The Morgan Aero Coupe is an experience you'll never forget
The vast majority of cars on sale today aren't all that exciting, when you think about. By and large, the drama has gone from our rides, though Morgan has created more than enough to go round with the Aero Coupe.
A good car, for me, is one that ticks a number of boxes. It needs power (obviously), to sound like mana from the Gods, to drive well, and to look good. The Morgan Aero Coupe is all of the above. And more, actually.
Its engine, a BMW-sourced 4.8-litre V8, provides 367 bhp to play with. Combining that with minimal mass, you'll find yourself hitting 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds. It'll top 170 mph if you're feeling brave.
Power figures are one thing, but the noise it produces is frankly astounding. The only time I've heard a noise quite so "old skool" was from a BMW made in the '30s. It's truly astounding and bounces from building to building as you drive down the street, creating a tunnel of Morgan noise. A Morgan tube, if you will.
Morgan would like to make cars that are dynamically competent enough to take on Porsche et al. As much as that would be lovely, it's not the case. It turns in keenly enough, but lacks the scalpel-sharp edge of Stuttgart's finest. This is a good thing. You see a Porsche is a tool for getting form A to B as quickly and cleanly as possible. It's a very good tool, but it's too clean, too polished, too...competent. The Aero's slight lack of shine makes it more endearing, to me at least.
However, I don't think you'll care about its drive once you've had the full Aero Coupe experience. When you first walk up to it your eye is drawn to...everything about it. It looks like a car that was designed in the 1930s to be built in 2013. Such is its individual look that it stops pedestrians, cyclists, and even the odd black cab in London. At one point during the shoot I was stopped by a cab driver who told me (using short words) that I was driving the coolest car in London. I'll take that.
You must remember that from the panels that make its bodywork to the frame that keeps it in place are all made in the Malvern hills by trained craftsmen in a shed. Morgan is still a small car company, though it makes cars that make the likes of Aston Martin, Porsche, and, dare I say it, Ferrari, look a little pedestrian.
The Morgan Aero Coupe is the sum of its parts -- look, noise, power, and drive -- and if just one were a bit off, I doubt it would have had such an effect on me, but as it stands I'm a little bit in love with that car. Though if you've watched the video you can probably tell...
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 4.8-litre V8 |
| Power | 367 bhp |
| Torque | 370 lb. ft. |
| 0-60 mph | 4.5 seconds |
| Top speed | 170 mph |