He took delivery of the roadster recently.
Some celebrities have questionable taste when it comes to cars, but not Richard Hammond. One of the trio from Top Gear back when it was actually good and now The Grand Tour, he has both money and a discerning automotive palate. Yet another piece of evidence is the 2020 Morgan Plus Six he took delivery of recently, and a Drive Tribe camera crew was along for the event.
This new Morgan Plus Six will be Hammond’s daily driver. He chose the specs, including an almost all-black exterior which looks quite “smashing” as they Brits would say. Even the exhaust pipes are black. The wheels are matte black, which really works and matches some of the exterior trim. Making the interior of the roadster pop is red leather, a color fans voted for, edging out blue as the other choice.
If you don’t really understand them, Morgans seem like really buttoned-up, prim, no-fun British cars. They certainly look like vehicles produced by the island nation long ago. However, they serve up a surprisingly lively driving experience, which is why they’re a huge hit with enthusiasts in the know. And the 2020 Morgan Plus Six kicks up the fun factor even more in several ways.
Purists will be concerned the top-of-the-line Plus Six doesn’t come with a steel chassis, but soon all Morgans will ride on an aluminum platform. It means shedding some curb weight without sacrificing torsional rigidity and other benefits.
While the Plus Six is in some ways old school, foregoing features like traction control, it comes with some advanced technological wizardry via BMW. The same B58 turbo straight-six engine used in the BMW Z4 powers this roadster, so it’s definitely quick.
The one thing Hammond will have to contend with is the manual convertible roof. That means anticipating if it’s going to rain before starting a drive, something which isn’t exactly easy to gauge in jolly old England. In addition, that top is just a single layer of material, so it doesn’t provide a lot of insulation from the cold. Hopefully Hammond doesn’t have that much commuting to do.
Images credit: YouTube
