We have had a bit of a run of vehicles not consider off-roaders being converted to be off-roaders just recently on Stuff Motoring, with the bloke who took his MX-5 up a mountain and the lunatic who converted a BMW Z4 into a Baja racer-style thing.
But now we have an established manufacturer giving it a go, with UK sports car maker Morgan building an off-road version of the Plus Four called the CX-T, designed for overland adventure.
Jonathan Wells, Head of Design at Morgan, said: The Morgan design team has been conceptualising modern-day trialling vehicles for many years.
The CX-T is an off-road version of the Morgan Plus Four, and it looks like a lot of fun.
Around 18 months ago, our investors and CEO, Steve Morris, were in the studio and remarked how incredible it would be to bring one of these drawings to life. The project was unrestrained and born entirely from a desire to create an exciting British adventure vehicle.
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The CX-T, like many recent Morgan vehicles, demonstrates the flexibility of the Morgan design. For me, its a complete package: historical integrity, legitimate capability, and a brand-new adventure-lead aesthetic.
About the only thing that looks a bit odd is the Morgan sign on the roof, which would be more at home on a taxi.
The modifications are relatively simple. Theres an external roll-cage, with extra lights mounted to the top crossbar, with storage bags slung across each fender.
The rear section has been expanded to house two full-sized spare wheels, more waterproof luggage cases, an aluminium toolbox and two 11-litre fuel containers.
Under the skin are modified wishbones from the larger Plus Six that widen the track and increase wheel travel, EXE-TC coilovers with internal bump stops, around 230mm of ground clearance and special bushes in the lower suspension arms for better durability.
The rear storage area can hold two full-size spares and extra fuel.
Power comes from a BMW-sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that makes around 190kW, while Morgan has also tapped BMW for an xDrive electronic rear differential with custom software. Helping protect the innards is a five-piece skidpate set-up while a revised exhaust layout helps the departure angle.
Three drive modes are included too: Road, which opens the differential entirely; All-Terrain, which gives it a 45 per cent lock; and All-Terrain Extreme with a 100 per cent lock.
Other changes include a mounting rack on the dashboard for a phone or camera, a removable map holder for those that still use physical maps, an insulated chiller bag, a composite hardtop that fits between the internal and external rollcages, and a first aid kit.
Only eight will be built, and Morgan wants to build them all before the year ends. Better get in quick.