The all-electric two-seat MG sports car will be fitted with an aircraft-style yoke and scissor doors, and it could arrive in showrooms in 2024.
MG has built much of its reputation on small affordable roadsters, and now, fresh leaks all but confirm that the brand is returning to its roots with a dainty, probably all-electric, roadster called the Cyberster.
Our exclusive images provide a clear view of how the forthcoming sports car could look, but a newly released teaser video indicates that the Cyberster will feature bold design details to set it apart from other drop-tops from Mazda and BMW.
The Cyberster will get scissor doors that swing upwards to reveal a space age interior, with a digital dashboard mounted behind a steering yoke, similar to that of Tesla’s range-topping Plaid models.
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 that the Cyberster will probably be an EV.
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.
Back in 2017, MG unveiled its E-Motion Coupe concept. Designed to be a flagship all-electric coupe, the project now looks dead in the water. Attention has turned to a drop-top car based on last year’s Cyberster concept. It was successfully greenlit for production after a crowd-funding effort that saw over 5000 potential buyers place money down to make it happen. MG could decide to name it after the concept, too, given that a trademark for ‘Cyber X’ has also been filed.
London-based SAIC Design created the concept with 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. Leaked patent images revealed a production MG based on the concept is very much imminent, including plenty of the Cyberster’s design features. Our exclusive images bring these leaks to life, showcasing what MG’s new roadster could look like in the metal.
We can see it’s retained a version of the concept’s face, albeit 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.
Inside, there’s a touchscreen integrated into the centre console, a wraparound driver’s display and “Zero Gravity” floating head restraints, all of which could make production. The driver-centric two-cockpit layout could also feature.
What’s less likely to be reflected in the production car are the concept’s 500-mile range and 0-100km/h time of less than three seconds. But that’s not to say the Cyberster won’t offer up impressive stats.
Yousuf Ashraf