Morgan Plus 8 GTR announced as limited-run V8 special
The limited-run Morgan Plus 8 GTR takes inspiration from the 'Big blue' racer of the '90s, and will enter production later this year
Morgan has given us our first look at its next special project, the Plus 8 GTR. Following in the footsteps of the limited-run Aero GT, one-off SP1 and the glorious Aeromax, the GTR will enter production later this year before it’s finally revealed in full. Just nine examples will be produced in total and pricing is yet to be disclosed. Morgan says this is the first of ‘several’ special models to come in 2021.
Taking inspiration from the marque’s ‘Big blue’ GT racer of the ‘90s, the Plus 8 GTR is set to be one of Morgan’s most extreme models yet. Though production for the Plus 8 came to an end in 2018, a number of rolling chassis and powertrains from a now-discontinued third party project have been reacquired by Morgan, and will be used for the GTR.
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The design will receive a complete overhaul, with a high shoulder line referencing the ‘90s racer alongside swollen front and rear arches, aggressive bonnet louvres for cooling and motorsport-inspired front and rear aero. Spotlights will also make an appearance, with five-spoke centre lock wheels and a vent on the new hardtop roof giving strong nods to the track-only machine.
As with all Aero-chassis Plus 8s, BMW’s N62 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated V8 is what you’ll find at the heart of the GTR, paired to either a six-speed manual or six-speed ZF automatic transmission. Though standard power comes in at 362bhp, Morgan is yet to reveal the final output for the GTR – if the 600bhp original is anything to go by though, it’ll be very potent indeed...
Morgan head of design, Jonathan Wells, said: 'This project has allowed Morgan’s design and engineering teams to revisit some of their favourite elements of past Morgan models, as well as experiment with some features that we hope will appear on future Morgan cars.'
Production will begin in summer of 2021 before deliveries commence. All nine examples will be bespoke to each buyer, with the firm’s design team giving each car their attention.
