|
|
|
|
22/08/2010
By EWAN KENNEDY
|
|
|
Where else to debut a car like the Morgan EvaGT than at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California? The most stylish event on the annual automotive calendar was the perfect location for the unveiling of a car that has been rumoured for years.
The Morgan EvaGT is the first ever four-seat coupe built by the English marque with a 101-year old history. This family-owned company is famed for old-style sports machines with ultra-modern technology under their shapely bonnets.
Morgan EvaGT is a stunning looking machine and gained rapturous admiration at Pebble Beach. Just look at the way the long bonnet stretches back from a traditional Morgan grille. Though the guards may not be of 1930’s vintage like those on most Morgans they carry plenty of cues to that classic era of motoring.
And just look at that raised spine and the prominent lines that start at the grille and taper all the way down the sides of the car to the rear wheel arches.
The Morgan EvaGT features a turbocharged BMW 3.0-litre straight-six engine. In this application it puts out 227 kW, 306 bhp, and 400 Nm of torque.
It will be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission and it goes without saying in a traditional sports car like this that the drive is to the rear wheels.
Keeping the weight down to just 1250 kg by using super-formed body panels made from lightweight alloys, means that the Morgan EvaGT should be able to do the 0-100 km/h sprint in only 4.5 seconds on its way to a maximum speed 273 km/h
Though the styling of the Morgan EvaGT is very much based on that of historic cars, there are plenty of modern features inside. For example, a GPS satellite navigation system with Apple connectivity.
These are early days in the history of the Morgan EvaGT, with production not scheduled to begin until mid-2012. Only 100 cars will be built that year, but the Australian importer is already accepting orders, requesting a deposit of $15,000 to confirm buyer interest.
Prices can't be calculated at these early stages in the life of what’s likely to become an iconic British sports coupe, but Chris van Wyck, the CEO of Morgan Cars Australia says he expects the EvaGT will sit in the $200,000 to $300,000 range.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
