Morgan’s AR Plus 4 is old, new, and powered by Cosworth

By topgear ,

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Morgan Motor Company, Malvern's finest purveyor of sporting motor vehicles, has unveiled a new sporting motor vehicle at the Silverstone Classic event.

Of course, the word 'new' means something rather different in Morgan-world: this is, as you'll have spotted, a Plus 4, the two-seater convertible named for golf trousers and celebrating its 65th anniversary this year.

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But the AR Plus 4 does have a new engine: one made by Cosworth, no less. From Ford Escorts to BAC Monos, cars with Cosworth engines are generally worth a second look.

Here, the 2.0-litre Cossie unit develops 225bhp, making this the most powerful two-litre Plus 4 in its very long history. Though Morgan hasn't released performance figures, a kerbweight comfortably under a tonne – thanks to extensive use of aluminium - should spell decent performance: expect a 0-60mph run somewhere around six seconds, and a top speed of some sort.

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The 'AR' in the name denotes not that this is a Plus 4 aimed at the hitherto neglected pirate market, but that it's the work of Morgan's AR motorsport division. Each car will be hand-built and set up by AR's technicians, with Morgan promising 'capable and exhilarating performance' on road and track.

To which end the AR Plus 4 features a new suspension system, including adjustable shock absorbers, and new brakes. Whether the latter are fashioned of carbon ceramic or, say, vintage mahogany remains unclear.

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There is much wood and leather on board, while Morgan boasts a 'new interior focuses on enhancing driver interaction'. If you're expecting iDrive and Spotify streaming, you're in rather the wrong century: this is still very much a sports car from the old school.

Just 50 AR Plus 4s will be built, with prices starting at £55,000. That's Porsche Boxster GTS money for something significantly less powerful, slower, but with precisely 300 per cent more caddishness. Would you?