Morgan Plus 8 Modification review

Morgan Plus 8 Modification review

Morgan didn’t even dabble in four-wheeled machinery until 1935. Up to that point, it was exclusively employed in the business of building three-wheelers — evocative machines that it has just recently returned to. 

The Plus 8, equipped with Rover’s mighty V8, was pioneered in the late 1960s and is credited with sealing the firm’s enduring popularity. The Aero 8, on which this new generation of Plus 8 is based, is the direct descendent of the 1997 GT2 Le Mans car that Morgan built for the FIA GT series.

Placing a V8 engine in the front of the traditional Morgan roadster was a wonderfully barmy idea in the 1960s. The Plus 8 was Britain’s fastest-accelerating production car for a time and proved so endearing that it remained on sale, in relatively little-altered form, until midway through the last decade. 

Production of the traditional roadster has continued alongside the new-look, aluminium-chassis Aero series and new 3 Wheeler, which have stolen most of the public’s attention. However, the Plus 8, in the form of a grunty old V8 in an even older bodyshell, has been missed, and nowhere more so than in the US, where the traditional roadster has been unavailable in any guise.

The old Plus 8’s chassis was no longer suitable to take a ferocious modern powertrain and associated running gear, but Morgan has found an answer: take today’s componentry and mate it with the old stager’s looks. What we have here is precisely that: a traditional-looking Morgan bearing the return of the Plus 8 name and with all the hallmarks of an old-school British roadster. Let’s see how it measures up. MORE RESOURCES

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Mustang SRT Viper New Cars 2013

Mustang  SRT Viper New Cars 2013

With a 640-hp V-10 and a body made of magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber, we're expecting greatness from Chrysler's supercar. And at 100 grand, it'd better be great—there's already a Corvette ZR1 in this price range that can eat Ferraris, and the C7 will only up the ante. Plus there's a certain new Mustang that's far cheaper and should be mighty impressive too. And even if the Viper is faster than the Ford or Chevy in a straight line, it must improve its handling over the outgoing model. While SRT folks are claiming a scorching 0-to-60 time of 3.5 seconds and a 206-mph top speed for the new car, the last Viper was time-warp-fast too—and also saddled with unpredictable handling and frequent maintenance headaches. 

Haunted by those ghosts of Vipers past, Chrysler engineers started over. They lowered the car's weight by about 140 pounds and made its chassis 50 percent stiffer. (That alone tells you how far Chrysler had to go to make a Viper that's world class.) The Tremec-supplied six-speed manual (no automatic, at least not yet) is said to have far lower clutch effort, while bringing tighter ratios and more precise feel. The suspension is entirely new, again with the aim of more predictable handling. And there's a multi-setting stability-control system with a full-off mode for the track. That could be great, but only if the car doesn't actually need the electronic assist to handle like a supercar.

That will be key. This Viper is designed to challenge cars that can reach nine tenths of their potential without technological guardrails. The SRT needs to get in that ballpark to be a real winner.

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Dodge Dart R/T New Car 2013

Dodge Dart R/T New Car 2013

Most of the new front-wheel-drive Dart models go on sale this summer, and we like what we've driven so far. But the fastest of the breed, the R/T, holds off for a fall launch.

Like its less muscular brethren, the R/T rides on a Fiat chassis borrowed from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, with a fully independent suspension. We expect that suspension to be a little lower and stiffer in the R/T. The car will get the most horsepower of the lot, with a 184-hp 2.4-liter four under the hood. 

At this point it's unclear if the R/T will come with only a six-speed manual or with a dual-clutch automatic as well. We do know that the R/T, like the Sonic RS, is going to face stiff competition from slightly pricier models, including the Ford Focus ST, the expected Fiesta ST, and the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Even if these sporty cars are bunched around $25,000, slightly above the Dart R/T, their performance chops could put a pinch on sales of the Dodge.

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Hyundai Veloster Turbo New Cars 2013

Hyundai Veloster Turbo New Cars 2013

Right now, the Veloster lacks the performance cred to back up its killer looks. But that will change once this 201-hp version hits the streets. The 45 percent boost in horsepower has most folks taking a second look at the Veloster, and hoping this Turbo is a signal that Hyundai is getting as serious about performance as it has been about quality and design over the last few years.

So far, though, signs remain cloudy—the stonking 1.6-liter motor with dual exhaust notwithstanding. Word is the Veloster Turbo gets the same suspension, which is disappointing. The stock Veloster is fun but stiff-kneed and less refined when compared to better-bred sporty cars like VW's GTI—or the Subaru BRZ, which is only somewhat costlier than what we're expecting to see from the Veloster Turbo. Also, ask Mini engineers about controlling torque steer in a 200-hp car with a short wheelbase. That, too, has probably made Hyundai sweat.

Even if the Veloster Turbo isn't perfection out of the gate, we hope it's a sign of better-performing Hyundais (and Kias) to come.

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Kia Optima Top Best Performance Cars 2012

The 2012 Kia Optima is one of the better-performing cars in the class. It’s not a snooze to drive and its base four-cylinder engine is lively. Step up to the turbocharged four-cylinder and reviewers say you’ll get six-cylinder power with four-cylinder fuel economy. The Optima’s handling is capable, and most say it leans on the sporty side of the spectrum

Acceleration and Power

The 2012 Kia Optima has two four-cylinder engines. The base engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produces 200 horsepower. The more powerful engine is an optional 2.0-liter turbocharged four that makes 274 horsepower, and is good for those looking for V6-like power. Power is sent to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual transmission, which is available only on the base model, or six-speed automatic with overdrive. Reviewers say the automatic is smooth, but some reviewers disliked the car’s tendency to upshift by itself when in manual mode.

Handling and Braking

Reviews are divided on the Kia Optima’s handling. While most reviewers agree that it is competent on the road, they disagree on how sporty it is and how far drivers can push it. If performance is your priority, some reviewers say the Optima is a good choice, but others disagree. They complain of some understeer and a somewhat stiff ride. Make sure you take it on an extended test drive to make sure it’s up to your standards. The Optima’s strong brakes receive positive comments.

• "The car showed all the attributes of a first-rate mass-market midsize sedan, but perhaps not as much handling athleticism when pushed as the styling would suggest."
• "As good as all this packaging is, it would be for naught if the Optima didn’t or couldn’t step up to the plate. In this regard, it did not disappoint."
• "We found the pickup impressive, and we enjoyed rowing our own with the six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic function."  (2.4-liter engine)
• "The 2.4-liter engine feels decently peppy in most driving situations. After a modest delay from a stop, the turbocharged engine accelerates much like a V6. On all, the automatic transmission is generally smooth, alert, and reasonably quick to downshift for more power."
• "The engine lacks the low-end oomph to come out of a corner in a high gear and accelerate uphill, but the transmission kicks down soon enough to get you back up to speed. On the highway, the car moves competently: Squeeze the accelerator two-thirds of the way down, give the automatic a beat to fetch 4th gear, and the Optima turns 60 mph into 80 mph with surprising vigor."  (2.4-liter engine)
• "Though the 200-hp four-cylinder provided adequate power, we were disappointed that while in manual mode, the automatic transmission voluntarily upshifted at the top of the rpm range. This annoying detail made us yearn for the SX option: With the manual transmission and more horsepower at just a minimal fuel-economy penalty, we'll have a hard time passing it up."
• "Optima is among the sportier-feeling mainstream midsize sedans; it's reasonably poised and nimble in quick changes of direction. The steering feels well balanced, and the brakes deliver smooth, linear stopping power."
• "The car rides a bit stiffer than its Hyundai counterpart, but not by much, and it's much better than the brittle Altima."
• "As with every other front-driver in this segment, understeer remains the Optima's marching orders, but if anything, handling feels a bit keener than the Sonata, which itself has heretofore had a claim on the best-handling car in its class." --
• "The Optima offered a good balance between a soft ride on straight runs and fairly buttoned-down cornering control.”
• "Hitting the right notes with the mid-sized-sedan buyer is also evident in the way the Optima rides and handles. Contrary to what the auto enthusiast press would have you believe, the mid-size sedan driver is more concerned about quiet and a comfortable ride than about crisp handling, and we discovered that Kia engineers tuned the Optima's suspension with that bias in mind."

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