First Drive: Supersport 400 shows Morgan at maximum attack
The Supersport 400 is Morgan’s most powerful car to date, but what else can it do? Jack Evans finds out.
What is it?
Take the new Supersport 400, for example. It arrives as Morgan’s most powerful production car to date and incorporates a number of features designed to make it go as quickly as possible. It’s not been created for a quiet cruise, that’s for sure.
What’s new?
As the brand’s new flagship, it also gets some of the latest tech that this brand has to offer which means, from a company as traditional as Morgan, that you now get features such as wireless phone charging for the first time. While now a common practice in the rest of the car world, it represents a big leap for the Worcestershire-based outfit.
What’s under the bonnet?
Combine with a low weight and you’ve got a car that’ll do 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 180mph. That engine is linked to a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox and, in a first for a car with a BMW-sourced engine, the Supersport 400 gets its own specially-designed gearshifter, rather than the obviously German-made one in the regular model.
What’s it like to drive?
But make no mistake, the Supersport 400 absolutely rips when given the chance. There’s acres of torque to rely on and acceleration is urgent and plentiful. The Supersport 400 sits on adjustable Nitron dampers which provide plenty of support to the car but feel ever-so-slightly too firm for the UK’s potholed roads. That said, it’s simple to adjust them manually, so we’d be tempted to tone down the ride in order to iron out more of those road imperfections.
How does it look?
Ways to spot the 400? Well, the front grille has been redesigned with a new mesh for better cooling, while the lower splitter area is completely different, again, to aid airflow. The forged alloy wheels are usually an option on the standard Supersport – but included on the 400 – and you’ll find coral-coloured accents here, there and everywhere. Being a Morgan does mean that if you don’t like that shade, then there are thousands of other ones to choose from.
What’s it like inside?
Space-wise, the Supersport 400 is a little more practical than you might think. There’s a large section behind the front seats, and there’s a usefully-sized boot for weekend bags or other bits that you want to keep more secure.
What’s the spec like?
The good news is that some properly ferocious performance now backs it, so it’s more than in keeping with previous mad-hat models from the brand.
Verdict
The Morgan Supersport 400 is never going to feel as refined or as rounded as something built by a much larger manufacturer, but then that isn’t the point. It feels properly exciting, and wherever you go, the Supersport 400 makes an entrance. There’s also a great sense of theatre to the whole car.
But it’s more than just looks alone. The Supersport 400 is accomplished to drive, too, and may offer levels of performance that’ll surprise you. As a result, it feels like a fitting flagship for Morgan.