One of the coolest things about Morgan’s Plus 4 roadster is how it blends its olde-worlde looks and feel with modern mechanical and technological solutions.

With the new motorsports-inspired AR Plus 4 that was made to commemorate the 65th year of Plus 4 production, Morgan is taking it up a notch with its first use of a Cosworth engine, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated for 225hp.

Morgan hasn’t released performance specs yet, but knowing that the base 154hp Plus 4 hits 100km/h (62mph) in 7.5 seconds (tops out at 189km/h or 118mph), the AR model could reach the same speed in around 6 seconds.

The brand’s AR Motorsport technicians made changes to the chassis, including a new suspension with adjustable shock absorbers, a new braking system, and a different axle-ratio.

To separate itself from the standard Plus 4, the ARP4 gets a handful of styling upgrades including bigger black alloy wheels, exposed aluminum panels, weave carpets, LED lights all round, updated dashboard, and AR Motorsport details.

It will be presented at the Silverstone Classic 2015, with Morgan to hand-build 50 examples, each priced at £54,995 (about US$85,200 or €77,800) in the UK.

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