New Morgan Super 3 Is 'Modernizing' The Three Wheeler
Gone is the S&S-sourced V-Twin engine, in its place is a 1.5 liter Ford three cylinder
It's here and it's spectacular.
Morgan has pulled the covers off their latest vehicle – the Super 3, and damn does it look sick.
The new three wheeled car may not look drastically different from the outgoing 3-Wheeler, but there are some big changes under the skin.
We'll start with the chassis. This is actually Morgan's first ever monocoque chassis, and this is where I have a bit of bad news for Morgan pursuits. There's no ash wood in the frame, which was a staple of Morgans of old.
Step "inside" the new Super 3 and you're greeted with niceties like center-mounted digital gauges and even optional navigation – again both firsts from the small British manufacturer. The leather-clad seats and dashboard do remain in the new Super 3.
Something else that remains is the Mazda Miata-sourced five-speed gearbox. Perhaps the biggest departure from the old car is the powerplant. Gone is the 2.0-liter V-twin S&S engine slug out in front of the body work. In its place is a three-cylinder Ford engine that is actually enclosed under the bodywork. Three cylinders, three wheels, Super 3.
Power also gets big increases over the outgoing model. The new 1.5-liter engine produces 118 horsepower and 6,500 rpm and 110 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. That's a healthy bump over the V-twin's 82 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque.
The vehicle's weight has increased with the new engine and interior technology to a massive 1,400 pounds, so acceleration times are similar to the old 3-Wheeler – about 7 seconds to 62 mph. However, the top speed is up a bit – 130 mph as compared to 115 in the old car.
Another big change? The Super 3 is designed so batteries could be put under the seats. That means we may not be too far off from an all-electric Super 3.
The outside of the vehicle keeps the outgoing 3-Wheeler's iconic shape, but is definitely modernized a bit. The biggest changes probably come from two things: the lack of an engine at the very front of the exterior and the huge turbo fan-esque rims on the two front wheels.
It also comes with sideblades on the outside of the car meant for hanging all sorts of luggage off of (as long as you don't mind getting it a bit wet and gravely).
Much like the old 3-Wheeler, the Super 3 is extremely customizable on the inside and outside. Buyers can pretty much have the vehicle look however they want.
So far, pricing for the Super 3 hasn't been released by Morgan, but it will probably fall somewhere close to the £40,000 mark the last car costs. That works out to about $54,000 for you and me.
That may sound like a lot for a car missing its fourth wheel, but I mean, just look at it.