The annual Geneva Motor Show is one of the automotive delights of the year. It u nfailingly presents a beady mix of aesthetic and technological exotica that no other international motor show can match, and this year was no exception. The span of newly unveiled production models, big-name concepts, and small-name one-offs was quite extraordinary.

The biggest surprise at Geneva this year was the new Morgan Aero 8. Morgan is a very small but long established (1909) English specialist producer building sports cars that look as if they were styled decades ago—which, more or loss, they were.  Morgan buyers are invariably aficionados prepared to order a car from the company and wait several years for delivery.  Although Morgan has developed its cars to meet international and safety legislation, new models in the fullest sense of the word have not been on the agenda—until now.

The Aero 8 retains much or the Morgan style signature, with flowing fenders and broad runnin gboards;  in that aspect it is as retro as retro can be. However, in some senses the remarkably individualistic Aero 8 is thoroughly Y2K. Described as a "completely new" model,  it has an aluminum chassis and a  combination of thermoplastically and hand-formed aluminum body panels. Morgan describes it as an AIV (aluminum-intensive vehicle).  Engineers develepcd the car over a four-year period, focusing on weight saving, performance, ride, and handling—with lightweight components and materials central to the car's design.

Morgan says the Aero 8 uses "the latest alumninum material produced by Alcan at its plant in Nachteratedt, Germany, It the first car in Europe to he produced using this innovative material which has been specfically designed by Alcan for use in vehicle manufacture, according to Morgan. Sections of the aluminum are bonded using high-performance Gurritt Essex adhesive and riveted with Bollhoff rivets for secondary strength. This combination provides excellent torsional rigidity, claims the company.

The Aero 8 uses a 4.4 L BMW V8 engine producing 210 kW (261 hp) at 5500 rpm. It is expected to he sufficient for 0-100 km/h (62mph) acceleration in under 5 seconds a top speed of around 257 km/h 160 mph). A six-speed gearbox with self-adjusting clutch is fitted. The engines cradle is made from aluminum extrusions.  Use of aluminum extrusions for suspension and braking systems contributes to keeping the
cars mass to about 1000 kg (2200 Ib). Suspension is all-independent. At the front, each side gets a long cantilever upper arm with lower wishbone and inboard Elbach coil springs over a Korti shock absorber. At the rear are long transverse wishbones with cantilever-mounted fully floating inboard Eibach coil springs over Koni shock absorbers. Antiroll bars are not fitted.

Like other Morgans, the Aero 8 has an ash frame. Designed in-house using CATIA software. the car has a Cd of 0.39. a figure which shows little variance with the folding roof erect or lowered. Styling is certainly distinctive, The shapc, which develops negative lift front and rear, was developed in the UK's  MIRA wind tunnel. A Venturi tunnel is incorporated at the rear of the car to reduce lift. The car was tested at BMW's facility in the South of France.  Production is scheduled to begin in July.