Electric successor to the MG B and MG F sports cars will launch “in around 18 months” according to MG boss.
MG has confirmed the electric MG Cyberster sports-car concept will make production in 2023, and that “expectation will be exceeded” – suggesting the brand is looking to diversify its range of practical estate cars and SUVs.
Guy Pigounakis, MG Motor UK’s commercial director, said: “In around 18 months’ time, the car that enthusiasts have been waiting for will be launched.” The comments, made at an event in May 2022, point towards a late-2023 launch for the reborn electric MG F.
The new sports car will take inspiration from the Cyberster – an electric two-seater concept shown at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2021. MG claimed a potential 800km range and 0-100km/h time of under three seconds for the car. However, specifics on the number of motors and battery size of the production model haven’t been confirmed.
MG’s London design studio SAIC Design had teased the low-slung speedster for months, posting various images on social media in the run-up to its unveiling in China. At the time, Carl Gotham, director of SAIC Design in London, said: “Cyberster is a hugely exciting concept for us. The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching on our heritage but more importantly building on our technology and advanced design.”
Without any of the smoke and lightning of the concept art, we can see how different the Cyberster is to anything in MG’s current line-up or heritage. Overall, the styling has similarities to the classic MG B Roadster, while also resembling the current Mazda MX-5 RF hardtop.
Its roll hoops and a sloping rear deck are reminiscent of the Porsche 911 Speedster, as well as being influenced by the recent crop of exclusive speedsters from Aston Martin and McLaren, most notably in the sharp nose, ultra-thin headlights and aggressive splitter enveloping much of the front of the car.
The rear of the concept features Union Flag brake lights and a full-width tail-light, which sits above the Cyberster’s rear diffuser. The rear looks to be far taller than the front, with simpler Kammback design. It’s not clear at this time if any of these styling cues will be realised on the production car.
The same is true of the MG Cyberster’s cockpit-style interior, with its steep windscreen and yoke steering wheel with touch pads. The driver and passenger are separated by a ‘spine’ that runs through the centre of the cockpit, featuring a large infotainment screen angled towards the driver.
The second screen is a curved driver’s display; the screen also displays the view from the side mirrors, which, like in the Honda e and Audi e-tron, have been replaced by cameras for better aerodynamics.
Richard Ingram