Morgan's drop-dead gorgeous Eva GT

"At a time of global conservation with a drive towards improved fuel economy…" starts the Morgan Eva GT's press release.

Uh-oh, they've gone and used a wooden chassis again, you know, being biodegradable and earth- friendly. That's what I thought anyway, but the fate of the new Eva GT is thankfully much, much better than that old coffee table you had, which fell apart last year and ended up at the Jumeirah recycling plant.

But better than its technical aspects, which we'll get to in a bit, is the fact that the new model doesn't borrow styling cues from Roman chariots like all other Morgans.

The low-volume manufacturer — and I mean low, so low, it's almost negative with barely 500 cars a year — has produced a four-seater coupé which "takes its inspiration from the British sports saloons of the early Fifties." So you see, close, but not Roman chariots.

Anyway, Morgan is very serious about efficiency, so taking advantage of its small size and flexibility in production, the company promises to bring out a new model every two years, even targeting electric sportscars. The first though is the Morgan Eva GT, based, like the preceding Aero, on a BMW drivetrain.

The chassis is bonded aluminium, with an advantage of good rigidity and low weight. In fact, underneath that sensuous bodywork is the same chassis found in the Aero SuperSports, which competed in the International GT3 class, no less.

Hand finishing the body, is of course, just another day in the Morgan factory, but computers were extensively used in designing the body to ensure good aerodynamic properties and manufacturing precision.

Detailing went as far as hiding the windscreen wipers, and minimal shut lines which you'd swear were achieved by robots, as eyewitnesses at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (where the car was unveiled), assure us. Morgan also incorporated flush door handles so your eye doesn't get ‘trapped' when looking over the Eva GT's glorious lines.

Underneath that long organic-looking bonnet is BMW's familiar 3.0-litre straight-six twin-scroll turbo motor, with direct injection and 306bhp plus 400Nm of torque. Don't scoff, because the Eva GT weighs only 1,250kg, which is a lot less than BMW's own 1,600kg Z4 sDrive35i.

In fact, even the highly-personalised V8-powered Wiesmanns over in Germany tend to weigh about 30kg more, depending on how many goodies you check on the options list.

Six-speed manuals or automatic transmissions are offered driving the rear axle, and predicted 0-100kph times range in the 4.5 seconds mark, while top speed should hover just above 270kph, so no electronic limiter.

You can already place an order and the requested deposit is £5,000 (Dh28,500) but be prepared for a lengthy wait as the first 100 examples from the limited run of Eva GTs are only reaching customers mid-2012.

Time line

1910 - Three-wheeled beginnings

Morgan traces its roots to 100 years ago. Its first motors were V-Twin powered three-wheelers, with great motorsport success.

1950 - A step into the unknown

It took Morgan 40 years to add a fourth wheel. Once the Morgan +4 began production, the company never changed its styling to this day.

2000 - The first facelift

Morgan used a BMW V8 in the Aero 8, its first truly new car in half a century. With a 4.5 seconds sprint to 100kph, the Aero 8 was an instant jackpot.

2009 - Into the future

Launched last year, the Aero Supersports is a convertible version of the Aeromax. This limited and bespoke supercar again uses BMW power.

New and old

1. The waist line ensures Morgan's ancient styling cue remains untouched. It's meant to depict pre-war style swept wings.
2. Under the gilled bonnet — ultra long in signature style — is a BMW 3.0-litre twin-scroll turbo straight-six, with 306bhp.
3. Bonnet edges lead into the roof line to round off the rear window in a front-rear mirror effect.
4. A key aspect of the styling is the Morgan grille, very much unchanged from its 60-year-old design.
5. The rear end culminates in a surprise element; a swept-up peak above the badge and between the quad LED tail lamps — another new Morgan addition.