[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/morgan-v8-powered-plus-8-gtr\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/morgan-v8-powered-plus-8-gtr\/","headline":"Morgan V8-Powered Plus 8 GTR","name":"Morgan V8-Powered Plus 8 GTR","description":"Morgan Motor Company describes the forthcoming Plus 8 GTR as a \u2018gloves off\u2019 special edition \u2013 more about that later. This actually heralds the start of a potentially busy year for Morgan, as the Plus 8 will be the first in a series of planned special limited editions from the Worcestershire company. This particular limited edition arose due to Morgan acquiring 8 pre-2018 Plus 8 rolling chassis. There will be just 9 (no, not the more obvious number of \u20188\u2019) […]","datePublished":"2021-03-31","dateModified":"2021-03-30","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Morgan-V8-Powered-Plus-8-GTR-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Morgan-V8-Powered-Plus-8-GTR-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/morgan-v8-powered-plus-8-gtr\/","about":["Cars","CLASSIC CARS","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":485,"keywords":["GTR","Morgan","Plus 8"],"articleBody":"Morgan Motor Company describes the forthcoming Plus 8 GTR as a \u2018gloves off\u2019 special edition \u2013 more about that later. This actually heralds the start of a potentially busy year for Morgan, as the Plus 8 will be the first in a series of planned special limited editions from the Worcestershire company. This particular limited edition arose due to Morgan acquiring 8 pre-2018 Plus 8 rolling chassis. There will be just 9 (no, not the more obvious number of \u20188\u2019) Morgan Plus 8 GTR models, making this a very limited Morgan special edition. One of the advantages of such a small number will be that each lucky owner will be allowed the luxury of being able to conspire with the Morgan design team to discuss their commission for each bespoke vehicle.The Malvern-based company is keeping this strictly old school – no electric powertrains here. The Plus 8 will be a traditional throaty V8 powered beast, with a choice of ZF 6-speed automatic or standard 6-speed manual gearbox to connect the 4.8-litre BMW sourced engine. The same engine has previously been used in the Morgan Plus 6 from a couple of years ago and also powered the Aero Chassis Plus 8. Regarding the Plus 6, that pushed out around 362bhp, although Morgan are currently remaining rather coy about how much they will allow the Plus 8 GTR to have, suggesting the V8 will possibly be undergoing a little bit of tweaking before being dropped into the new Plus 8 GTR.Morgan will also be reintroducing a 5-spoke centre-lock alloy, rather reminiscent of the Morgan Plus 8 racer variants from the nineties. Though the car itself will differ somewhat from those race cars with redesigned wheel arches, front wings and splitter. Big Blue, the nineties test racer that benefitted from a bonded aluminium chassis, now inspires part of the reimagining of the new Morgan Plus 8 GTR. Previously, Big Blue went on to loosely inspire the Morgan Aero 8 models, and with Morgan\u2019s relatively recent CX-Generation platform, the Plus 8 will be a fitting tribute to this famous test racer.Morgan\u2019s Head of Design, Jonathan Willis, says that when the opportunity arose to utilise these unused rolling chassis, it was a chance for the engineering and design teams to let their hair down a little and have some fun incorporating some favourite design elements from Morgan\u2019s rich automotive past.That\u2019s about as much as Morgan will allow us to know so far, with just a couple of pretty sketches to get the juices flowing. And with the company looking over the horizon to more eco-friendly and more modern powertrains, who knows \u2013 this just might be the last time we get to see a lovingly crafted brand new classic V8 limited edition Morgan sportscar coming out of Worcestershire (though I wouldn\u2019t bank on that).What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!If you enjoyed this, you may also like: ‘Morgan LE60 Plus Six and 3 Wheeler models revealed‘"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Morgan V8-Powered Plus 8 GTR","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/morgan-v8-powered-plus-8-gtr\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]