If you’re interested in open-air motoring with 25 per cent fewer wheels than a typical convertible, British manufacturer Morgan has the rig for you. Called the Super 3, it is the company’s most recent take on its instantly-identifiable three-wheeler.
Looking more like an upturned bathtub-on-wheels than ever before, the Super 3 is like nothing else on the road. Ditching the old model’s 2.0L V-twin in favour of a natural-aspirated 1.5L three-banger from Ford – entertainingly called the ‘Dragon Inline 3’ – this new Super 3 makes 118 bhp and 110 lb-ft of torque, all funnelled to the ground through a five-speed manual gearbox sourced from Mazda. Built upon the company’s new three-part aluminum platform, Super 3 is the first Morgan with a monocoque structure.
For those brave enough to floor the go-pedal in this thing, acceleration to highway speeds from rest should take about 7 seconds, aided by a curb weight (dry) of roughly 635 kilograms which is a hair under 1,400 pounds. Its total length is 3581 mm, with a 1840-mm width and height of 1132 mm (that’s 140.9, 72.4, and 44.5 inches, respectively).
To put those figures in perspective, that’s about 1,000 pounds lighter and a foot shorter than a modern Mazda MX-5, a car generally viewed by most gearheads as one of the purest expressions of driving available today.
The body of the Super 3 departs from the previous 3-Wheeler by incorporating cues to improve usability and performance. Its turning circle is now in the realm of reality, for example, thanks to those so-called sideblades which fit radiators behind the flat panels instead of trying to incorporate those cooling items on either side of the engine.
Modern touches dot the interior — and we’re not going to make any jokes about optional gramophones or spaces in which to store tweed caps. Those gauges incorporate digital displays, and items like the USB ports are rated IP67 water-resistant — that’s handy since this tripod has no roof whatsoever.
It’s not clear if one needs a hipster-style beard like one of the drivers in these official photos to qualify for purchasing a Morgan Super 3, but we can tell you its configurator is a tremendous riot of available colours, interior options, and accessory add-ons like racks and side-mounted luggage.
Production is scheduled to kick off later this year in Worcestershire, with deliveries beginning in June. Order are being taken, with prices in the U.K. starting around at CDN$72,000.
Keyword: Morgan introduces new Ford-3-cylinder Super 3