New Morgan Super 3 Dumps the Wood Frame, Gets Ford Three-Cylinder Engine
Three wheels, three cylinders, and all of the cool points in the world.
Rejoice, fans of cars with an odd number of wheels, because Morgan has just unveiled the successor to its famous 3 Wheeler: the Morgan Super 3.
Said to be the company's first clean-sheet design in 22 years (the last one was the Aero 8 that came out in 2000), the cast-aluminum Super 3 is apparently the first-ever monocoque Morgan. That bonded aluminum one-piece frame is not only lighter, stiffer, and safer, but it also allows for a more spacious cabin area.
Under the h-, er, behind the front lamps, the three-wheeled Morgan now uses a car engine mounted in-board instead of an exposed bike one, like before. Replacing the S&S 2.0-liter V-twin that powered the 3 Wheeler is a 1.5-liter, 118-hp, 110-pound-feet, naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine sourced from Ford. This engine sits behind the front axle, technically making the Super 3 a front-mid-engined, three-wheel car, and I'm not sure there are many things cooler than that.
Carried over from the 3 Wheeler, however, is the same five-speed manual transmission borrowed from the Mazda MX-5 while the pedals have been spaced out specifically for ease of heel-toe action. Weighing just 1,400 pounds dry, the Super 3 gets from zero to 62 mph in seven seconds and boasts a top speed of 130 mph.
Keeping its three skinny wheels pointed where they should is a pull-rod suspension system that pulls mass in-board while keeping unsprung weight low and airflow smooth. New 20-inch Avon Speedmaster tires were developed specifically for Super 3's front axle while the single rear tire is an Avon all-season. Those front tires are wrapped around wheels that look very aerodynamic indeed.
Speaking of design, the Super 3 brings Morgan's aesthetic to a less historic era by tipping its design cap to mid-to-late century jets (whereas the 3 Wheeler was modeled after three-wheeled cars of the 1920s). Those rectangular diffuser plates down the sides not only incorporate radiators and contribute to cooling but are also a convenient place to strap luggage (thanks to "Exo" side racks) and put stickers on. These "side blades" can either be painted to match the rest of the body or in a contrasting color, just like the side blades on an Audi R8.
This being an open-air car, its entire interior has been IP64-waterproofed (USB ports and all), denoting total dust protection and protection from water splashed from all directions. Morgans may be the automotive poster child for old-timey nostalgia but it's stepped slightly into the 21st century by fitting the Super 3 with full digital gauges (the last Acura I drove didn't even have that). As for other creature comforts, the Super 3 features a footwell heater (a first), adjustable steering wheel, adjustable pedals, and a universal fixing underneath the dash that can apparently accommodate a cup holder or a Quad Lock phone mount (so, y'know, I'm presuming Apple CarPlay is not a thing here).
Also, check out the yellow windshield and green upholstery. The Super 3 may not be the quickest car on the planet or the most practical (hah) but no one's gonna accuse it of being boring.
The Morgan Super 3 will be built at the company's red-bricked Pickersleigh Road factory in Malvern, Worcestershire, a facility that's been birthing Morgans since 1914. For those interesting in buying one, prices will start at the British equivalent of about $47,000, and U.K. and European deliveries are slated to start in June. U.S. deliveries will go ahead "later in 2022."
For the rest of us who won't be plunking down 50 grand on an open-air two-seater with three wheels, Morgan's online configurator for the Super 3 uses "gaming technology" to provide a 3D view of the vehicle. Consider your afternoon sorted out.
Got a tip or question for the author about the Super 3? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
