This British Sports Car Has Used BMW Engines For A Quarter Century

But if you want to sell a classic-looking vehicle to sell globally, you need a BMW motor. Bavarian Motor Works has become the go-to engine supplier for small automakers such as the Morgan Motor Company in the UK because BMW powertrains meet strict European and global emissions and fuel economy regulations as well as American ones.

Morgan began its partnership with BMW 25 years ago in 2000, starting with the launch of the Aero 8, which was launched at the Geneva International Motor Show. To celebrate this historic debut, Morgan gathered 14 of its most important BMW-powered vehicles to demonstrate how each of them helped evolve the company's technical capability. Almost every BMW powertrain that has ever been featured in a Morgan is present in the gathering.

"BMW’s engines have consistently delivered the reliability, performance, and character that support the Morgan driving experience, helping to deliver undiluted driving joy for the past 25 years. It is a partnership built on this shared value, as we combine our handcrafted production, individuality, and driver-focused engineering, with BMW's exceptional powertrain technology."

– Matthew Hole, managing director, Morgan Motor Company

BMW's Longest Engine Partner 

Morgan is not the only company that uses BMW engines; some other examples include Land Rover, Ineos Automotive, and even Toyota. With nearly 5,000 units supplied over a quarter-century, Morgan is BMW's longest-running OEM engine partner, since the partnership with McLaren ended after F1 production halted in 1998. 

The UK company currently uses two BMW engines, the B48 and B58, both of which are assembled at BMW Group Plant Steyr, in Austria. For the first time in years, we can actually drive a four-wheeled Morgan on US roads, powered by the 2.0-liter four-cylinder B486 in the US, the Morgan Plus Four (a SULEV-compliant version of the B48).

In fact, CarBuzz has driven the 2025 Plus Four, and it's one of the most unique experiences you can have for around $100,000. Unfortunately, Morgan is only allowed to sell 325 cars per year in the US based on the Fixing America's Surface Transportation, and the company does not offer the Supersport with the inline-six.

Long History Of Excellence 

BMW and Morgan have come a long way since their partnership began in 2000. The original BMW-powered Morgan, the Aero 8, used a 4.4-liter M62 V8 producing just 282 horsepower. For comparison, the four-cylinder Plus Four now delivers 255 hp and the six-cylinder Supersport now makes 335 hp thanks to turbocharging. Morgan followed up the Aero 8 with the Series 2 and Series 3 models, followed by the AeroMax, which used a 4.8-liter V8 producing up to 362 hp. 

The V8 engine made its last appearance in 2018 with the last Plus 8 built at Morgan's factory on Pickersleigh Road. Morgan also used the N62 for one final run of nine motorsports Plus 8 GTR models in 2021. Number nine out of six is actually featured in the 14-car historic display.

Morgan ushered in the turbocharged era in 2019 with the Plus Six, launching its new CX platform with double the torsional stiffness. The BMW B58 is used in a coachbuilt barchetta model, which was revealed in 2024 in conjunction with Pininfarina. 50 bespoke examples will be created, with the final example rolling off the line in early 2026.