Classic British sports car brand Morgan has unveiled its newest model: the Morgan Supersport, designed to have all the fun and stylish charm that the brand is known for, but in a package that’s easier to live with for your practical car needs.
Morgan holds a cult status among classic sports car fans, but its cars are typically considered fun weekend indulgences rather than something you’d actually use day to day. But the Supersport could change that, with a hefty BMW engine, softer and more comfortable handling, and reduced drag thanks to computer-aided design. Overall, it’s an attempt to position the Supersport as a meaningful alternative to, say, a Porsche 911.
“We’ve really focused on making this a car that you can jump in and grab by the scruff of the neck, and just really, really drive,” Matthew Hole of Morgan said to TopGear.com. “And we’ve hopefully put as many features into the car that mean you want to do that all the time rather than some of the time.”
The Supersport uses a 335bhp BMW B58 six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, and with a 0-60mph speed of 3.9s it’s plenty nippy and faster than the brand’s previous Plus Six model. There’s also options for a soft fold-back roof for enjoying the wind in your hair or a carbon fiber hardtop for those looking for more practical weather protection and improved rigidity, as well as new lightweight wheels with Michelin tires.
The big step up for the Supersport, though, is in terms of little practicalities for everyday life. There’s an electronically opening trunk with storage space behind the seats, and a wireless phone charger in the central console and a hands-free phone system. The classic Morgan touches are still there though, like ash wood uses for the frame for the bodywork and bold round headlines, plus of course the iconic shape.
The Supersport will cost around £100,000 ($130,000) for the base model with just a few hundred cars produced each year.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.