2025 Morgan Plus Four: Classy, fun, but no manual for the US makes no sense

In Sport+, the optional active sports exhaust system ($2,827.50) also helps to impart a slightly more serious soundtrack. This one manages a bit of drama as turbo whine and intake rush creep in through a complete lack of sound insulation. Plus, the exhaust barks out back with little pops and bangs on throttle liftoff.

Without a doubt, nothing on the road can quite compare to a Plus Four today. What other lightweight sports cars even survived into the modern era, when a Porsche Boxster or even a Lotus Emira now weigh above 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg)? Only the Mazda MX-5, perhaps, which weighs slightly more, with swoopy modern styling and economy car materials on the inside.

Speaking of which, plenty on the Plus Four could use a bit more of a premium touch. The steering wheel looks reminiscent of a Lotus Elise or even an original Tesla Roadster, plasticky and cheap despite the leather and physical shape actually turning out fairly nice. A thin wood rim would go a long way, as would remedying some other questionable build quality decisions throughout.

More wood on the dash, rather than the standard painted silver, might reduce glare with the convertible top laid back. And even with the roof up and the removable door panels in place, the Plus Four never approaches anywhere near weatherproof, as I felt strong drafts from around my left elbow, and the sliding plexiglas windows entirely lack seals. The sun visor attachments also rattle incessantly, and the Sennheiser premium sound system can’t even bump loud enough to drown the annoyance out, so perhaps skip that $3,770 option.

Some of the Plus Four’s issues seem easily fixable: just remove the roof, forget the music, and torque down some fittings a bit more here and there. Needing to worry about such avoidable irritations in the first place, though, proves that Morgan may have modernized the car, but a certain level of classic British engineering still applies.

Even so, nothing else I’ve driven mixes driving pleasure and crowd pleasing at the level of the new Plus Four. At the price of $103,970 as tested, I simply cannot forgive the decision to not even offer the choice of a manual transmission, which would transform this classy roadster into an entirely different animal indeed.