a colossal 256g/km you can expect Friends of the Earth to start picketing your driveway fairly rapidly. Residual values have not been traditionally impressive, but the all-new Plus 8 should fare considerable better. To put it into perspective, the Plus 8 doesn’t perform like an ordinary car, or have the same fiscal sensibilities of an ordinary car, because it isn’t an ordinary car. Its eccentricities mean it is very much a car for the enthusiast.