Morgan doesn’t care about power wars. While everyone else chases higher numbers on dyno charts, the British manufacturer digs for soul. For the Supersport, that soul is finally legal to buy in the US. But don’t get too excited about the spec sheet just yet. It’s missing the best part.
The American debut is set for Monterey Car Week. First cars land in September. To make it legal, Morgan had to navigate the FAST Act Replica Car Rule clearance process. This involved a mountain of engineering homework to satisfy federal homologation requirements. It worked. But the trade-off was brutal.
What’s Under The Hood: BMW 2.0 Turbo Inline-4 vs. Six-Cylinder
Here is the problem.
Europe gets the good one. A BMW-sourced 3.0L turbocharged six-cylinder. In standard trim it pushes 335 horsepower. If you go for the Supersport 40, you’re looking at 402 horsepower. Pure straight-line fun wrapped in wood and leather.
America? We get the 2.0L BMW B46 four-cylinder. It’s the same engine sitting under the bonnet of the Morgan Plus Four. The numbers are 255 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It feels underpowered when you look at the badge. But weight matters. The four-cylinder is lighter. Maybe it improves the front-end balance. Morgan thinks so. That’s why they offer the Dynamic Handling Pack with US-spec Nitron dampers. You adjust the springs yourself.
Why Is The Morgan Supersport So Limited In The USA?
It’s not a supply issue. It’s a law issue.
Under the FAST Act rules, Morgan can only import 325 replicas per year. That is it. If they try to send more, they don’t pass. The cars arrive with hand-crafted aluminum bodies. They look identical to the European versions from the outside. You get the choice of a carbon-composite hard top or the classic folding soft top. The hard top is light too. Only 19.7 kg.
Standard wheels are lightweight aluminum, size 18. You can pay extra for forged 19-inch wheels if you want to shave grams. Add in Sennheiser audio, a wireless phone charger, and you start approaching the real price tag. The base sticker is $119,955. Cheap for Morgan. But limited.
“Morgan fits a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter unit rated at 255hp and 258lb-ft of torque.”
So you have to choose. Wait for a lot that probably won’t happen. Or buy one now before the 325 slots vanish. The car feels like 1950. It drives like 2024. The engine hum might not be a symphony like in Europe, but it is enough.
Is 255 enough to forgive the downgrade? Most enthusiasts would argue yes, given the chassis dynamics and exclusivity. But purists will keep checking their calendars for that mythical six-cylinder export code.
