GRR

The Plus Four CX-T is a beefy Morgan rally car

05th August 2021
Ethan Jupp

At this point, over halfway through 2021, after everything that’s happened, surely we’ve seen it all, right? Wrong. We haven’t seen an off-road Morgan, until now. Meet the Plus Four CX-T, the latest and we assume not last Morgan ‘Special Project’. It’s pumped and toughened up in equal measure to ready it for “overland adventure”.

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Let’s get into the juicy details, of which there are many. At the front, there’s a lifted bonnet to optimise engine bay airflow. The air intake has been raised for wading, while the exhaust is also lifted to aid departure angles. Four spotlights are on hand to illuminate the wilderness ahead. There’s a built-in roll cage too, which can be used to mount leisure gear like surfboards and bikes, or indeed the side panels if you choose to remove them. The CX-T is the only Plus Four with a roof, which is made of composite.

On the inside, there’s a first-aid kit and a mounting rack to safely secure your phones and cameras. There’s also an integrated flexible map light, pencil and notebook holder.

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Under the front, there’s 6mm alloy shielding, along with full five-piece underbody guarding, for those particularly stubborn and jagged rocks you find on your travels. Suspension wise, there are new bespoke dampers, modified Plus Six wishbones, 230mm of ground clearance, chunky tyres and broadened arches to accommodate them. There’s even a BMW X-Drive electronic diff with different modes for different situations. Road, All-Terrain and All-Terrain Extreme modes respectively open, lock by 45 percent and fully lock the diff. Strewth!

Needless to say, it’s wider, too and you also get two full-sized spares mounted out back. They sit behind a full suite of recovery gear and luggage, which includes a shovel and grip mats. There’s plenty of other storage, including side-mounted leather ‘panniers’, a Zarges alloy toolbox and two 11-litre Rotopax containers for spare water and fuel.

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Not your average ‘Rugged’ pack optional on most white goods crossover SUVs, then… This thing could almost conquer the Dakar. No, seriously. Rally Raid UK, creators of many Dakar race vehicles, were brought in to assess the Plus Four and conceptualise the upgrades we see here.

Weird as an off-road Morgan may seem, there is precedent for their taking the path less trodden. As early as 1911, Morgans regularly competed in and even won trials, proving their reliability and durability.

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The CX in CX-T refers to the clever new platform Morgan introduced with its rejuvenated Plus Six sportscar in 2019. The T stands for trialling. Morgan calls it the “antidote to sanitised motoring” and we’d be inclined to heartily agree, if not for the fact that just seven will be made, all by the end of 2021. The price of entry? £170,000 before taxes… Fear not if you don’t get a spot. We suspect there’s more to come from Morgan’s Special Projects line of cars.

Would you pick up this ultra-limited Morgan CX-T adventure machine, or take your pick from the second-hand supercar market? Even supercars sound boring compared to this thing.

If you love off-roaders, read our list of the best cars to make into safari models. 

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