Yay, The Morgan Supersport Is Coming To America! Boo, We Only Get The Four-Cylinder Engine

Morgan is finally bringing its fastest and most advanced sports car to America. Except, when it gets here, it won't be quite as advanced or as fast. That's because the United States-spec Morgan Supersport won't have a turbocharged straight-six engine like the Euro-spec car. Instead, it'll have a turbocharged four-cylinder, paired exclusively to an automatic transmission. 

East of the Atlantic, the Morgan Supersport uses BMW's B58 engine, a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with 355 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque — and in Supersport 400 guise, that's bumped up to 396 horses. Our Supersport gets a BMW B46 engine, a 2.0-liter turbo-four that makes 255 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That's not bad, especially since the Supersport weighs just 2,520 pounds, but it isn't as thrilling or as nice to listen to as the B58. The ZF-sourced 8-speed auto does the shifting in all Supersports, regardless of market, so at least we're not missing out on a manual. 

Why don't we get the B58? As expected, it's emissions-related. The B58 engine Morgan uses in the Supersport overseas isn't exactly the same one that's available in the U.S., and therefore would have had to been homologated for American EPA regulations. For such a low-volume vehicle, it just wasn't worth the investment. So while it's a bummer to not get the big six-cylinder, it's not exactly Morgan's fault.

Bitching about the lack of straight-six in a U.S.-spec Morgan seems a little ridiculous. It's still a two-seat drop-top sports car that weighs only a bit more than a Mazda MX-5, yet with much more power and torque. It's also significantly nicer inside than an MX-5, with a gorgeously appointed cabin, and it's painfully pretty to look at on the outside too, with its classic sweeping fenders and bug-eye lights. 

To emphasize its sports car nature, Morgan gave the American Supersport some cool optional goodies, like an active sports exhaust, limited-slip rear differential, and an adjustable Nitron suspension that's been specifically tuned for the U.S. spec car's different weight distribution. It features 24 clicks worth of damper adjustment, so you can really fine-tune the ride that you want. So while it might not be the hot-rod that Euro-spec cars are, it should still be a damn fun sports car. 

To get the Supersport homologated for U.S. roads, Morgan had to go through the replica car ruling in the FAST (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) Act, which was passed in 2015. That means Morgan can only sell a maximum of 325 Supersports per year, hence the decision to not invest in B58 homologation. That same regulatory rule is also the reason why the Morgan Plus Four only comes with an automatic transmission in America, as the cost of homologating both it and the manual was too high. 

Morgan will be showing off the Supersport for the first time on American shores at The Quail, during Monterey Car Week. A fitting debut venue, considering the Supersport will cost $119,995 to start, before taxes and destination. Start looking at its options list and that price can balloon pretty quickly. Exclusivity isn't cheap, so if you want a rare sports car with stunning vintage looks and a Miata-like curb weight, you're going to pay for it. At least it won't cost as much as the Midsummer.