Morgan Plus Four: the art of subtle modernisation

► Really, it’s a new Morgan Plus Four
► Updated looks, same ethos
► BMW power, 0-62mph in 4.8

There’s a new Morgan Plus Four. Which is at once obvious – when you look at the headlights – and incredibly subtle if you take the car as a whole. This is over 70 years of evolution in action, and we have to say we rather like it.

Essentially an update of the model that debuted on the new CX-Generation Aluminium Platform in 2020 and went on to underpin the wild Plus Four CX-T, the new Plus Four has received relatively few visual changes, yet somehow still manages to look fresh while championing an overall design ethos that dates back to the 1950s.

Under the skin, which is aluminium formed over an ash frame in the traditional manner, there’s reworked suspension and even the option of a Dynamic Handling Pack, developed with legendary specialists, Nitron. Power comes from BMW’s latest TwinPower 2.0-litre petrol.

In a motoring world full of angry angles and electric cars with enormous power, this is surely an excellent way to stand out from the crowd in 2024.

In terms of bodywork, the front and rear wings have been replaced. Now cold formed, they feature ‘a greater level of surfacing’ in an effort to make them appear more sculptural and changing the way they reflect light.

There’s also a new front splitter and a new rear diffuser – we had to look twice as well – both with a matte grey finish that makes them less visible and ‘lifts’ the main body of the car. There’s further subtlety in the gorgeous new aluminium rear-view mirrors, which despite their tiny appearance have been homologated for all of Morgan’s current markets.

The front and rear lights are new, too – but you probably guessed that. Both sets are bespoke to Morgan, and incorporate the indicators for the first time, removing that separate element from the body. The look of the eight-inch headlights, which are an inch bigger than before, might be a bit much for some purists, but Morgan says light output is improved all round, which can’t be a bad thing.

The standard chassis gets revised spring rates and damper valving, and can be optionally replaced by the new Dynamic Handling Pack.

Developed with Nitron, this