Hammond's supercar: £110,000 V8 Morgan
12 August 2009
Vijay Pattni takes a look at the £110,000 Morgan Aeromax – Richard Hammond’s supercar of choice.
“A journey in an Aeromax will be comfortable and stress-free”, says Morgan.
Unless of course, your name is Richard Hammond and you’re driving along the A40 near Gloucester…
Everyone’s favourite television hamster was involved in a four-car pile-up last Saturday after reportedly returning home from a flying lesson.
Thankfully Richard walked away uninjured from the accident – but his beloved Morgan wasn’t so lucky.
Eyewitnesses told the Mail on Sunday that “he received no damage to his rear end but the front was in a pretty bad way.”
Apparently the drivers got out, realised it was Hammond and exchanged some “good-humoured banter” – probably consoling Top Gear’s pint-sized presenter over the damage to his supercar.
And he’d have needed it – the Morgan is one of the world’s rarest and most beautiful supercars. Only 100 exist in the world and they’ve all been sold.
Want to see what the fuss is about? Click below to view our Hammond/Morgan image gallery:
So what is so special about this particular Morgan?
For starters, it began life as a dream sketch by a 21 year-old design student called Matt Humphries who had gone to Morgan on a work placement. He penned the sensational Aeromax as a one-off project for a Swiss banker, before putting the concept on display at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show.
But little did young Matt realise that his dream machine would become a reality – after stunning the Geneva crowds and getting the Morgan imaginations firing…
Fast forward a few years and we have this – the Aeromax.
Powered by a 4.8-litre BMW V8 and weighing in at 1180kgs, the supercar boasts 362bhp and a massive 370lb/ft of pulling power.
The body is made from ash hardwood and aluminium providing a ‘light, durable and secure structure’, while the chassis is made from bonded aluminium as showcased in the Morgan Aero 8.
Slot in BMW’s raucous V8 up front and what you get is thunder, lightning and a whole heap of drama wrapped up in something which looks like a 1930s Batmobile.
The Morgan Aeromax comes equipped with an automatic gearbox and massive AP racing brakes, huge 19-inch alloy wheels with run-flat tyres, and even air-conditioning.
And we reckon you’ll need that air-conditioning – because the 4.8-litre BMW V8 engine is a firestarter. 0-62mph takes just 4.2 seconds, and flat out, the Morgan Aeromax will knock on the door of 170mph.
Now, at £110,000, this Morgan goes up against some of the most focused automotive weaponry available.
To kick off with, there’s the all new Porsche 911 Turbo which boasts nearly 500bhp and a 0-62mph time of just 3.4 seconds. The Porker’s performance and four-wheel-drive ability, on paper at least, would probably embarrass the Morgan…
Then for a touch more, you could pick up a Ferrari F430 or a Lamborghini Gallardo (slightly more expensive).
But strangely, another Brit bruiser is right in the Morgan’s firing line for price – the Aston Martin DB9.
With a 6-litre V12 engine producing 450bhp, the big Aston outpowers the little Morgan but just under 100bhp.
But with a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds, the Morgan will be long gone before the Aston catches up.
And with cars like this, you have to view it in a completely different light. At this price point, it’s all about how a car makes you feel.
Parked next to the supercar elite, the Morgan looks absolutely sensational – and for that, it gets our vote.
Want to see images of last week's Look at the Wheels on That motor? Click below to view our gallery:
RSS