| Such
performance demands a seriously sorted chassis. At the core of the Aero
8 is its headline grabbing bonded aluminium tub, designed by ex-Jaguar engineering
chief Jim Randle. It is immensely stiff and allows the suspension to work
as intended. Chris Lawrence, project engineer for the Aero 8, has incorporated
some very original thinking into the chassis and suspension. Not only does
the car do without anti-roll bars, but the front suspension has inboard-mounted
Koni shocks, like a race car. The rear suspension design is unique and has
fully-floating spring and damper units which ensure the Aero's suspension
geometry stays consistent throughout the widest possible range |
of
wheel travel. It's also fully rose-jointed, so there's no slack or feel-sapping
rubberiness between you and the road. The result is a precise, dynamically
tight chassis with an excellent compromise between ride and handling, a
concept that will be unfamiliar to owners of earlier Morgan tooth-rattlers.
Don't poo-poo all old Morgans, though, for the more recent +4s and +8s actually
handle pretty well, generating impressive grip and traction when the archaic
suspension is allowed to work unchallenged. Throw in some bumps, however,
and it all gets a bit jittery as the chassis struggles to cope with modern
levels of power and torque.
Despite being new from the tyres up, the |
Aero
8 shares some of the +S's character - lots of lazy, woofly torque; smooth,
measured steering response and clean, trustworthy road holding. Where it
moves the game on enormously is in its compliance and fluidity across any
surface you care to mention. Smooth or lumpen, wet and leaf-strewn or merely
damp, it delivers levels of grip and traction that belie its potency and
lack of any electronic driver aids.
With no ABS or traction control, the miserable weather means conditions
are far from perfect in the Malvern hills, but the Aero 8 is surprisingly
faithful. It reacts gently to steering inputs, rather than displaying the
razor-keen twitchiness of a TVR. It feels lazy as you turn into a corner,
|
