For BMW enthusiasts, it’s hard to not love Morgan. The plucky British sports car maker has been building some of the most fun and interesting little roadsters for ages and it’s a brand that still does things in the most old-school way possible. Until now that is, as Morgan Motor Company will now be moving on from its old-school steel chassis design, which has been in use since the 1930’s, and switching to a new aluminum architecture.
“The launch of new CX-platform-based cars in 2020 will mark the end of production for Morgan’s legendary traditional steel chassis. Introduced in 1936 in Morgan’s first four-wheeled vehicle, the 4-4, the steel chassis has played a hugely important role in the company’s history, underpinning its models for 83 years. A variation of the chassis continues to be found today, in the Morgan 4/4, Plus 4 and V6 Roadster.” said a recent Morgan press release.
What’s even more interesting than its choice of chassis design is the brand’s choice of engine for its upcoming models. Morgan has long used BMW engines for its sports car, be it V8s or I6s. Its most recent car, the all-new Plus Six, uses a variant of BMW’s B58 engine. However, the brand is moving away from six-cylinder engines and toward four-pots. So we will see a four-cylinder BMW engine power the next generation of Morgans?
Personally, I don’t see why not. Being that all Morgans are small and lightweight, a punchy turbocharged four-cylinder is more than enough to make one fun. Especially the 2.0 liter turbo-four from the BMW 330i, which makes a very healthy 258 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Hell, it even makes a decent noise with the right exhaust on it. So we can very much see some sort of sporty drop-top Morgan with a BMW-made four-cylinder under the hood.
There are some purists who wish Morgan would use a British brand as its engine supplier, rather than BMW. However, BMW’s help has allowed the plucky British car maker continue doing its own thing, its own way.
“The CX-Generation aluminium platform represents a significant undertaking for a small company like Morgan. Following the success of the platform and the Plus Six earlier this year, I am delighted that we can finally reveal further plans for new models in 2020.” said Steve Morris, CEO of Morgan Motor Company.
So using BMW engines helps Morgan’s bottom line and it gives BMW enthusiasts a cool new feather in their fanboy caps.