MG is bringing back the roadster in the form of the all-electric Cyberster
2024 will mark 100 years of MG, and for much of that time small affordable roadsters were the brand’s bread and butter. We now have confirmation that the MG roadster is back with the all-new Cyberster.
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Best electric cars to buy 2023Thanks to recently leaked patent images, we have a pretty good idea as to how MG’s latest creation will look. Our exclusive images give us a preview of the car’s design language, carrying plenty over from the concept model of 2021.
The Cyberster is expected to sit at the top of the MG range which already has three pure-EVs – the new MG4, MG5 estate and the MG ZS EV.
MG Cyberster: exterior design
The bold design of the Cyberster originates from the concept version – created by London-based SAIC Design. The concept featured plenty of eye-catching details, such as ‘Magic Eye’ headlights that open when turned on, the Laser Belt line of LEDs along the side, and the squared-off Kammback tail.
The patent images show the production car will be a little less aggressive, with a small grille at the bottom of the front bumper and a long bonnet with plenty of creases and slashes that cascades into the nose. The ‘Magic Eye’ headlights have been replaced with more conventional units.
The finned side skirts of the concept remain, although the Laser Belt has been toned down. Plus, the open-top speedster design of the concept has been swapped for a folding fabric roof, which should be more appropriate for the British climate.
As on the Cyberster, the rear end of the new car features some outlandish brake-light design. However, whether or not the units resemble the British flag (like the rear lights on the current MINI) or gigantic arrows is up for debate.
The concept’s rear diffuser has shrunk, but the Kammback rear end remains. It gives the car a traditional profile, with proportions more akin to the classic MGB, rather than the firm’s most recent convertible car, the TF.
MG Cyberster: interior and technology
The interior of the Cyberster will be vastly different from the likes of the MG4 and MG5. Thanks to leaked images of a test car from the Chinese site Weibo, we can confirm a yoke-style steering wheel will feature – similar to what Tesla offers in the Model S and Model X.
MG could fit a variable-ratio steering system to make the yoke easier to operate at low speeds, but this hasn’t been confirmed. Either way, it’s likely that the shift paddles behind the yoke will be used to adjust the car’s brake regen settings, given the Cyberster’s EV powertrain.
Behind the steering yoke there’s a curved digital dash which coupled with the rather cocooning centre console makes for a driver-focused cabin. The main screen is likely to be a 10.25-inch touchscreen taken from the MG4. An array of physical buttons sit on the dash and there’s another, third screen located on the centre console. Previous spy images have shown the Cyberster will use the concept’s ‘Zero Gravity’ floating head restraints.
The party piece of the Cyberster will undoubtedly be the scissor doors that swing upwards – this feature was hinted at by an official video posted by MG.
We expect the Cyberster to offer MG’s full range of interior technology and safety systems. The new MG4 in range-topping Trophy Long Range guise is equipped with active emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, lane change assist and blind spot detection.
MG Cyberster: performance and release date
MG claimed the Cyberster concept could do 500 miles on a single charge and accelerate from 0-62mph in less than three seconds. We expect these figures to be pared back a little, but that’s not to say the Cyberster won’t offer up impressive stats.
MG recently unveiled its Mulan hatchback for the Chinese market – which we know here as the MG4. The Mulan is capable of 0-62mph in four seconds and will be offered with rear-wheel drive on the SAIC Nebula pure-electric architecture, which would provide a perfect base for MG’s new sports car. Full specs for the Mulan have not been revealed, but some of its technology could transfer into the new roadster.
The sports car’s powertrain is likely to be geared for performance rather than efficiency. But its proportions should result in a lighter kerbweight than MG’s other electric cars, so we expect it to at least match the 273-mile range of the ZS Long Range SUV. It will depend on how much underfloor battery can be packaged beneath the passenger cell while still keeping the car low, however.
The car could hit the roads in 2024 to coincide with MG’s centenary, possibly with an MGC EV badge, following parent firm SAIC filing a trademark for the name. Direct rivals will be few and far between, but the new car could give buyers of internal combustion-engined convertibles like the Mazda MX-5 and BMW Z4 a new avenue to explore.
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