Coming soon: MG Cyberster electric sports car revealed

Key details about the MG Cyberster

• MG’s first electric sports car goes official
• Two-seat convertible due on sale in the UK in 2024
• Traditional steering wheel ditched for Tesla-style ‘yoke’
• Marks MG’s 100^th anniversary

What is it?

An electric, two-seat convertible sports car. That’s something we’ve not really seen yet, if you exclude a few million-pound supercars. Thankfully, this one should be an awful lot cheaper than that.

That’s because it’s built by MG, a brand known for making some of the best value electric cars on sale. Called the MG Cyberster, it’s a production car soon to launch in China before arriving in Europe and the UK next year. 

But why is MG suddenly making sports cars? Well, if you’re not old enough to remember when MG was a distinctly British brand, it spent several decades building sporty two-seat drop-tops that sold in huge numbers around the world.

MG is now under Chinese ownership, but it hasn't forgotten the brand’s roots. Which is why the Cyberster will mark MG’s centenary year when it goes on sale in 2024.

The car's design director, Carl Gotham, said "the design of the Cyberster represents an electric exhilarating performance sports car. Everybody will remember MG as the quintessential British sports car maker. This car car that we've created is a definite statement of a return to form for the brand."

Why should I get excited?

Well, the MG Cyberster could well be the only affordable EV sports car on sale next year, making it a genuinely unique proposition compared to bigger, pricier sporting EVs like the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan.

It’s certainly the raciest looking MG we’ve seen for some time. After unofficial images were posted on social media from China's patent office earlier this year, MG decided to reveal it in full. Its first public debut was at the Shanghai Motor Show, but it's also been on display in London today.

Designed at MG's parent company SAIC's Design Advanced London facility, the Cyberster features traditional two-seat sports car proportions with a long, low bonnet and short overhangs. It also has Lamborghini-style butterfly doors that open upwards - a novel feature at this price point. 

It was initially unclear whether the new car would be called 'Cyberster' in the UK and Europe as MG uses different regional names (did you know that the MG 4 is called the Mulan in China?). However, being shown in London bearing the unusual badge makes it likely the name will stick. 

The technical stuff is also under wraps for now, although the earlier Chinese leaks give some snippets. The patent filings show it’ll be just over 4.5m long and 1.9m wide, which is both longer and wider than a Cupra Born.

The Chinese filings suggest both single and dual-motor versions of the Cyberster will be offered, putting out between 309bhp and 536bhp – putting it smack-bang in the range of the BMW i4. That’s quite a lot of power, but it’s needed given the dual-motor model is expected to weigh nearly two tonnes.

MG claimed some wild stats with the concept version of the Cyberster was revealed back in 2021, including a 0-62mph time of less than three seconds. We’d expect that to be toned back a bit, but even so this svelte two-seater should rocket from 0-62mph in well under four seconds. That’s knocking on the door of the Kia EV6 GT.  

It looks good. But what’s it like inside?

The first interior images reveal a triple screen instrument and media layout and a wraparound, driver-focused cabin. But the most distinctive feature is the 'yoke'-style steering wheel - similar to the controls used in an aeroplane. 

It’s similar to what Tesla has added to the latest Model S and Model X in the US, basically looking like a traditional wheel that’s been sawn off above the centre point. MG previewed this on the concept version of the Cyberster.

The yoke should give the driver a better view of the digital dials, although it remains to be seen if it will actually make production or be an optional extra at a later date. The dashboard also has a central ‘spine’ splitting the driver and passenger areas. Great if you hate it when your other half fiddles with the controls.

MG won’t just throw in any old switchgear from cheaper models. Expect a bespoke design and more advanced software than we've seen on previous MG, with a portrait-style fourth screen visible in the centre of the dash below some shortcut buttons. 

It's all but certain that the MG Cyberster will only have two seats, but there may be a storage area behind those seats for items that won’t fit in the boot. It also remains to be seen if MG can offer a boot big enough for a weekend away for two or just a few pairs of socks. No current MG model has a front boot, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Cyberster does.

How far can I drive it on a charge?

Range and charging details for the MG Cyberster will be kept under wraps until closer to the car going on sale

However, among MG’s bold claims when the Cyberster concept was unveiled was a range of 500 miles on a single charge. Again, that seems unrealistic given the size of the car, but we’d be surprised if it couldn’t match the quoted 281-mile range of the MG4.

As for charging speed? Again, we don’t know, but the MG4 maxes out at 135kW. The Cyberster should be capable of that, if not more if technology advances are planned.  

When is it available to buy or lease?

The MG Cyberster (or whatever it may be called over here) will go on sale in 2024 to mark MG’s 100^th anniversary, the brand has confirmed.

And as for the price? Well, we know MG is a budget brand so it should be much more affordable than Porsches and BMWs. But as this is the brand’s flagship sports car it probably won’t be MG 4 money. Reports suggest the Cyberster's starting price will be around £50,000, rising to over £60,000 for more powerful, high-spec versions.

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