The Morgan Plus 8 made its return in 2011 and since then, the retro-styled, modern-day sports car->ke506 has seen its fair share of buyers. But don't mistake the Plus 8's looks as just a novelty because there's a lot of history to it. In fact, Morgan->ke60 has been building cars for 100 years, and it is paying tribute to that with the launch of the special edition Plus 8 Speedster.

There's no denying that the Morgan Plus 8 Speedster doesn't look like any other sports car these days. It's looks come from a bygone era of stripped-down, road-going race cars->ke148 and therein lies the appeal, as a lot of people will say.

You can call the Plus 8 Speedster eccentric, but what it really represents is a testament to the timeless nature of the model that can get imbibed with a buyer's taste and preference, thanks to the comprehensive list of options Morgan is offering for its customers.

Oh, and don't forget that the Plus 8 Speedster really does live up to its legend. It's powered by a BMW->ke178-sourced, 4.8-liter, V-8 engine that produces 367 horsepower and 370 pound-feet, while mated to either a six-speed manual or a ZF six-speed automatic transmission. That much power translates to a 0-to-62 mph time of 4.2 seconds to go with an electrionically limited top speed of 148 mph. Those numbers represent a 0.3-second faster 0-to-60-mph time and a 7-mph slower top speed than the base Plus 8 with the same engine output.

The Morgan Plus 8 Speedster is expected to hit production this coming June with the first cars available later this year. It's a special edition model so understandably, it comes with a special edition price of £69,995, which is about $117,000 based on current exchange rates.

Click past the jump to read about the Morgan Plus 8.

Morgan Plus 8

The Morgan Plus 9 dates way back top 1968, when it debuted with a 3.5-liter V-8 from GM-Buick. The Plus 8 ran through 2004, then made its return in 2011. The latest iteration makes use of a BMW-sourced 4.8-liter V-8 that cranks out 367 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque.

The engine mates to a ZF-built, six-speed auto box that delivers power to the rear wheels. This combo allows the lightweight, retro-inspired car to hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. On top of that, it gets a surprising 32.2 mpg on the highway.