Morgan Supersport: All-out fun

There aren’t many British sports cars left. Once a booming automotive sub-genre of compact and lightweight two-seater convertibles from the likes of Triumph, MG and Lotus designed for the UK’s narrow country lanes, they offered endless entertainment, along with the occasional breakdown. It was a recipe admired around the world, even inspiring Mazda to create its now iconic MX5 by modelling it after the Lotus Elan. But the market changed, and the UK’s automotive industry struggled to stay afloat. Today, the British sports car is nearly extinct.

There are a few still knocking around. Lotus makes the Emira; a small, relatively lightweight sports car powered by either a Toyota supercharged V6 or a Mercedes-Benz four cylinder. Caterham still fights the good fight with its range of Seven models. On the right day, on the right piece of road, you can’t have more fun on four wheels. But a Caterham is a raw experience, devoid of creature comforts associated with the luxury automotive market. They're not for everyone. The Aston Martin Vantage was once considered a sports car, but the latest iteration has 656hp and has more in common with Ferraris and track days than it does meandering around country lanes. And then there’s Morgan.

Still hand-building cars in its red brick factory in Malvern over a century after the company was founded, Morgan produces classic British sports cars in their purest form. The brand started with three-wheelers in 1910, entering them in a number of racing series before moving on to more traditional four-wheel motor cars in the ‘30s. The 4/4 was the first in 1936, named as such after being outfitted with a four-cylinder engine to go with its four wheels. The Plus 4 was the first post-war car when it launched in 1950, and has enjoyed a number of iterations over the years, its design and underpinnings tweaked and refined along the way.

But in terms of looks, put a new 2025 Plus Four alongside one from the ‘60s and you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Both have hand-beaten fenders, long louvred bonnets, curved grilles and a slanted rear. They also share frames made with ash wood, hand-planed in the same factory. That’s the beauty of Morgan. It still makes its sports cars the way it always has, and they still have all the charm and character as a result.

Morgan’s new model, the Supersport, changes things. It replaces the outgoing flagship model, the Plus Six, the six cylinder model that has represented the top of Morgan’s offerings since 2019. The Supersport differs in a number of ways.

Firstly, there’s the design. It has been completely overhauled, with an entirely new, contemporary look that cleverly references Morgans of the past. The silhouette is still there, with the tapered rear and long bonnet, but the curves have been sharpened, and the overall look is cleaner and more minimal. The bonnet louvres have gone, and the surfaces are smoother and more angled. There is a new squared-off front bumper, while the minimal rear has a boot for the first time in a Morgan for ten years. A nice touch is the elegantly chamfered metal ‘Morgan’ script.

Go inside and there are lots of thoughtful touches. The materials used are beautiful, from the wooden inlays in the centre console and doors, to the metal handbrake and tactile circular buttons and knobs. The dials are made by Caerbont in the UK, the original maker of Smiths dials, while the soft leather seats are comfortable and supportive. There are clever tech integrations, too: from the wireless charging pod for your phone (enabling easy navigation) to the hands-free set up (including a carefully placed mic on the centre console). Noticeably absent is a large touchscreen that is often synonymous with newer car models, retaining the vehicle's more traditional charm. However, as the car is only available in automatic, the BMW gear selector and paddle shifters feel jarring and cheap in comparison with the rest of Morgan’s own interior touches.

The car is powered by BMW’s twin-turbo B58 straight six engine, hence the shifter, which operates the matching BMW ZF 8-speed gearbox. Morgan utilised this setup in the Plus Six, and here, it puts out the same 335bhp. This, combined with the car’s lightness at just 1,170kg, makes it surprisingly quick, and is capable of 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds. Its surge of low down torque makes backroad overtaking a breeze.

It’s in the corners where the car most impresses, though. The Supersport boasts Morgan’s new generation CXV aluminium bonded chassis, which is incredibly light, and bolsters the car’s stiffness. The suspension is new as well. The double wishbone setup has adjustable Nitron dampers, which can be made stiffer for track, or softer for comfort. When I test the car they are set on the softer side, but they remain reactive and satisfying through sharp bends and sweeping turns alike. The Supersport inspires confidence, and the quick steering offers instantaneous feedback, no matter the type of road.

In short, it feels like a sports car should. Its pace transcends quotidian driving, and it offers a a natural, intuitive steering feel. It is also surprisingly comfortable, and, with more storage space than anticipated, it would make for an excellent tourer. It combines a contemporary update on the classic Morgan look with the underpinnings to rival any new sports car. Crucially, it’s exciting, and makes you smile. Not many new cars can offer that.