Morgan’s Speedy New Plus 8 GTR Adds Even More Power to the Model’s Retro Roadster Looks

After 100 years, Morgan Motor Company can still outdo itself.

The resurrected British automaker finally unveiled the finished version of the Plus 8 GTR on Thursday. First announced earlier this year, the high-performance variant of the brand’s retro-styled roadster is the marque’s fastest car yet.

This particular example is one of nine Plus 8 GTR special editions that Morgan will build at its factory in Malvern, Worcestershire, according to a press release. Like the standard Plus 8, the two-door has an extended wheel base, curvaceous fenders and a rear-positioned cab. Despite being built in 2021, it looks like something from an old noir flick, with a few modern flourishes. These include the number 8 subtly hidden behind its black-out grille, a skirt that runs along the entire bottom of the vehicle and five-spoke center-lock wheels. Inside, you’ll find a leather-coated interior offset with carbon-fiber accents and racing-style seats.

The first Plus 8 GTR is finished in a gorgeous coat of Yas Marina Blue, which is meant as a nod to its BMW-sourced mill and to the “Big Blue” Plus 8 racer from the 1990s. Each of the planned nine examples are bespoke commissions, and owners will work alongside the company to create the Morgan of their dreams.

Like its predecessor, the sporty variant is powered by a BMW 4.8-liter V-8, identical to the one that was in the second-generation X5 SUV, according to Motor1.com. The mill, which can be mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox, has been given a special tune and now generates 375 horses, making it the most powerful Plus 8 yet. This and its new “cannon-like” twin exhausts improve throttle response and give it 20 more hp than the previous edition.

Morgan has not announced a price for the Plus 8 GTR, but the standard Plus 8 cost about $140,000 when it was last available in 2018. We’d expect the fully customizable variant to cost a fair bit north of that. Of course, it really doesn’t matter—the entire production run is already spoken for, with five models bound for export and the rest staying in the UK. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try your luck on the secondary market in a year or three.

Check out more photos of the Plus 8 GTR below:

Authors

• 

  Bryan Hood

  Senior Staff Writer

  Bryan Hood is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. Before joining the magazine, he worked for the New York Post, Artinfo and New York magazine, where he covered everything from celebrity gossip to…

  Read More