Only 10 units of Pininfarina’s design masterpiece were shipped worldwide. Morgan wants to prove that they can do more than just create beautiful convertible roadsters.
The British boutique car brand has just officially unveiled its first hardtop model in more than a decade called the Midsummer Coupé. However, the roof is not the only element that differentiates this creation from its open-top barchetta sibling of the same name; It also possesses an outstanding level of rarity. Although Morgan has always been associated with coachbuilt roadsters, the company has also introduced hardtop versions in the past, most recently the Aero Coupe, which was officially discontinued in 2015.
This latest hardtop model is developed based on the platform of the Midsummer roadster designed by Pininfarina studio a few years ago. The story began when a Morgan customer was fascinated by the historic handshake that first appeared between the two brands, but questioned whether the company could create a version with a hood. And from that suggestion, the Midsummer Coupé was born.
Converting a convertible roadster into a coupé may sound simple, but the actual process requires more complex engineering than just adding a hardtop. The entire car had to be redesigned to be compatible with the new structure, dominated by large glass panels and separated by a line running along the center from the windshield to the rear of the car. As a result, the car’s proportions have been subtly refined, requiring the car’s doors to be designed higher. The addition of this roof structure also helps increase the rigidity of the chassis system. Despite those changes, the luxurious interior space inside the closed cabin now looks almost intact compared to the roadster version.
Morgan has not yet announced detailed performance parameters. However, the original Midsummer model is equipped with a 3.0-liter in-line 6-cylinder turbocharged engine provided by BMW, accompanied by an 8-speed automatic transmission. The same engine block is also currently operating on the company’s most powerful model, the Supersport 400 at the moment, producing 402 horsepower and 369 ft-lbs of torque (about 500 Nm).
Morgan only made exactly 50 units of the original Midsummer roadster, but the company plans to produce an even scarcer quantity than that for this hardtop version. The company is committed to shipping only 10 cars globally, and this number includes the first ordered car. The official price of this masterpiece has not yet been revealed, but it would not be surprising if its price exceeds the starting figure of 250,000 USD recorded for the predecessor convertible version.
Lesson: Navigator Media
