► Morgan’s Super 3 has new engine
► ‘Jet age’ styiling and superformend chassis
► The fun car just got a little more user-friendly
Morgan has revitalised one of its most iconic cars: the three-wheeler. It’s now called the Morgan Super 3, sporting an entirely new engine and a whole raft of serious changes to make it ever so slightly more usable.
Morgan’s thrown the kitchen sink at the new Super 3, which replaces the 3. It’s the first ‘clean-sheet’ design from the brand since the Aero 8 back in 2000, and claiming it’s the most configurable car yet.
The V-twin’s gone!
Indeed it has – usually a staple of the three-wheeled Mog since its inception more than 100 years ago ¬– has been removed in favour of a cleaner, more powerful three-cylinder from Ford. It’s 1.5-litres in capacity and develops 117bhp, with that power going to the single rear wheel via a five-speed manual from Mazda. If you’re handy enough, Morgan claims around a seven-second 0-62mph sprint time and, if you’re brave enough, a top speed of 130mph is possible.
The engine change is simply down to emissions legislation; the V-twin built by S&S was good for Euro4 emissions standards at best, while the new Ford-derived engine is good for Euro5 meets up to Euro5b. Rest assured, though, Morgan says the new three-cylinder engine will still sound characterful – even if the classic dugga-dugga noises of the previous 3 Wheeler are no longer present.
Of course, this isn’t the first time the three-wheeled Morgan has had an engine in-board; the Super 3 arguably has a closer link to the Morgan F-Type from 1932 in terms of its powertrain. But there’s so much more to this new Super 3 than an engine change.
As for handling, pullrod suspension is applied bringing more of the suspension mass inboard and reducing unsprung mass. The Mazda gearbox has been worked on to give a super short throw and it’s satisfyingly-snickety (trust us, we sat in it). Avon has reintroduced its Speedmaster tyre just for the new Super 3, with an all-season tyre being applied to the rear wheel for the right balance between grip and slip.
Still looks like a three-wheeler…
It does, but the devil’s in the details. Harvey Fulford, senior automotive designer at Morgan, told CAR the new Super 3 has more of a glamorous ‘jet age’ design theme, albeit with neat intricacies throughout.
Let’s start at the front; yes, the V-twin is gone, so Morgan’s designers have given it a new, much more functional face. The lights (now available with optional LEDs) are mounted high and wide and they even have little tips to give you an idea of where the corners of the car are from the driver’s seat. That grey bracing you see is cast aluminium, neatly grooved. It almost acts like a front splitter, directing air flow.
Come around to the side and the most obvious difference is the slab-like panel. While it looks a little jarring upon first glance, it has real purpose, which we’ll get to later. The wheels are Morgan designs and properly aerodynamic, helping to channel air around the brakes.
Inside it’s still a cosy cocoon, but Morgan’s team have maximised space and added some clever features. There are two steering wheel dimensions, the pedal box can be adjusted to fit taller drivers and the seats are thickly padded with storage underneath. The ‘dials’ are digital, housed in a gorgeous piece of brushed aluminium.
Can you personalise it?
Boy can you. Morgan says this is its most configurable car yet. You can decide whether to have a windscreen or not, there are a range of graphics packs and wild colours (with matte options) to choose and the range of accessories is baffling.
Luggage racks that attach to the rear cover and hinge with it can be fitted, a small compass-like navigation system from Beeline can be attached to the steering column and you can even spec a cupholder! Morgan’s designed (and patented) accessory rails for you to clip all sorts of accessories on, including a huge choice of luggage; Morgan partnered with Malle to design suitcases and soft bags to clip onto the side panniers.