BMW Inline-Six Engine Could Surprise in a Sports Car That Isn’t the Supra
“This company has a history of using BMW engines, both in the past and currently.”
After a lengthy hiatus, British automaker Morgan has made its return to the U.S. with the four-wheeled sports car, the Plus Four, which debuted at Monterey Car Week. While the newer Morgan Super 3 and its predecessor, the Three-Wheeler, have been available in the U.S., vehicles with fewer than four wheels aren’t classified as cars and thus aren’t subject to crash test regulations. HARJA spoke with Morgan’s chief operating officer to get insights on what it feels like to be fully back in the American market and what enthusiasts can expect from the brand moving forward.
The Plus Four must meet emissions standards under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which is why it’s powered by a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Delivering 255 horsepower in a car that weighs just 2,233 pounds, the Plus Four offers a notably spirited driving experience. When asked whether Morgan’s collaboration with BMW might open the door to larger six-cylinder or even V8 engines for the U.S. market, the response was intriguing.
“Who knows? Keep an eye on things. I’m not making any promises,” he said, smiling when asked the question.
– Matt Hole, Morgan Motor Company CEO
BMW to the Rescue
As mentioned, the FAST Act allows Morgan to import 325 “replica” cars modeled after vehicles over 25 years old. “The catch is it must use a current model-year, emissions-certified engine package,” explained Hole. “Essentially, it has to have the proper OBD system configured for the car. Achieving this has been a significant investment. While we borrowed the engine from BMW, the software and calibration were developed by Morgan and Bosch, making it our own powertrain package. We’re really proud of it. It took five years—and a substantial financial investment—to secure emissions certification.”
Morgan is quick to emphasize that its powertrain isn’t simply a plug-and-play BMW unit, as certain components required for vehicles like the X1 or Mini Countryman aren’t necessary in a lightweight sports car like the Plus Four.
“We can’t just use a full BMW system, because there are numerous components—like active grille shutters—that we don’t need,” he explained. “We’ve developed different software and integrated it with the fuel system and emissions control to create a true Morgan engine package. Essentially, it’s a brand-new, off-the-line BMW engine, gearbox, and rear axle, but everything else that surrounds it… is Morgan.”
Morgan’s partnership with BMW has spanned 25 years, coincidentally the same number of years since the company last brought a BMW-powered car to Monterey Car Week: the Aero 8 Super Sport, which featured a 4.4-liter M62 V8. That model was also the last four-wheeled Morgan sold in the U.S. Today, Morgan offers the Supersport in Europe, powered by BMW’s B58 inline-six engine. While Hole has previously stated there are no plans to bring it to the U.S., his knowing smile at Car Week suggests he might be open to the idea. Notably, that very engine is also found in the Toyota GR Supra.
“It’s a close relationship—really close,” Hole said. “We speak with BMW engineers on a weekly basis. They don’t need Morgan to succeed; we’re essentially a rounding error for them. But they love the brand, and we’re incredibly proud to have their support.”
No Manual, and a BMW Shifter
Step inside the new Plus Four, and it feels like a classic sports car with analog gauges and elegant wood trim. But the distinctive BMW electronic shifter quickly disrupts that old-school illusion. The Ineos Grenadier, a retro-style off-roader designed to resemble a Defender, faces a similar challenge, as it also features a BMW engine under the hood.
“It’s definitely something we’re going to explore,” Hole said when asked about designing a new shifter. “To give you an idea, when we looked into it previously, the cost was around two and a half million dollars.”
As a reminder, the new Plus Four carries a price tag just under $85,000, and not all of that translates into profit for Morgan. With a U.S. sales limit of only 325 cars per year, spending $2.5 million to redesign a shifter is difficult to justify. Similarly, offering a manual transmission in the U.S. market doesn’t present a strong business case for the company.
“Everyone asks, ‘Where’s the manual?’ But when it comes to actually buying the car, everyone chooses the automatic anyway,” Hole joked. “For every two manuals we sell, we move eight automatics.”
Currently, Morgan offers the six-cylinder Supersport only with an automatic transmission, though the four-cylinder Plus Four is available with a manual in other markets. BMW has recently enhanced its manual transmission for the B58 engine in the Z4 with the Handschalter Package, making it one of our favorite BMW models on sale today.
When asked whether Morgan plans to offer this combination in one of its cars, Hole simply smiled and said, “I can’t comment, but I’m smiling.”
