Morgan Gets Modern, Gives Plus Four And Six Stability Control And Airbags

Morgan is a master at carefully navigating the line between classic style and modern functionality. Its Plus Four and Six roadsters might at a glance pass for something you could have bought when color movies were still a novelty, but under the skin they’re state of the art sports cars with a bonded aluminium chassis and emissions-certified BMW engines.

But one thing taken for granted on all modern (and modern-looking) cars, though absent on Morgans until now, is an electronic stability control system. ESC joins the list of standard equipment on Plus Four and Six models starting in January 2023 as part of an update that also adds a couple of airbags.

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Those changes, and the new more powerful AP Racing brakes, hardly make Morgan besties with Euro NCAP or a threat to Volvo, but they should add peace of mind to owners without spoiling the traditional Morgan driving experience in any way. The ESC’s sensitivity alters according to which driving mode you’ve got selected, as does the mapping of the eight-speed BMW automatic transmission that’s optional in the 255 hp (258 PS), 2.0-liter, four-cylinder Plus four, and the only gearbox available if you step up to the 335 hp (340 PS) 3.0-liter, six-cylinder Plus Six.

Morgan wants to mark its Plus models out as being from an entirely different family to the new Super 3 three-wheeler, and we don’t just mean because the Super 3 is one tire short of a full complement. No, Morgan seems to be taking the Plus cars off in a slightly more luxurious direction, and has introduced new interior fabrics, wood finishes and audio options courtesy of Sennheiser.

The larger LCD information screen between the analogue dials might not fit perfectly with the classic vibe, but it’ll probably prove useful, though maybe not as useful as the glovebox, which makes its Plus debut, and contains a secret USB power socket. Other changes include seats that have been redesigned for more comfort and a new “bolt-action” door handle made from stainless steel and saddle leather that sounds like it’s going to make even tugging a Porsche RS fabric strap door pull seem ordinary.

The Morgan Plus Four costs from £71,830 in the UK, and the Plus Six will set you back £90,390 before options, though availability isn’t located to Britain. Morgan is gearing up to relaunch its four-wheel cars in North America in 2023 by taking advantage of the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act that allows cars retaining the silhouette of a car at least 25 years old to be sold without having to meet modern safety legislation.