The Morgan Supersport makes a more interesting argument than its traditional silhouette suggests: preserving a sports car’s identity need not mean preserving every inconvenience. Unveiled on March 11, 2025, it brought a new aluminum platform, interchangeable roof arrangements and a proper rear luggage compartment to Morgan’s flagship. Those changes suggest a different ambition from merely building another handsome weekend indulgence.
The accompanying short asks whether this could be Morgan’s greatest sports car. That remains a matter of priorities, not a specification-sheet verdict. The useful question is what Morgan chose to modernize—and what it deliberately retained. Examined that way, the Supersport is less a rejection of contemporary engineering than an attempt to make it serve an unusually traditional idea of motoring.
A successor, not a rejection of history
The Supersport did succeed the Plus Six. In his March 2025 MotorTrend first look, Angus MacKenzie described a broader mission: making the six-cylinder Morgan more usable and more distinct from the Plus Four. That is a more concrete explanation than suggesting the car existed solely to prove that craftsmanship and technology could coexist. Replacing an outgoing model and advancing a philosophy are perfectly compatible objectives.
The craftsmanship is nevertheless real. Morgan describes aluminum bodywork formed over an ash frame and integrated with a bonded-aluminum platform in its account of Supersport construction. The wood and platform perform different jobs. As Morgan’s FAQ clarifies, the ash forms the body frame, not a wooden chassis. Traditional materials do not make the underlying engineering obsolete.
What the CXV platform actually changes
According to Morgan’s launch engineering release, CXV develops the CX architecture introduced with the Plus Six in 2019. Morgan claimed a 10 percent increase in vehicle torsional rigidity and substantially stiffer suspension mounting points. It also specified revised suspension geometry, front and rear anti-roll bars, and steering 13 percent quicker than the outgoing six-cylinder model.
Those are meaningful development targets, but they are not independent proof of exceptional handling. The engineering emphasis is on more consistent responses rather than simply chasing a higher power figure. Whether the resulting steering and ride suit an individual driver requires a road test, not an enthusiastic reading of the brochure.
The same release lists adjustable Nitron dampers in an optional Dynamic Handling Pack and a separately optional limited-slip differential. A prospective owner should therefore distinguish the standard launch specification from an optioned demonstrator. A handling verdict that overlooks equipment can conceal an important difference between the car reviewed and the car being ordered.
The original six-cylinder specification
The original, non-U.S. Supersport uses a BMW 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six producing 335 bhp and 369 lb-ft, paired with an eight-speed automatic. Morgan’s technical sheet, hosted by its Kent retailer, lists a 1,170-kilogram kerb weight and a 3.9-second 0–62-mph time. The acceleration figure carried a pending-final-certification footnote; it is a manufacturer claim, not an independently measured result.
These are not verified U.S.-specification power, torque, weight or acceleration figures. The American derivative has a different engine, detailed below. Nor should 0–62 mph quietly become 0–60 mph when discussing the original car with American readers. Keeping the market and measurement attached to each number matters more than making the specification sound familiar.
There is also a philosophical tradeoff. Anyone who defines involvement principally through a clutch pedal will find the automatic specification a limitation. Someone who values the overall roadster experience may make a different judgment. Mechanical character is not a synonym for manual transmission, but neither should the language conceal the choice Morgan made.
Usability belongs in the enthusiast argument
Morgan’s original unveiling announcement emphasized interchangeable soft and hard tops, a rear boot and revised sidescreen mounting. It also highlighted Bluetooth hands-free calling, Sennheiser audio and wireless phone charging. The Supersport therefore does not refuse digital technology; it incorporates selected conveniences within its traditional presentation.
That distinction makes the car more interesting than an analog-versus-digital slogan. A place to carry luggage and a roof arrangement suited to different journeys address ownership rather than showroom theater. For an enthusiast considering whether a special car would actually leave the garage, those details deserve attention alongside acceleration.
The sensible buying test is correspondingly ordinary: try the roof and sidescreens, assess access, and bring the luggage you expect to use. Admiring handcrafted construction does not oblige a buyer to overlook practical compromises. A successful traditional sports car should make its rituals rewarding, not demand that every inconvenience be treated as character.
Different derivatives, different markets
The story has moved beyond the original launch. On April 23, 2026, Morgan introduced the Supersport 400, positioning the 402-bhp derivative above the original car and including the Dynamic Handling Pack as standard. Its output and equipment should not be retroactively attached to the 335-bhp version. Morgan’s U.S. FAQ also states that the 400 is not available there.
Morgan’s July 15, 2026 U.S. announcement opened ordering for a distinct derivative: a BMW 2.0-liter B46 turbocharged inline-four with an eight-speed ZF automatic. Despite broad introductory wording, its detailed homologation section expressly excludes California. The announcement expected initial customer arrivals from September 2026; that historical forecast does not confirm deliveries.
American buyers should therefore assess the actual U.S. derivative, not assume the original six-cylinder specifications describe it. Calling any Supersport Morgan’s greatest sports car still requires a personal definition of greatness. Its strongest argument is more specific: a traditional roadster need not choose between recognizable craftsmanship and thoughtful modernization. That approach deserves consideration—but only with the right specification sheet beside the right car.
Cover: Original-generation Morgan Supersport with hardtop fitted at Classic-Gala Schwetzingen on September 6, 2025. Photo: Alexander Migl / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographer: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Alexander-93 ; license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ . Indicate modifications and license adaptations under CC BY-SA 4.0. · Photo source · Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Original photograph; WordPress may create display-size derivatives.
Sources
- Morgan’s new flagship, Supersport, unveiled live at Pickersleigh Road
- Introducing Supersport, the new Morgan flagship — Media Information
- Morgan Supersport Technical Specification
- First Look: The 2026 Morgan Supersport Boasts Retro Looks, Modern Thrills
- Introducing Supersport 400
- Morgan Supersport now available in the United States
- Frequently Asked Questions — Morgan Motor Company USA
