What's all this about?

MG has finally revealed a nearly finished version of its forthcoming Cyberster sports car, just a few weeks after showing off a pre-production car at the Shanghai Motor Show. Like that model, which still had several hangovers from the original concept vehicle, the latest vision is pretty much as it will be when it arrives in showrooms, aside from a few details.

That looks fast...

It does. MG has intentionally given the Cyberster some classic sports car features, including the long nose, short tail and the ‘kamm’ rear end. There are some cool extras, too, including the scissor doors, but there’s a sense that some of the features have simply been lifted from other cars. There’s something of the Toyota Supra about the nose, for example, while the rear end is reminiscent of an old Corvette.

Wait, are those Union Flag tail lights?

MG says not, but it’s hard not to draw that conclusion. The design is clearly influenced by the British flag in a kind of Mini-esque way, albeit on a grander and more modern scale.

What about the interior?

It isn’t easy to see from most of these photos – MG is a bit coy about the cabin – but there is one and it’s very modern. The minimalist design combines a central touchscreen with a bank of three displays behind the steering wheel (more on that in a moment) for a more driver-orientated cabin.

This show car has a yoke inspired by video game controllers, rather than a conventional steering wheel, but it’s thought the yoke is still some time away and will only be available as an option when it does arrive. As with the car shown at the Shanghai motor show, the full-production Cyberster will come with a normal wheel.

Either way, MG is promising a high-tech and more upmarket cabin than before, but with prices expected to be considerably higher than for any other modern MG, that’s probably no surprise.

What sort of power should we expect?

Beyond the fact it’s electric, we don’t really know. MG has hinted at a substantial range, so expect a fairly big battery, at least in top-of-the-range models. We’re expecting to see multiple powertrain options, with a choice of rear- and all-wheel drive delivered by single- or double-motor layouts.

This feels like a big move for MG...

It does, doesn’t it? Here is a brand doing well for itself – it’s currently 11th in the UK sales rankings and it expects to move into 10th fairly soon – thanks to budget hatchbacks and SUVs, rather than sporty convertibles.

But MG has big plans for the future, and the company is planning to almost completely overhaul its range in the next few years, with new models across the board. To such an extent that the lauded 4, released only last year, will become one of the oldest cars in the line-up.

How much will it cost?

This is perhaps the biggest surprise of all, because the notoriously value-orientated MG is expecting to price the Cyberster at somewhere between £50,000 and £60,000. That’s Porsche 718 Boxster and even Jaguar F-Type money – a far cry from the relatively affordable MG B. But as MG points out, even Skoda is selling electric cars for more than £50,000, and that seems to be the going rate.

James Fossdyke - 11 May 2023