New Morgan 3 Wheeler to adopt Ford Fiesta engine
The ultra-lightweight sports car gets a second wind of life with petrol power, but an all-electric future is still on the horizon.
British sports car brand Morgan has confirmed its iconic 3 Wheeler will be renewed for a new generation, powered by a naturally-aspirated Ford three-cylinder engine believed to have been derived from the Fiesta ST hot hatch.
The demise of the existing retro-inspired, three-wheeled sports car – powered by a front-mounted 2.0-litre V2 motorcycle engine – was announced last week, due to ever-tightening emissions regulations in Europe.
While an electric prototype has been shown off in the past, the newest model sticks with petrol power.
Morgan merely says the new engine is a "naturally aspirated inline three-cylinder Ford engine", however British media report it's a non-turbo version of the 1.5-litre three-cylinder in the Fiesta ST hot hatch, which is said to send approximately 90-100kW to the single rear wheel via a five-speed manual transmission from the Mazda MX-5 roadster.
The camouflaged teaser images show the two-seater with a revised front end, updated wishbone suspension, and reduced ground clearance. It's believed the new model has a redesigned tubular aluminium chassis, however its footprint appears almost completely unchanged.
It’s so far unclear when the model will be fully revealed, how many examples will be built, or how much it will cost. Drive has contacted Morgan’s Australia distributor for clarification on local plans – this story will be updated when more information becomes available.
Morgan developed an electric version of the 3 Wheeler in 2016 known as the EV3. The project was ultimately abandoned after two years due to high costs, however, with a blanket ban on new combustion engines in the UK set to come into effect by 2030, Morgan claims it could be relaunched in the future.