Fans of all things traditional doffed their tweed caps in celebration yesterday when Morgan rolled out a new version of their three-wheeled car. This time, it’s called the Super 3 – and it’s powered by a Ford-sourced three-banger.
That’s right. Gone is the lumpy v-twin sticking from its snout like a porcine tribute to internal combustion, replaced with a 1.5L inline-three making 118 bhp and lashed to a five-speed Mazda gearbox. For those daring enough, the 0-60 mph acceleration run is pegged at about 7 seconds, which the company says “exceeds the power and performance figures of previous three-wheeled Morgan models”. Indeed, old chap. Built upon the company’s new three-part aluminum platform, Super 3 is the first Morgan with a monocoque structure.
In comparison with the outgoing 3 Wheeler, which was created in the style of those v-twin rigs churned out in the 1920s, designers of the Super 3 are said to have drawn influences from the mid-to-late century with an eye toward aerodynamic (yes, on a three-wheeler) and mechanical requirements. You’ll have noticed those two large rectangular plates on the side of the Super 3, for example, which are more than just flights of whimsy since they manage the engine’s cooling requirements. Morgan calls them ‘sideblades’ and they can be painted in matching or contrasting paint shades to the buyer’s choice. There is also any number of accessories Morgan will be happy to sell you, including exterior-mounted soft luggage because why wouldn’t you want your undies stored outside in the British rain?
The exact positioning of that Blue Oval engine – now car-derived and mounted in-board – within Super 3 is a detail of some importance. Chosen in part due to its compact nature, the I3’s block sits precisely behind the front axle line, providing a starting point for good weight distribution. The placement of its cooling gibbons also permits more steering angle, meaning one should now be able to turn around on Ye Olde Forecourt without executing a million-point turn.
Super 3’s interior blends some modern tech with its traditional atmosphere, not unlike subtly installing an LG refrigerator in the kitchen of a British castle. Those gauges have digital screens, for example, and the available USB ports – along with other electrical items – are rated IP67 water-resistant. This is a good thing since the Super 3 has no roof. Clocking in at roughly a foot shorter than a modern Mazda MX-5, the lads at Morgan peg the car’s dry weight at 1,397lbs. That same stick shift MX-5 weighs 2,346 pounds if you’re wondering.
Speaking of pounds, the Super 3 is priced at £41,995 (just over $56,000 USD) plus on-the-road costs in the U.K., which is its biggest market. Customers in the U.K. and Europe will receive their vehicles first, with U.S.A deliveries following later in 2022. Production is slated to begin later this year.
[Images: Morgan]
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