Morgan Supersport is a four-wheeled magnum opus for serious enthusiasts – we tried it

Announced in March 2025, the new Morgan Supersport is the British sports car maker’s delightful tilt towards the modern world. To the uninitiated, the Supersport signals an unreconstructed throwback to simpler times, but Morgan aficionados will instantly know that the car represents a jump into the modern day.

I’ve finally had a chance to get behind the wheel of Morgan’s new flagship, sampling the driving dynamics and overall experience in the rolling hills that fringe the company’s longstanding HQ in Malvern Link, Worcestershire (where I've also previously toured the Morgan factory).

First impressions are that the doubters have a point; Morgan’s template, established way back in the 1950s, doesn’t appear to be substantially different. But in actual fact, there’s a lot going on with the way the Supersport looks and goes, and it all starts with the design.

Partly to differentiate the flagship model, previously known as the Plus Six, from the ultra-simple Morgan Plus Four, the Supersport required a substantial overhaul of every body panel. There’s still a bespoke aluminium chassis and hand-assembled ash frame over which the aluminium body panels are shaped. For the first time in a production Morgan, some of that ash becomes a primary surface, rather than being tucked away beneath the metal skin.

That skin is smoother and less fussy than before, with a more geometric approach to junctions and greater expanses of flat surface. Bonnet louvres have been banished in favour of revised and subtler cooling vents, while large wheels fill the arches and add to the feeling of solidity.

Entry to the snug cockpit is much the same, as you fold yourself through the traditional latched door, but once inside, things have changed. For a start, the door seals are now way more sophisticated, as are the tolerances, meaning that the optional hardtop doesn’t have to be tailormade for each individual car. It’s something that a volume manufacturer might not be able to comprehend but perfectly illustrates the way in which Morgan’s utterly hand-built approach has been retained but updated.

Once installed behind the wheel, I note that the dash layout is largely familiar from the older car, only the dials have been upgraded along with a more sophisticated information screen. It’s all part of an initiative to make the Supersport a more intuitive, comfortable and usable car, something you might happily drive every day, instead of just high days and holidays.

The hardtop makes a big difference, of course. Once installed (a two-person job), it creates a cabin ambience quite unlike any Morgan before it. Not exactly quiet and ultra-refined, you understand, but certainly good enough to banish the motorway drone and keep out the unwanted incursion of heavy rain (a long drive in torrential conditions in a Plus Four left me feeling rather damp).

It's still very compact and narrow in here, with the latter quality especially pertinent when it comes to the seats. However, with the hardtop in place there’s now a substantial amount of luggage space behind the seats and for the first time, the Supersport is a Morgan with a boot. A bespoke luggage rack can also be specified to carry additional cases.

Nothing has changed in the engine department, with BMW’s venerable and capable straight-six providing 335hp. Pair that with a kerb weight of 1,170kg and no amount of overnight packing is going to make a dent in the spirited performance.

It’s not supercar quick, for sure, but it certainly deserves the Supersport moniker. Bear in mind that you’re also sitting that much lower to the ground, and as the outside world rushes past, it somehow feels close enough to touch – even with the fixed roof. The sensation of speed is never less than impressive.

Pared-back weight and peppy power would be useless if the Supersport wasn’t also a deft handler. As I nose out through the lunchtime traffic at Malvern Link, few people bother to give the car a second glance: Morgans have been built on this site since 1918.

Once out of town, and up the steep-sided Malvern Hills, the car attracts more and more attention, not least for its Copper Metallic colour. It's a slightly damp day, so there are few opportunities to really push on, but regardless of the conditions and road surface, the Supersport feels perfectly balanced front to rear.

Subtle mechanical changes add to the sense of sporting refinement. The steering has been quickened slightly over the earlier Plus Six and there’s even the opportunity to specify adjustable dampers to give you a range of ride types.

Straight out of the box, the Supersport feels extremely well put together, with just the odd hint of a creak or rattle. If it didn’t have those wayward elements, I suspect it would feel a little sterile and unreal.

Still, nothing can detract from the view along the bonnet, the road ahead framed by the wheel arches and the road behind rushing past just beneath your elbow. Just as companies like Bang & Olufsen can inject contemporary vigour and technology into their classic pieces, Morgan takes old-school automotive style and makes it eternal.

Right now, the British company’s ability to reach into the past and pull out the best bits without succumbing to the cloying fog of nostalgia sets it apart from its rivals. When the road opens up and overtaking is possible, the power delivery isn't clinical and precise, like in an EV, but smile-inducing and loud.

For the time being, Morgan and other small manufacturers have been spared the application of the upcoming ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) Mandate. If you build less than 1,000 cars a year, as Morgan does, you’re fully exempt from the upcoming 2030 ban on ICE cars and the 2035 ban on hybrids.

As yet, the Supersport isn’t certified for US sale (nor was the Plus Six, but the Plus Four is), but as the company points out, it sells every car it can build. America’s twin pronged attack of tariffs and regulations will keep Morgan at bay for the foreseeable future.

It's the USA’s loss, because practically no other modern car recaptures the glorious spirit of motoring as much as the Supersport. The compromises are fewer, the creature comforts more comforting. Performance is easily as much as you’ll ever need and the design is a masterpiece of stern but subtle guidance into the modern era.

Morgan Supersport, from £102,000, Morgan-Motor.com, @MorganMotor