- Powerful 4.4-litre 4.8-litre BMW N62B44 V8 engine
- Light, agile chassis
- Impressive dynamics
- Responsive brakes
- Cramped interior
- Awkward ingress and egress
- Challenging styling
Overview
Available in Australia from March 2007, the Morgan Series 3 Aero 8 was a two-door roadster with a soft-top roof. Manufactured in Worcestershire, England, the rear-wheel drive Aero 8 was powered by a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine that was mated to a six-speed Getrag manual transmission.
N62B44 engine
Manufactured by BMW, the 4.4-litre N62 B44 V8 petrol engine had an aluminium block and cylinder head, fracture-split forged connecting rods, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, variable intake and exhaust valve timing (double VANOS), variable valve lift (Valvetronic) and a compression ratio of 10.0:1.
Body and dimensions
Like its Series 1 predecessor, the Series 3 Aero 8 had an all-aluminium chassis that was specially treated and bonded with Gurrit Essex adhesive and riveted with Bollhoff rivets. The Aero 8 was 4120 mm long, 1770 mm wide, 1200 mm tall and had a 2540 mm long wheelbase. The Aero 8 also had aluminium body panels and a carbon fibre bootlid to minimise weight, achieving a kerb weight of 1134 kg.
Compared to the Series 1 Aero 8, the Series 3 could be identified by its revised front mask with forward-facing headlights sourced from MINI (previously shared with Volkswagen’s New Beetle ), wider cabin (circa 150 mm) as the doors were repositioned over the running boards, new roof mechanism and larger rear window.
Suspension
The Aero 8 had cantilever front suspension with inboard springs and double wishbone rear suspension, while a limited slip differential was fitted as standard.
| Years | Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aero 8 | 2007-08 | 4.4-litre petrol V8 (N62 B44) | 6sp man. | 245 kW at 6100 rpm | 450 Nm at 3600 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Aero 8 included dual front airbags, Bosch ABS, electronic brake force distribution and front seatbelts with load limiters.
Brakes
The Aero 8 had 348 mm ventilated front brake discs with six-piston AP Racing calipers and 332 mm ventilated rear discs with two-piston calipers.
Features
Standard features included forged alloy wheels with 18 x 8.5J Avon ZZ3 tyres, stereo with radio and CD player, bespoke leather interior, cruise control, xenon headlights with washers, remote central locking, power windows, height adjustable steering column, a heated windscreen, remote boot release and tyre pressure monitoring.
Bespoke options
Each Aero 8 was a bespoke vehicle built to customer requirements with the following options –
- Paint finish: while there were 19 ‘standard’ colours to choose from, the Morgan factory could paint the vehicle in any automotive colour;
- Soft-top: the fully-trimmed double-layer Mohair soft top roof was available in a range of colours;
- Leather: customers could select from Muirhead or Yarwood leather samples, matching or contrasting piping and stitching, and ‘quilted’ or ‘normal’ style trim;
- Carpet: wool carpet colours with the option of matching or contrasting edges;
- Wood trim: four versions of interior wood trim;
- Fascia: the standard spun aluminium fascia could be replaced for a fascia with a graphite appearance; and,
- Wheels: the standard aluminium look could be replaced with a darker Graphite finish.
Brochure
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