Editor Sootheran takes the mighty Morgan Plus Six to England’s East coast for a birthday treat
Being a Sagittarian isn’t conducive to sunny and warm, roof-down birthday road-trips… well, at least not in the UK. However, that doesn’t deter the avid petrolhead, so when the opportunity for a drive-out in this iconic Morgan arose, I was there like a shot (literally, as it happens).
As my birthday approached, it certainly wasn’t ideal Morgan weather. Depending which app I checked, it was going to be cloudy, and possibly raining, with the mercury hovering around a nipple-stiffening 5°C (41°F in American!). That meant the roof would be staying on, and the accelerator tickled with some vigilance on the wet and often muddy roads. Over 300bhp per tonne doesn’t always mix well with greasy, twisting and bumpy rural Tarmac.
Hello, Plus Six
Mrs S and I were introduced to the sensational Plus Six at the Krazy Horse dealership in Bury St Edmunds (IP32 6NU).
As KH sales guru, Dan Whiting, started the car up and briefed us on her idiosyncratic details; the curves, the colour (Antique Frost Bronze) and the cacophonous exhaust note were all immediately intoxicating. As we made mental notes of the hood mechanism and controls, the Plus Six just sat there burbling contentedly, and it, like me, seemed eager to get away and ‘stretch its legs’.
At six-two tall and XL wide, I threaded into the cockpit with surprising ease. One leg into the footwell, grab the wheel, slide into the seat and then haul the other leg in behind.
Even with all my camera gear stowed in the void behind the seats, I was able to slide my perch back and find a very comfortable driving position. In fact, there were several inches of additional space if required.
The steering wheel has minimal adjustment, but is beautiful to behold (and hold). Small, simple and pleasingly-padded, Morgan’s designers have eschewed all the controls and function buttons littering modern steering wheels. This one has just two functions: turning… and holding on to for dear life!
The cockpit oozes style and sophistication. From the diamond-quilted black leather seats to the colour-coded dash, the minimalism is impressive. At a time when most car controls look increasingly like aeroplane cockpits, this is refreshingly clean, with a neat rectangular speedo display right where it’s needed.
I soon found a perfect driving position, with clear sight of the dash, and a full 180° pano-vision view of the road ahead and surroundings. This is dominated, of course, by that vented bonnet and those peerless wings. While the Morgan feels super-wide on Suffolk’s skinny backroads, at least you can clearly see what you’re dealing with.
Mind you, the rear three-quarter vision is poor, nay, non-existent, thanks to the hood, so you have to rely wholly on the small wing mirrors before pulling out or overtaking.
One special feature of this car is the Sennheiser sound system (a £XXXX option!). Link your phone via Bluetooth and there’s no need for a head unit. The sound emanates from eight speakers: two door speakers and two behind the seats. Meanwhile, three actuators behind the dash cause it to vibrate, creating the ‘centre channel’ sound, and a bass actuator under the floor generates sound by vibrating the chassis – essentially it’s a beefy subwoofer.
Not only does this save space and complexity, it sounds bloody good, too. Well, up to about 60mph anyway, at which point, roof up, the wind noise gives it a run for its money!
Hitting the road
The Plus Six was a lot easier to drive than I had expected, and much more comfortable. The gorgeous seats are nicely contoured and supportive, and Mrs S was delighted to discover the heated-derriere option had been ticked – though I prefer my undercarriage at room temperature.
Straight-sixes are my favourite engines, and the power delivery from this 3.0-litre BMW B58 turbo lump didn’t alter that view. It’s super-refined when driving ‘normally’, and is pleasingly smooth and easy around town. Unusually for a turbo, the power delivery is very linear all the way to the red line, and it’s this urban and track versatility that makes the B58 such a joy. Now, heading into its sixth year since redevelopment, it’s also proving impressively reliable and even a relatively frugal sipper of fuel.
All that said, aggravate the Plus Six’s accelerator pedal and a beast is unleashed. Pester it enough, and you’ll just about hear the delicate whine of the twin-scroll turbo charger above everything else going on. As more air and fuel are slammed into the cylinders and ignited, the ZF box drops seamlessly down a cog or two, and all 335 horses gird their loins and charge for the horizon. There’s something addictive about that level of acceleration, but I had to balance ‘getting my fix’ with keeping Mrs S relaxed.
First stop
We headed first to Snape Maltings (IP17 1SP) on the Alde Estuary, set amid an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This Victorian heritage site is home to a fabulous concert hall, a restaurant, gallery, craft shops and a dog-friendly café. It’s a lovely and rarefied spot to spend a few hours, whether you indulge in a concert or some shopping.
Benjamin Britten founded the concert hall, and it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1967.
The day-tripper might enjoy lunch or a drink here, there are even Jazz Brunches throughout the year, and you could work the calories off afterwards with a wildlife-filled walk or river trip.
From Snape we drove the six miles to Aldeburgh. This picturesque seaside town is a photographers’ delight, and there’s plenty of parking around the town centre.
Just as Malvern was home to legendary composer Edward Elgar, Aldeburgh was where Benjamin Britten lived. The Red House was his home (IP15 5PZ) and opens each March to October from Thursday to Sunday. The town is also famed for its pebbly beach, pastel-painted villas, sculptures, fishermen’s huts and all-round positive vibe. It really is rather lovely.
By now we were peckish, so after a drive down the High Street we parked up outside photogenic Delphine’s Café. Sadly it was closed, so we crossed the road for lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant. This was a good Plan B. The food was excellent – a shared squid starter, then I had liver, bacon and mash, and Mrs S had fish pie. It was all delicious and filling and the staff were great. The bill with drinks and tip was £60.
We even got to watch as almost everyone that passed the Plus Six stopped to take in its seductive lines and voluptuous curves.
Back in the Morgan we headed up the coast, past the vast Sizewell B nuclear power station, with a plan to loop back to Krazy Horse.
Again on the twisty Tarmac, the Plus Six showed its mettle and well-fettled dynamics. Despite the addition of power steering, there’s plenty of feel through the wheels and targeting the Morgan is very direct. It does take a little getting used to the front of the car seemingly turning a second before the cockpit follows! Now I know how an oil-tanker captain feels!
Likewise, the suspension was surprisingly pliant and controlled. I was expecting race-spec, rock-hard suspension with unforgiving damping, yet, while firm enough to feel planted and sporty, regular bumps and undulations were soaked up calmly. Even the odd deeper pothole had the worst jarring eliminated, which was another surprise , given the Morgan’s arse-almost-over-the-axle configuration.
Geared up
Whether you opt for the auto mode or click the deliciously-stubby BMW gear lever across to take-control with the paddles, this Plus Six’s gear changes are almost imperceptible.
Initially, as we cruised to the coast, I left it in full-auto, but, for more spirited driving I opted for paddle shifting – pull back on the right lever for up-changes, and the left for down.
Not only does this feel more fun, involved and sporty, it also eliminates the ‘box’s tendency to change down more cogs than you’d intended, for example, when you need to gas-it on a slip road to merge with main-road traffic.
In the dark and wet, on Suffolk’s twisting and undulating Tarmac, I was changing gear every few seconds and slotting the car between oncoming traffic and high metal-munching verges and hedges. The precise steering really helped here, and with the gear selection at my fingertips, I always felt 100% in control.
One thing, while the full-beam LED headlamps were brilliant (literally); on dip, the driver’s vision ahead is much more limited, and I had to drive accordingly. Not an unusual aspect of modern driving, but worth noting.
Thankfully, the brakes are excellent when hot and cold, and a quick dab would wipe excess speed off without any drama. The other beauty of decelerating was the Six’s tremendous overrun fruitiness. Lift-off the throttle between bends and the sweet-turbo-six pops and farts likes it’s on a race track. It’s very compelling and gratifying! I didn’t get chance to find out if any exhaust flames were involved.
Home sweet home
As we pulled back into Krazy Horse, I noticed that, despite my appropriate efforts to burn a bunch of hydrocarbons, the fuel gauge had barely moved.
The Morgan had performed with aplomb – faster, smoother and more civilised and comfortable than I had anticipated, yet still with a classic rawness that makes it a true driver’s car. I imagine some old-school Morganeers might find such civility an anathema, and that’s understandable, but for the brand to make its way in a brave new, emissions-regulated world, the marque is going to have to adapt, and, in the Plus, Six, it’s achieved that in a most compelling way.
TECH SPEC
Morgan Plus Six
Year 2023
Price £??,???
Engine BMW B58 six-cylinder, in-line engine with twin-scroll turbo
Power 335bhp (250kW) @ 6500rpm
Torque 369lb/ft (500Nm) (sport,sport+ and manual modes)
Transmission ZF 8-speed automatic
Paint Antique Frost Bronze
0-62mph (100km/h) 4.2secs
Top speed 166mph (267kph)
Fuel economy (combined) 38 mpg (8.2 l/100km)
CO2 emissions 180g/km
Length 3890mm
Width 1756mm
Height 1220mm
Kerbweight 1114kg
Contacts
Krazy Horse
Snape Maltings brittenpearsarts.org/visit-us/snape-maltings
Aldeburgh
The Lighthouse Restaurant
Delphine’s Café
Visit Suffolk visitsuffolk.com & thesuffolkcoast.co.uk