Morgan Supersport launches in USA with BMW 2.0 turbo-four, not the Euro six-cylinder

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America’s Morgan Supersport gets a BMW 2.0-liter turbo-four engine.

European buyers get a 3.0-liter turbocharged BMW six-cylinder instead.

Prices start at $119,995, before adding the Dynamic Handling Pack.

No company builds cars quite like Morgan. Where most performance brands chase ever-bigger power figures, Morgan goes the other way, toward simple back-to-basics motoring. One of its most compelling models has now reached the US.

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Ahead of its American debut at Monterey Car Week next month, Morgan has secured clearance for the Supersport under the FAST Act Replica Car Rule. The British marque says federal sign-off took extensive engineering and homologation work to meet the rule’s requirements, which finally opened a path for the roadster to reach US buyers. First deliveries begin in September.

Read: Morgan’s New Pininfarina Coupe Hides A BMW Six And A Wooden Frame

Sadly, the Supersport sold in the US isn’t as exciting as its European counterpart. Over there, Morgan fits a BMW-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged six, good for 335 hp in standard trim and up to 402 hp in the Supersport 400. American shoppers will make do with BMW’s B46 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four instead, rated at 255 hp and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque. It’s the same unit found in the smaller Morgan Plus Four.

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Mated to this engine is an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Perhaps the only advantage of the four-cylinder is that it’s a little lighter than the six, which may improve the car’s front-end feel. Customers can also order it with the Dynamic Handling Pack, adding adjustable front and rear Nitron dampers developed specifically for the US-spec Supersport.

Lightweight 18-inch aluminum wheels come standard, while lighter 19-inch forged shoes sit on the options list. Buyers can also add a carbon-composite hard top weighing just 19.7 kg (43 lbs), along with Sennheiser audio and a wireless phone charger.

Limited, So Get One While You Can

Beyond the engine, America’s Supersport looks much the same as the one sold elsewhere. It features gorgeous hand-crafted aluminum bodywork and is available with a carbon-composite hard top and a folding soft top.

Don’t expect to see the Supersport flooding American streets. Through the FAST Act, under which it’s been imported, just 325 units can be imported annually. Starting at $119,995, it’s also relatively pricey, though it is hard to find hand-built cars that don’t cost many times more.

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Photos Morgan