We’ve heard about the MG Cyberster over the last couple of months. It was previewed earlier this year in concept form, and it holds a lot of promise. It’s low-slung, sleek, and rather attractive if you ask us. But concepts don’t always translate directly into production.
But surprise, surprise, MG has delivered in this case. The road-going version of the Cyberster does stay true to the concept, save for a few details such as the side mirrors, lights, and the interior. But even then, it’s a striking roadster to look at, in photos at least.
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The Cyberster represents two things for MG. First, it’s the company’s return to making roadsters after 12 years. Its last two-seater sports car was the MG F, later called the MG TF, and it was produced from 1995 until 2011. The second thing the new roadster does for MG is dip the British-Chinese automaker’s toes in the electric sports car market. MG wants to do so with a bang, and the specs are quite juicy.
Starting with the powertrain, the MG Cyberster uses a pair of electric motors powered by a 77kWh battery. These motors are mounted to the front and rear wheels, making this roadster all-wheel drive. With the dual motors working together, the Cyberster has a combined power output of 536hp and, wait for it, 725Nm of torque.
With that much power on tap, MG claims the Cyberster can do the 0 to 100kph sprint in just 3.2 seconds. That’s not bad at all when you consider this car weighs nearly 2,000 kilograms. Why is it that heavy, you ask? Well, battery packs aren’t the lightest things on the planet, and so too are electric motors. It’s not exactly like lightweight classic British roadsters of yore, but it does bring the old concept into the age of electrification.
The exterior aside, the Cyberster’s cockpit is of interest too. Its dashboard stems from the driver’s side and then flows into the center stack. One could say it’s a refreshing sight given that interior design trends these days are either boxy or extremely angular. There aren’t much in the way of buttons, but it seems that MG wanted to go for a classic, minimalist theme. Also, the driver gets a triple screen instrument cluster, while the infotainment screen sits just beside the electronic gear selector.
Other goodies? MG says the chassis was helped developed by Marco Fianello, the former chassis engineer of Scuderia Ferrari. With that, the company says the Cyberster has a strong and rigid chassis that gives it a high level of driving dynamics. In true classic roadster form, it comes with a traditional soft top instead of a heavy (and complex) metal folding roof mechanism. Lastly, there’s a Bose sound system available for some tunes (or podcasts) on the road.
Oh, and it has scissor doors because, um, why not.
