- Powerful 4.4-litre 4.8-litre BMW N62B44 V8 engine
- Light, agile chassis
- Impressive dynamics
- Responsive brakes
- Cramped interior
- Awkward ingress and egress
- Weird-looking VW New Beetle headlights
Overview
Available in Australia from February 2002, the Morgan Series I Aero 8 was a two-door roadster with a soft-top roof. Manufactured in Worcestershire, England, the rear-wheel drive Aero 8 was powered by a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine that was mated to a six-speed Getrag manual transmission.
As Morgan’s first new design since 1948, the Aero 8 had an all-aluminium chassis that was specially treated and bonded with Gurrit Essex adhesive and riveted with Bollhoff rivets. To minimise weight, the Aero 8 also had aluminium body panels, with the exception of the carbon fibre bootlid.
M62TUB44 engine
Manufactured by BMW, the 4.4-litre M62 TUB44 V8 petrol engine had an aluminium block and cylinder head, fracture-split forged connecting rods, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable intake valve timing (VANOS) and a compression ratio of 10.0:1.
Dimensions and suspension
The Aero 8 was 4120 mm long, 1770 mm wide, 1200 mm tall and had a 2540 mm long wheelbase; kerb weight was 1134 kg.
The Aero 8 had cantilever front suspension with inboard springs and double wishbone rear suspension. Unusually, the Aero 8 suspension did not include anti-roll bars.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aero 8 | 4.4-litre petrol V8 (M62 TUB44) | 6sp man. | 210 kW at 5400 rpm | 440 Nm at 3600 rpm |
Brakes
The Morgan Aero 8 was fitted with 348 mm ventilated front brake discs with six-piston AP Racing calipers and 332 mm ventilated rear discs with two-piston calipers.
Features
Standard features for the Morgan Aero 8 included 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/40 9J x ZR18 tyres, air conditioning, leather seats, power windows, a height adjustable steering column and woodgrain interior trim.
The Aero 8 was fitted with a limited slip differential as standard.
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