Signing off the Supersport

Hole doesn’t really do hyperbole. He’s a refreshingly sincere chap who initially joined Morgan in 2021 as its Chief Technical Officer. His role then was to oversee the future electrification of the brand, since when he’s taken over as MD outright and the company has begun to see a bigger picture. He’s a petrolhead at heart who’s owned several cars made by the opposition just mentioned so knows exactly what’s required.

The major improvement in dynamics of the Supersport has been his main focus of late, but there are all sorts of other fresh projects either in play or on the horizon, each of which requires a subtly different skill set from him. A collaboration with Pininfarina to build a limited number of (gorgeous) Midsummer Barchettas resulted in an almost immediate sell out of the production run last year, the success of which has already formed a template in Hole’s mind for future limited edition Morgans. Getting the Plus Four type approved for sale in the US is another coup, although as things stand Donald Trump’s tariffs may yet put a dent in such aspirations.

As far as the Supersport is concerned, Hole has always been realistic about its potential, right from the beginning. ‘All we want to do is compete, but compete sincerely,’ he says. ‘And on all levels, not just emotionally.

‘We’re not naive enough to think we can make a car that’s better than a 911 dynamically. But if we can make one that’s sharp enough to be seriously entertaining in isolation – one that’s capable enough to be a genuine alternative to the mainstreamers – then that will basically be our job done,’ he says.

‘Put it this way, we know we can deliver, and build upon, all the other strengths that have made people want to buy Morgans over the years. But now we want to make a car they can climb into after a 911 or an Aston and think: “Wow, okay, that’s different but it’s also fun, and fast. That’s pretty damn good to drive, actually.” And if you can help us a little bit to achieve this then we’ll hopefully end up with a car that everyone, serious enthusiasts included, will love driving.’

The hardpoints for the Supersport were always destined to be based around those of the Plus Six. Namely, a BMW 3-litre straight-six turbo engine – with the same 335bhp and 369lb ft of torque as before – mated to the same eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. As per the Plus Six these two most crucial components were never going to be mounted anywhere other than in the front of Morgan’s ‘CX’ aluminium platform, which is suspended by double wishbones with coilover dampers at each corner. So in the most rudimentary terms the Supersport was always destined to be perceived as a heavily revised Plus Six, rather than a brand new car.

To be honest, however, calling it a revised car doesn’t feel entirely accurate. Visually it looks familiar in its overall shape, but in its detail the Supersport looks far sharper and more contemporary than a Plus Six. And the underpinnings go further still.

What Tony Kiss and his team have achieved – with but mostly without my input – is little short of mighty in hindsight, considering the budget. I’m not allowed to give you my opinion here: for that you’ll need to wait until the driving embargo lifts next week on 15 April and the car is reviewed independently by one of my Ti colleagues. But what I can tell you is that to achieve their goals, Kiss and his team have produced a car that’s almost unrecognisable dynamically beside the Plus Six.

Job one was to remove absolutely as much rubber from the car’s chassis and suspension as possible, to a point where its aluminium platform now has a brand new name of CX-V. They’ve also added an anti-roll bar at the back, re-engineered the steering to make it quicker and sharper, and re-specified the brakes to increase response and power, but reduce the amount of snatch once applied.

The car’s overall weight has also been reduced to below 1200kg, despite producing much better results during crash testing. And thanks to its new platform the Supersport is at least 10 per cent stiffer overall compared with the Plus Six, although in localised areas – around the steering and suspension mounting points – the torsional improvement is greater still.

The cumulative effects of which became glaringly obvious the moment I climbed out of the Plus Six at Castle Combe, and into the mule on that first day. Even though it was a rough old thing to look at – as all decent prototypes should be – dynamically it was already on another level. It felt more composed in every way, even from the passenger seat. But back then there was still a tonne of fine tuning to be done; the spring and damper rates were yet to be finalised, the feel of the brakes needed work, there were several varieties of tyre to be tried and either approved or rejected; and a lot of final polish that required application, which is essentially where I became ever-so-slightly involved.

Yet even as it stood back then, in its endearingly battered beige paintwork, the mule was obviously in a good place. It had less squat and dive under acceleration, miles better brakes and much better body control. Its steering was also less cumbersome and there was a lot less unchecked lateral movement, better traction, and it seemed quicker in a straight line. To a point where Morgan now claims a 0-60mph time of 3.9sec and a top speed of 166mph, both of which will feel pretty dramatic within the confines of a car such as this, that much I am allowed to tell you.

There are also new wheels of 18 and 19in diameter, either cast or forged – depending how light and mean-looking you wish your Supersport to be – with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres (finally) selected to be the standard rubber with either wheel size. These, it was agreed after sessions at Combe and Llandow plus many road miles to and from the IDIADA test facility in Spain, offer the best all-round compromise for both road and track use.

A set of adjustable Nitron dampers was also dialled into the car’s development a bit later on, as was an optional limited-slip diff. The Nitrons are expensive but provide a big lift in both comfort and control. In the end they’ve ended up as options and form the mainstay of a £3000 Dynamic Handling Pack. All I can say is, if you’re thinking about ordering a Supersport, think hard before not ticking this box.

You can also specify the car with a Mohair hood or a full blown hardtop, the latter further increasing overall stiffness a touch, and which can be removed for open air motoring in less than 10 minutes.

As for the interior, it’s also ended up in a very nice place despite the initial shabbiness of the prototype cabins. The seats and ergonomics are significantly improved, overall quality has taken a big step up, there’s more room everywhere including a boot that opens via the key while the (still wooden) dashboard now features a delightful new set of Caerbont dials, complete with Morgan’s signature ‘HFS’ font and 11 different finish options. There’s also wireless charging for your phone no less, and the doors have been re-engineered to close better and provide more elbow room.

The pedals are better positioned in the footwell, too, with the response and height of the brake pedal re-engineered to align more consistently with the throttle.

As a result, it all feels more modern inside but still traditional. And the chassis, with a bit of luck, should also feel unusually compliant to anyone familiar with the Plus Six but also a lot more controlled. And just sharper.

Morgan’s aim was to prevent the Supersport from moving around in the way its predecessor did, bless it, whenever you properly leaned on it. And although my input didn’t amount to much more than a hill of beans in the overall scheme, I did do a fair few miles on road and track in the mules – most of them back-to-back with the Plus Six – during which time I tried to nudge their development even further in the direction in which they were already heading. Ultimately my role was one of verification, rather than grass roots creation.

Looking back now, I think Matt Hole and Tony Kiss – who has subsequently moved on from Malvern Link to pastures new – wanted someone they trusted merely to confirm that what they were doing was right. Whatever they tried, I usually suggested going further with it, but given that this involved spending more money than was available, I believe they went as far as they possibly could. And what they’ve ended up with is a very different kind of car to the Plus Six, a far more capable one dynamically that also happens to look a million dollars inside and out (even though it costs a mere £102,000 before options…).

The crunch, of course, will come next week when Andrew and Dan – and the rest of the motoring world – delivers their verdict, the Ti gents having driven it on familiar roads in the UK away from the glitz of the international launch. And whatever those verdicts might say, I think Morgan should be immensely proud of what it has achieved. The Supersport is like no other car on this earth and for that alone it should be celebrated.