For decades, the letters "MG" conjured images of tweed caps, country lanes, and lightweight, affordable British roadsters. But the historic marque, now under the stewardship of SAIC Motor, has reinvented itself. After years of producing sensible family SUVs, MG has dropped the mic with its centenary celebration piece: the MG Cyberster.
With scissor doors, supercar acceleration, and a fully electric powertrain, the Cyberster isn't just a nod to the past—it is a bold claim on the future. But does it have the soul required to redefine the sports car segment?
The Design: Drama on Demand
Let’s address the elephant in the room—or rather, the hawk in the sky. The scissor doors. Usually reserved for Lamborghinis and McLarens, MG has fitted electrically operated scissor doors as standard. It is pure theater, and it works.
The design language moves away from the "retro-pastiche" trap. While there are subtle nods to the MGB, the Cyberster is aggressively modern. With its Kammback rear, arrow-shaped LED taillights (a nod to the Union Jack), and low-slung nose, it looks like a concept car that escaped the studio.
The Cockpit: A Digital embrace
Slip inside (gracefully, if you can), and you are met with a driver-centric cockpit that feels more like a fighter jet than a car. Three screens wrap around the driver, displaying speed, infotainment, and vehicle health.
The build quality is a significant step up for #MG. Nappa leather, Alcantara, and sturdy switchgear suggest a car punching above its price weight. However, it is strictly a two-seater; the focus here is on the experience, not utility. The fabric roof folds away in just 15 seconds at speeds up to 30mph, allowing for instant open-air motoring.
Performance: The Heavyweight Sprinter
Here is where the debate on the "future of sports cars" heats up. The Cyberster is available in two main flavors: a single-motor RWD (335bhp) and the dual-motor AWD GT (503bhp).
The GT version is blisteringly fast, clocking 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds. That is supercar territory. The instant torque of the #ElectricVehicle powertrain provides a visceral punch that combustion engines struggle to match without massive turbos.
However, batteries are heavy. The Cyberster tips the scales at nearly two tonnes (approx. 1,985kg). Purists will argue that a true sports car needs to be light. While the Cyberster masks its weight well with a low center of gravity and sophisticated suspension tuning, it feels more like a high-speed Grand Tourer than a nimble Mazda MX-5. It grips tenaciously, but you are always aware of the mass you are carrying through the corners.
Range and Usability
For a sports car, the range is respectable. You are looking at a WLTP range of roughly 270 to 316 miles depending on the spec. With 150kW DC fast charging, you can top up from 10-80% in under 40 minutes. It makes the Cyberster a viable weekend getaway car, provided the charging infrastructure plays along.
The Verdict: Is This the Future?
The MG Cyberster occupies a unique space. The Tesla Roadster is still nowhere to be seen, and the electric Porsche Boxster/Cayman is still on the horizon. MG has beaten them to the punch.
