Morgan will revive the Plus 8 at the Geneva motor show in March 2012 with this car – which combines the advanced aluminium structure and BMW V8 engine of the Aero 8 with a more traditional body style based on Morgan's 'classic' models.

The original Plus 8 was Morgan's flagship model from its introduction in 1968 until the introduction of the Aero series in 2000. The Plus 8 continued until 2004, when the Rover V8 engine it used was replaced by a Ford V6 and the car was renamed the V6 Roadster.

The new Plus 8 uses the BMW V8 engine and the bonded and riveted aluminium chassis which Morgan use in the Aero 8 Supersports, but the bodywork is related to the Roadster and four-cylinder 4/4 models. The Plus 8 is believed to be around 6in (150mm) wider than the Roadster, but shorter and lighter than the Aero 8. As a result, it should be the fastest-accelerating road car the company has yet built.

Selected Morgan customers have already received details of the new car, and the company is taking orders ahead of the official public debut which will be at the Geneva motor show in March 2012. The new Plus 8 is expected to cost around £85,000 – more than twice the price of the V6 Roadster (which continues in production, now with a 3.7-litre Ford Mustang V8) but around £40,000 less than the Aero Supersport.