It’s been a little over two years since Morgan surprised us all by teaming up with Pininfarina to launch the Midsummer roadster. Now, the unlikely duo is at it again, this time with an even more exclusive coupe conversion. Only nine cars will be built, compared to 50 units of its open-top sibling. Much like its predecessor, the fixed-roof version is a thing of beauty and has the added benefit of allowing owners to drive it in the rain.
Morgan did more than add a roof and call it a day. It developed a glass canopy bisected by a central strip that extends to the front and rear of the car. The Midsummer coupe also features much taller doors with new handles integrated into the beltline to keep the profile smooth and clean. Even the 19-inch forged wheels, with their intricate multi-spoke design, are exclusive to the coupe, further distinguishing it from the roadster and its disc-style alloys.
Bathed in leather and adorned with beautiful wood trim and aluminum accents, the interior borders on perfection, though a manual gearbox would’ve made it even better. Instead, the Midsummer coupe uses the same eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as the roadster. On the plus side, it doesn’t use BMW’s parts-bin gear selector, opting instead for a new anodized-aluminum shifter we recently saw on the Supersport 400.
A lighter tone for the steering wheel’s leather would’ve been nicer, but surely those nine customers will be able to customize it to their liking. The shift paddles and stalks also stand out more than they should, but we’re basically splitting hairs at this point. Overall, the ambiance of a retro-flavored luxury cabin remains intact. The interior is flooded with light thanks to the mostly glass roof and a large U-shaped rear window reminiscent of 1940s coupes.
Even though it has a fixed roof, the car weighs only 2.5 percent more than a Supersport equipped with the optional hardtop. Morgan says it had to make “significant structural” changes to boost stiffness and rigidity while subtly tweaking the vehicle’s proportions to suit the coupe body style.
Power comes from the tried-and-true BMW B58, a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six found in a plethora of Bavarian models, as well as the Ineos Grenadier off-road SUV and its Quartermaster pickup counterpart. Output isn’t mentioned, but the engine is rated at 402 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) in the new Supersport 400, Morgan’s most powerful car ever.
Morgan Midsummer Coupe
Motor1's Take: Perhaps we can all agree that the Midsummer Coupe is a manual gearbox away from automotive perfection. It also proves Pininfarina is still at the top of its game, and maybe Ferrari should give the Italian design house a call to reignite a partnership that ended years ago.
Although the British niche marque doesn’t say anything about pricing, an educated guess suggests the coupe will be even more expensive than the roadster, which carried a starting price north of £200,000.
