2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

The classic British roadster, even with just a Ford Four-cylinder, instils so much want in us

By Shahzad Sheikh

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

I drove the Morgan Roadster last year when it was still a bit hot (read that review here). Nonetheless I loved every minute of the experience, and assumed at the time that it couldn’t possibly get much better thanks to the combination of classic British roadster fun, combined with American Mustang V6 grunt. But I was wrong.

Click below to watch a video review of the 2015 Morgan Plus 4

I did say at the time that I’d want to try the Morgan again when the weather was a bit better, and Morgan dealer, Eras in Dubai, kindly obliged. But it wasn’t the Roadster, it was the Morgan Plus 4 which only comes with a 2.0-litre Ford four-cylinder unit putting out 154bhp and 148lb ft of torque.

Considering I had 280bhp at my disposal in the other Morgan, at this point you might be thinking, what a disappointment. But don’t forget that this car still only weighs 927kg. So that little amount of power is still good enough for 0-100kph in 7.5 seconds which is hot-hatch territory.

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

Okay, so you don’t get the mad first, second and occasionally even THIRD-gear wheelspin. But the Plus 4 will still happily lay down some rubber off the line as it squirts off at the horizon with a hip hip horay!

But aside from the fact that this Plus 4 puts forward the notion that the Roadster might actually be a little overpowered, there are a couple of other ‘Plus’ points (see what I did there?) that means this one ended up tugging at my heart strings even more than the V6.

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

Both come as manuals of course (although you can get a ZF auto in a Morgan, but for now you’ll have to get the mighty Plus 8 version for that) but in the Roadster I struggled to heel-and-toe on the downshifts and gave up in the end.

Initially I really struggled with the brake pedal on the Plus 4 which, despite being floor mounted had a high facing angle on the pedal so that if you didn’t lift your right foot to depress it, you end up locking in place and not getting any braking at all. Eventually I realised that it was ideally configured for heel-and-toe, so if you angled your foot and used the toes for the brakes, it was far easier and more effective.

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

When I got back to the dealer I jumped in the V6 to refresh my memory and realised what the problem was – the V6 has a wider transmission tunnel, so there’s slightly less space in the foot well, making impossible for big-foot gangly weirdoes like me to attempt rev-matching through the art of both right pedals with heel and toe.

Also whilst the Roadster adopted Mustang stalks and instruments, the Plus 4 has classier looking dials. But more than any of this, knowing how old the fundamental design of this car is, and its lineage as a Brit, this four-cylinder just felt the more authentic companion to this car.

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

Don’t get me wrong, I love the wild performance of the Roadster, and it still remains hard to choose between the two, but the Plus 4 seems to be closer to what driving a Morgan was always meant to be like.

And yet it remains as tough and trashable as any modern hatchback. Whilst of course turning you into an instant superstar that everyone waves and smiles at and wants to take pictures of.

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

Verdict

There is never a higher endorsement that we can give other than admitting that I started contemplating whether my finances would allow me to indulge in a bit of Morgan ownership – and since they have a tempting finance plan, the lure is strong indeed. Just put down AED63,000 as the deposit, and own one of these for AED1831 a month!

Particularly when the wife, who’d been out for a cruise in the car with me, approved of it too. Unfortunately there’s no space for the kids. Morgan does make a four-seater, but for the time-being, it’s not being brought here.

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

All said though, what you get with a Morgan Plus 4 is a supercar presence, classic charisma, old-skool fun motoring and yet the reassuring of modern mechanicals and a warranty.

Why are you still here? I thought you’d be at the showroom by now?

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – video review

2015 Morgan Plus 4 – The Specs

Price:
AED252,000 ($69k)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cyl, 154bhp @ 6000rpm, 148lb ft
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 0-100kph 7.5 seconds, Top Speed 189kph, 7.1L/100km
Weight: 927kg

Let us know what you think of the 2015 Morgan Plus 4 below in the comments!

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