Photographs and Road Test
By John H. Sheally II
Seldom does a sports car come along that is both a
comfortable road machine and a race car in one package but
five such species have been produced by by Isis Imports in
San Francisco, California. Until you have driven one you
won't experience excellence in spirited motoring the likes
of this on this planet in any street car short of a megabuck
super cars.
Bill Fink, (the legendary owner of Isis Imports) and his
associate Keith Baldwin, (formerly a member of the
Morgan Motor Company race crew and the older brother of Mark
Baldwin, head of the MMC Service Department) are the men
behind this phenomena. With it, they have shown clearly that
the potential of the traditional Morgan two seater is still
far from fully exploited or enjoyed.
If you look at one of these lovelies from a distance (or
even close-up!) you have no indication that you are looking
at something other than just another Morgan Plus-8 with a
Rover V8 and a Rover 5 speed. Then you fire it up. There is
a different, even quieter sound to the engine and exhaust
note. Pop the bonnet to see the reason and you are in for a
shock as there you will find LS2 Corvette 6L engine nestled
in, producing 400 horsepower and 400 pounds feet of torque!
(There is a great story from the time Bill casually handed
the keys to a seeming Plus 8 to an unsuspecting Knut Hallam
(Morgan Agent in Norway, collector and racer). After a short
run Knut scrambled from the driver's seat to see what he had
unleashed in front!)
Controlling this immense powerplant is the beefy Tremec T56
6-speed transmission (the stock unit in Vipers, Mustangs
and Aston Martins) and behind that a equally solid LSD axle
used in Camaros. Braking is superb with discs at the four
corners actuated by a Morgan master and servo.
This excellent conversion consists of over 200 parts and 
provides a fully controllable package weighting 2470
pounds. Compare that to the weight of a Corvette with the
same components (3245 pounds) and you have the recipe
for a rocket.
The suspension set up has four leading arms (trailing arms)
and a panhard working together with coil-over shocks on a
braced Morgan stock rear hoop. An ingenious and effective GM
torque arm is used from a flange on the rear axle to the
side of the transmission to further stabilize the nose of
the axle.
The power-to-weight ratio comfortably exceeds anything less
than a Porsche GT ($400,000) or a spicy Ferrari yet this
Morgan's fuel mileage is less than its Rover V8 brethren 
with less than 1/2 its power. In an earlier version with
less horsepower and torque, the car was independently tested
at a 0-60 of 4.2 seconds and 120 mph in the quarter mile in
just 12.6 seconds. This new version betters that..a lot. The
LS2 simply bursts through the trad Morgan's aerodynamic
limitations. Top end is in excess of 150 MPH. The immense
aftermarket for this engine offers an endless buffet of more
power tweaking options.
That is all the disa and data. What you really want to hear
is how this baby drives and handles. It's both a road
warrior and a race car combined.
It is a Road Machine in that it is very smooth, calm and
comfortable to drive at slow and average road speeds around
town and sails steadily on Interstates/Motorways. Steering
is light but with good feel and feedback. Brakes are
excellent. Interior sound is better than average for a
Morgan with top/hood erected and side screens in place. With
Hood/Top down, it is quiet and "In the Wind".
The Race Car side of the ride is earned by its absolutely
electrifying bursts of speed and torque delivered on demand
at a twitch of a toe. The fly-by-wire throttle needs to move
the gas pedal a mere 4 inches rather than the 6 inches of a
cable throttled car, and is instantly responsive. In any
gear, the +8+ just keeps pulling and delivering all the
way.
It hits the curves and delivers great grip on entry but on
exit of the corners you must have the car absolutely
straight before you use full power or the rear end will kick
out as a result of the posi-traction unit kicking in and all
the power delivered to the rear wheels. Squeeze the brakes
at any speed and this Plus 8 pulls down to a stop straight
as a arrow.
I took the machine up to Summit Point Raceway and saw 140 to
150 MPH with wonderful control and acceleration out of the
corners and handling spot on. Both on the road and at track 
speed the car gives no bad feedback. It runs cool (special
radiator!) and never breathes hard. All
this from a stock engine and drive line that will give you
years of good exciting performance and reliability with
normal care. The car is a real performer that needs to be
respected at speed.
At the Mog 36 Autocross I managed to turn the fastest lap of
the day on the track (FTD) of 70.353 in my prepared 1983
Plus-8. Would I have beat that time in a prepared Aero-8?
The answer is yes. Would I have been faster than both in
this rocket? Answer, most definitely WOW! YES!
$35,000 will get your post 1976 Plus-8, post-1998 Plus 4 or
any post 2004 Morgan converted.
Names suggested for this exhilaration on 4 wheels have been
"ISIS-8", "ISIS-SS", Mogvette though one has yet to be
chosen. Bill Fink thinks Peter Morgan may have called it a
"PLUS-8-PLUS". Sounds right to me!
John Sheally II
