Morgan launches limited-run Aero GT to celebrate the finale of the Aero Range 

Key facts

• -  Morgan Motor Company has launched a new “gloves off” variant of the Aero 8; the race-inspired Aero GT

• -  Just eight examples of the Aero GT will be produced, marking the end of Aero 8 production at Morgan’s Pickersleigh Road factory

• -  Each Aero GT exhibits an unconventionally aggressive appearance thanks to all new hand-worked body panels, these include wing top louvres and an aerodynamic enhancing rear diffuser – all of which have been tested extensively to reduce drag and significantly increase downforce

• -  Each of the eight vehicles have already been allocated through Morgan’s established Dealership network

• -  The Aero GT was launched at the Geneva Motor Show on 6th March 2018

• -  All bespoke Aero GT vehicles will be built by the Morgan Special Projects division and individually tailored to reflect the customer’s personal specification

• -  The Aero GT features the Morgan N62 V8 engine. As with the Plus 8 50th Anniversary model that was also revealed at Geneva, this will be the final Morgan model to feature this naturally aspirated V8 engine

• -  All eight examples will be built with a manual transmission

• -  The Morgan Aero 8 was first introduced in 2000

• -  The Aero GT is priced from £120,000 + local market taxes

“One of our greatest strengths as a brand is our ability to be responsive and create a hand-built car which is truly bespoke to each customer. The Aero 8 has been a stalwart of Morgan production for almost 20 years, it offers an exceptional driving experience and unrivalled looks, further enhanced in Aero GT guise.

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“Every Morgan is built to an exacting specification and is bespoke to each customer; their personality is displayed in every detail. Owners invest a great deal of emotion in choosing and tailoring their own perfect specification, this investment is rewarded at the first drive of their unique and exhilarating vehicle. The Aero GT is the ultimate ensemble of this formula.”

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- Steve Morris, Managing Director

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The Morgan Motor Company has today revealed its most extreme road- going model to date, the Aero GT. The family owned, British manufacturer officially unveiled the car at the 88th International Geneva Motor Show.

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The longest established independent automotive manufacturer, Morgan Motor Company will produce just eight of the special Aero GT variants. All vehicles will be individually built to the exacting specification of each customer. The Aero GT represents the end of Aero 8 production, guaranteeing that every Aero 8 owner will be the custodian of a very significant piece of Morgan history.

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All 8 examples have been allocated through the Morgan Global Retailor network, and will be built with a manual transmission. Powered by the same 367bhp BMW N62 V8 engine used in the Aero 8, the Aero GT will travel from 0- 62mph in 4.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 170mph. Each Aero GT will benefit from Morgan’s latest adjustable suspension.

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The Aero GT will be built by the Morgan Special Projects department, which has an established history of producing models with even greater levels of

exclusivity along with one off, individually commissioned vehicles. Morgan’s approach will see each Aero GT built as an individual special edition, rather than eight identical examples.

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From placing their order, each customer will have the opportunity to receive an individual design consultancy from Jon Wells, Morgan’s Head of Design. Following this stage, the car will then enter production, remaining in build for between 8-10 weeks. As with any Morgan, each customer will have the opportunity to follow the build of their vehicle closely and witness their car come to life.

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The dramatic evolution of the Aero GT is most striking in its restyled wing impressions and louvres. Their addition is one that serves both functional and aesthetic advantages, and were developed alongside the design of the latest Aero 8 in 2015.

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Development of the latest Aero 8 focused on redeveloping the aluminium chassis to make it stiffer and introduce all-new front and rear suspension to improve driving dynamics. The introduction of a newly developed soft-top and the redesign of the rear of the car lead to further research by Morgan Special Projects into the effects that body form features have on aerodynamic performance.

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Taking inspiration from the aggressive aerodynamic profiles seen on Morgan’s striking 2009 GT3 race car, similar body form functions were explored during the development of the Aero 8. However, these were not immediately put into production but paved the way for future exploration of what a ‘gloves off’ Aero 8 could look like.

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For the final eight Aero 8 vehicles, Morgan’s design department applied knowledge developed throughout the research process of the latest Aero 8 in order to introduce the aerodynamic enhancements as seen on the Aero GT.

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It was crucial that the new styling features did not seem purely functional, and remained true to Morgan’s iconic design approach, striking a balance of exhilarating performance along with head-turning aesthetics.

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The striking body panels of the Aero GT have been sculpted in such a way to ensure that tension and elegance is expressed in each line. All surfacing of the new panels was proven digitally via Computation Fluid Dynamics simulation prior to full scale validation. Each panel is created using the technologically advanced Superforming process synonymous with modern Morgans, before being hand finished and transformed into Aero GT panels.

Acting in conjunction with the front canard details, the wing top louvre vents are proven to reduce low pressure on the sides of the Aero body, making a notable difference in frontal downforce. At the rear, the dramatic diffuser reduces air pressure from beneath the vehicle, increasing rear downforce. This feature has the added benefit of reducing the visual weight of the rear- end.

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All Aero GT’s have the option of a carbon fibre hard-top. Taking inspiration from 1960s race cars, the hard-top on the Aero GT benefits from the addition of a rearward facing roof vent that reflects the rear graphic of the tail-light, whilst improving the drag coefficient of the vehicle.

Finite enamelled ‘GT’ badges signify the model variant. Each is individually hand made by a British Jeweller.

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The interior is hand-finished with a series of painted stitching and pinstripe accents, and an extended choice of wood options.

“The Aero GT, unlike its predecessors adopts an unconventionally aggressive aesthetic. However, a purist approach to achieving a design in which ‘form follows function’ has been rigidly adhered to. This is most apparent in the new additions to the body work.

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The additional wing top louvres, side impressions and dramatic rear diffuser have all been tested extensively to ensure they work together to reduce drag and increase road holding capability. The merits of these additions were first unearthed during the early development phases of the 2015 Aero 8 whilst we were exploring the requirements of a more aerodynamically efficient Aero. This was a key requirement of the initial Aero 8 brief.

Each new panel has been sculpted by hand, by Morgan master craftsmen. The beauty of working so closely with talented sheet metal workers and coachbuilders is that designers are relatively unrestrained in their ability to challenge the forms and their functions. Unlike many, we can make special limited-edition vehicles that really exercise the imagination of the designer and the ability of the craftsman.

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The Aero range has always offered Morgan the platform to explore the boundaries of mechanical and styling design and I am delighted the family has allowed one of our wildest ideas to become a reality.”

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- Jon Wells, Head of Design