Morgan's Midsummer Coupé is its first fixed-roof hardtop since the Aero
Morgan’s returning to the fixed-roof coupe game, albeit on a limited-run basis for now
Morgan has revealed what its next ultra-limited coachbuilt commissions will be. Meet the Midsummer Coupé, a hardtop version of the 50-off Pininfarina-penned Midsummer speedster of 2024, of which just nine very special exclusive builds are to be constructed, not including this ‘car 0’ ‘artist’s proof’ demonstrator.
Yes, a solid non-removable roof makes this the first fixed-roof Morgan in over a decade, since the discontinuation of the Aero Coupe in 2015. The result is an almost art-deco coupe; a Morgan crossed with a Bugatti Atlantique, central spine and all. The Midsummer Coupé required significant structural development with a rethink of how it puts its cars together, to best serve this new form factor.
The Midsummer Coupé uses a modified version of Morgan’s existing CXV platform, with the hand-formed roof incorporated into the aluminium panels Morgan already marries to an ash wood frame for its Supersport.
It now features billet-machined aluminium A-pillars, while the glass roof plays a structural role and is bonded in. In fact, the whole glasshouse is new, with a new windscreen including bonded-in glass, new doors and obviously coupe windows, with the old door’s detachable side screens now swapped out for more traditional drop-down sections. All in, Morgan claims the Midsummer Coupé is only 2.5kg heavier than the Supersport with its fixed roof in place.
The CXV is already ten per cent stiffer than the CX that underpins the Plus Four and Plus Six and a further seven per cent when the removable hardtop is in place. While it wouldn’t be a leap to believe that the new car is stiffer still, Morgan hasn’t given a specific number as to increases in rigidity for the Midsummer Coupé. The car’s aluminium skin forms a part of the car’s structure, which means the hand-formed panels need to be crafted to exact and precise tolerances.
The Midsummer Coupé gets the familiar BMW B58 straight-six turbocharged engine and ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, identical in tune to those fitted to the Supersport 400. That means 402bhp and a peakier character than the engine in the standard Supersport. The Midsummer Coupé also gets the 400’s new bespoke aluminium drive selector as standard, replacing the conspicuous BMW item.
Morgan claims the Midsummer Coupé has been ‘designed for touring’, even going as far as optimising the climate control to account for the fully weather-sealed roof. An expansive boot features fitted luggage to maximise the practical long-distance travel potential of the Coupé. Each of the nine customer cars will be a very personal creation, with the scope of customisability limited only by the law and the buyer’s budget. Each will cost at least twice that of a standard Supersport, which itself starts from over £100,000.
