Morgan 3 Wheeler

A Spaniard in the works?

Your conundrum is one for our Morgan Man, Nick Rutter. With all the inadequacies that three-wheel anachronism has, it better accelerate like greased lightning if it has to have any justfication produced in the modern world! 

As I understand it, the engine is rated at 80hp.  The confusion may have arisen from the fact that early reports from when the 3-wheeler was first mooted (and, I think, even so far as motor show prototypes) had it as having a Harley Davidson V-twin engine with 115hp.  For the production model though Morgan chose to go with the 80hp S&S unit. 

In short - the 3-wheeler's engine is the 80hp S&S V-twin; the 115hp figure comes from the earlier unused Harley Davidson engine.

As to the large discrepancy between Autocar's 8.0s 0-60 time and Morgan's estimate of 4.5s I can't say for certain but I suspect whoever did the time for Morgan (and it is only an estimate, many cars tested by Autocar never get near their claimed time although I admit not always by almost 4 seconds!) was familiar with the standing start characteristics of one-wheel drive (I'm imagining a burnout to get the wheel spinning up a bit!).  Another reason I think Autocar maybe didn't get the best out of the 3-wheeler was their comment about the "atrocious" turning circle.  They obviously weren't doing it right. 

Come come, LA, I thought you liked the new 3-wheeler!  ;)  Even if the 8.0s acceleration time were correct, the thing has so much charisma.  Autocar themselves gave it 4/5 for performance and dismissed the 0-60 figure as largely meaningless. 

EDIT: you'll note that in the Youtube video even Morgan have rated the engine at 115hp, but again remember that the clip was made back in June 2011 and the car would have been a pre-production model with the Harley engine.

I thought it had 110bhp, not 80 or 115.

Well, a good many car journalists seem not to have picked up on the discrepancy.

It makes me smile, but there's a large chasm of reality missing between Morgan showboating state of the art electric Morgans only to produce a remake of an old trike.

I like the 3-wheeler. Yes it is exactly "a remake of an old trike" but Morgan can do it without seeming ridicolous to my eyes. I would say that Morgan has "credit" to make it.

Thanks for your responses, everyone, all much appreciated.  Everything is less murky now, and I guess V.P. just misspoke in her video when she said the 3 Wheeler had 115hp.  No biggie.  I still adore the car, and the fact that in my neck of the woods the weather would make it a usable proposition for several months of the year just makes it more of a shame that I don't currently have 30 grand lining my sock drawer...

'Remake of an old trike.'

That remark says that you know sod all about motoring enthusiasm, just by itself.

The point isn't that it has 80bhp or 115bhp. With one driven wheel, it makes no difference especially in the wet Yookay.

The point of all Morgans is that they are an ownership pleasure for those that like these types of cars and we should be rejoicing in the fact that there are manufacturing them rather than deriding a manufacturer not only reknowned for making the country's most traditional cars but actually having it as its USP. It is churlish to judge Morgan for not producing an electric car. In fact, it's ludicrous.

Just because you don't fit the niche, doesn't mean that others can't love and enjoy them.

Jacob, with all due respect, you've taken LA's comment way, way too far. What a surprise...

Yawn. He comes to Gateth W's rescue yet again. It's a love thing. He can't protect you now, you know. Not now you're banned.

That's only because you're constantly attacking him. If he upsets you, find something else to do other than to pursue him. It's really weird.