Ford Duratec V6 to Replace Old Rover-Derived V8
Do you like classic cars but fear the high cost of keeping one on the road? Sounds like you might be the perfect candidate for a Morgan. A what? If you're not a dedicated car enthusiast you may not have heard of this strange little car company from merry olde England that still makes its most popular series of cars with wooden frames, really.
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| Morgan keeps its loyal customers by sticking to a tried and true classic car formula. (Photo: Morgan) |
The Morgan 4/4, 4/4 4-Seater and Plus 8 still ride on ash frames that were initially engineered in the 1930s. Compared to most modern car companies that are ever evolving to improve the breed, Morgan keeps its loyal customers by sticking to a tried and true formula that surprisingly still offers enticing performance.
If you happened to have seen the odd one sporting around your neighborhood on a sunny Sunday afternoon and mistaken it for an old Jaguar, you wouldn't be the first to be confused. But Morgan, despite exuding a similar grille to 1950s XKs, has a distinctive personality if seen side by side with its once fierce British competitor.
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| Morgan is turning to Ford for their new powerplant, using their 230-hp 3.0-L Duratec V6. (Photo: Morgan) |
Last year Morgan dropped its most popular model in North America, the Plus 8 runabout which was powered by the long-running 4.0-L Buick/Rover-derived V8. The old mill was deemed too ancient in this world of fuel efficiency standards and strict polution regulations, therefore the supplying company, Rover, finally discontinued it. Therefore Morgan was in need of a new motivating force. Rather than turn to BMW for a high powered V8 as some of its boutique manufacturer rivals have, Morgan took the blue oval route, but not the 4.6-liter V8 that is featured in the popular Mustang. Rather, Ford's 3.0-L Duratec V6 which features 230-hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, as tuned for the new Plus 6, has replaced the aging Rover powerplant.