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 reportedly 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) |
While the news facing its most popular model in North America, the Plus 8 runabout, is hardly as groundbreaking as when it introduced its controversially styled aluminum frame Aero 8 coupe, the demise of its long-running 4.0-L Buick/Rover-derived V8 powerplant will be a blow to fans.
Why drop such a popular engine? The ancient mill has finally been discontinued by Rover; 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 is taking the blue oval route. Ford's 3.0-L Duratec V6 features 230-hp and 207 lb-ft of torque as tuned for the new Plus 6.