Morgan is marking 25 years since it began fitting BMW engines to its cars — a relationship that started with the Aero 8 in 2000 and now sits at the center of the company’s four-wheeled lineup. To put a spotlight on the milestone, Morgan has gathered 14 BMW-powered cars from the past quarter-century and brought them together for a single display. The idea is simple: show the arc of Morgan’s modern era in one place, from early V8 Aero models through the brand’s current turbocharged four- and six-cylinder range.
From the Aero 8 to the end of Morgan’s BMW V8 era
The partnership story begins with the original Aero 8, unveiled in 2000 with BMW’s 4.4-liter M62 V8. For Morgan, that engine did more than add power. It gave the car modern day-to-day manners and durability — the stuff that matters when you’re building a low-volume sports car with traditional construction methods.
Morgan then moved into BMW’s N62 V8 family, using a 4.4-liter version in Aero 8 Series 2 and Series 3 models, and in the distinctive AeroMax. The anniversary display also includes what Morgan calls the final chapter of its V8 story: the 4.8-liter BMW N62 used in later Aero models and the Plus 8.
Morgan says the last core-production Plus 8 built at its Pickersleigh Road facility was completed in 2018. The V8 era didn’t fully end there, though. The company says it later capped the story with a run of nine motorsport-inspired Plus 8 GTRs in 2021, and that six of those nine cars are included in the anniversary group.
For BMW readers, those engine codes are familiar, but the bigger point is how long Morgan stayed with naturally aspirated V8 power compared with the wider market.
2019 was the pivot: B58 turbo power and a new Morgan platform
Morgan frames 2019 as the turning point. That’s when the company introduced the Plus Six with BMW’s 3.0-liter B58 TwinPower Turbo inline-six — and Morgan notes two milestones that came with it. The B58 was the first inline-six fitted to a Morgan, and the first turbocharged engine the company had ever used.
The bigger change, though, wasn’t only the move to turbocharging. Morgan launched the B58 alongside its all-new CX platform, designed and engineered in-house. Morgan claims the CX platform delivers twice the torsional stiffness of its previous aluminum architecture while remaining under 100 kilograms.
The B58 also shows up in Morgan’s more recent, limited-run projects. The company says it powers Midsummer, a coachbuilt barchetta revealed in May 2024 and created with Pininfarina. This was an exposed cockpit framed with teak and a sculptural body, with production limited to 50 cars. The final units are now in production at Pickersleigh Road, with completion expected in early 2026.
Plus Four, the B48, and the Return to the U.S.
Morgan’s next step was the Plus Four, introduced in 2020 with BMW’s 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder from the B48 family. Morgan positions it as the latest in a long line of four-cylinder Plus Four powertrains, but the more interesting development is what that engine helped unlock in 2025: a return to the U.S. The company says the Plus Four is homologated under the replica car rule of the FAST Act, which allows low-volume manufacturers to recreate a model sold in the U.S. more than 25 years ago.
That’s only part of the regulatory story. Morgan also says it worked with BMW to certify an engine package compliant with SPMV regulations for CARB states. That package centers around the BMW B46, which Morgan describes as a SULEV-compliant version of the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder used in other markets.
Supersport: The New Flagship Stays with BMW power
Morgan’s newest flagship is Supersport, revealed in March 2025. The company says it introduces a new design language — a more contemporary interpretation of the Morgan silhouette — while staying with BMW power: the 3.0-liter B58 inline-six. Supersport also debuts what Morgan calls the evolved CXV platform.
Motorsport and Morgan
Two of the 14 cars in the display focus on racing. BMW engines powered the early Aero 8 GT racing program, including entries at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and campaigns in the FIA GT3 European Championship. Representing that era is a 2004 Aero 8 LMGT Le Mans entrant. Alongside it is a 2020 Plus Four race car run in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton’s School of Engineering and racing team.
Morgan says BMW has supplied almost 5,000 engines for installation at Pickersleigh Road over the last 25 years and calls itself BMW’s longest-standing OEM engine partner.
[Photos provided by Morgan Media Website]
