Morgan, One of the most famous of British sports car brands is set to make an impressive return to the global automotive eco stage with the release of a “zero-emission” sports car model with a top speed of nearly 100mph. The car will be shown for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show this week.
The Morgan LIFECar car comes with advanced fuel cells and an energy storage system that gives the car a range of 400km per tank of hydrogen, it is based on the design of the Morgan Aero-8 roadster; it delivers only water vapour from its exhaust and is described as being extremely quiet.
“Figures suggest the car should be capable of doing 0-60 miles per hour in about seven seconds,” Matthew Parkin of the Morgan Motor Company told BBC News. However, the exact acceleration will not be known until the complete car is taken for its first test drive.
The $5 million dollar project is part funded by the UK government, has taken nearly three years to develop. According to the launch press release the car is more efficient than a standard petrol engine.
Joining the LIFECar on Morgan’s stand at the show in Switzerland is the first production AeroMax, one of only 100 that will be built. All have already been sold, with celebrities such as comedian Rowan Atkinson signing up to own the rare high-performance car.
Other models on display will be the 4.8-litre Aero 8, and the 1.6-litre 4/4 Sport, the latest version of the classic Morgan which celebrates its 72nd birthday this year.
Matthew Parkin, Morgan’s sales and marketing director, called the line-up “the most exciting range of cars Morgan has ever produced”.
“Morgan are proud to display our unique combination of craftsmanship, quality materials, environmental relevance and new technology all wrapped up in a range of cars which are a delight to drive, behold and own,” he said.
The car is expected to be sold in Australia when launched.
