Posted on 03/06/2024 1:02:19 PM PST by Red Badger
The highly-anticipated return of the drop-top MG to British soil is right around the corner – and we’ve got the UK launch specs for the hottest electric roadster you can buy today.
Tesla may be promising a sub 1.0-second 0-60 time and enough space-age technology to question whether or not the all-new-since-2017 Tesla Roadster 2.0 should even be called a car, but if you’re looking for a sporty, all-electric roadster that’s sure to turn heads on London’s high streets the Tesla won’t be your only option when (if?) it finally arrives next year.
Meet the MG Cyberster. First shown as a concept at the Shanghai Motor Show back in 2021, the awkwardly-named Cyberster promised drop-dead good looks and the sort of electric powered acceleration that classic MGs like the MGA and MGB could only dream of.
Following rave reviews, MG green-lit the car for production just one month later. Now, as the car inches its way to production, we have specs, some production-ready photos, and even an educated guess or two at UK pricing.
MG Cyberster gets real
The production version of the SAIC-built MG Cyberster will come to the UK later this year with MINI “inspired” Union Jack taillights and turn signals, illuminated MG logos on the nose and soft-top clamshell cover, what seem like brushed aluminum roll hoops, and “Lambo-style” butterfly doors (above).
Inside, the SAIC-built MG seems appropriately high-tech, with little or no retro touches to be found. That seems brave, considering all the effort companies like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz are making to make their digital displays look and feel like their old analog displays.
Sources claim a single 77 kWh battery pack good for about 320 miles on the Chinese (CTLC) cycle will power two performance trims. The first being a 335 hp single-motor version good for a 5.2 second to 60 mph sprint, and the second a 536 hp dual-motor version that can do the same trick in just 3.2 seconds (for comparison, Wikipedia says the classic MGB takes about eleven seconds to make it to 60). Top speed for both models is expected to be about 200 kmh (124 mph).
The Cyberster will launch with the now-familiar Dynamic Red paint shown here, as well as New English White, Camden Grey, and Cosmic Silver. Inca Yellow (a classic MG color) will offered as a “premium” option in limited quantities.
Pricing for the new MG is expected to just undercut the upcoming electric Boxster and Cayman models from Porsche, making a £50-60,000 price range a smart bet.
Electrek’s Take As Chinese car companies continue to work towards their ambitions of conquering foreign markets, it makes sense to do so with familiar brands – especially on their home turf. MG, obviously, is a storied UK brand that most western audiences instantly associate with 2-seat convertibles like the Cyberster.
And if you’re not quite old enough to remember Inca Yellow, this video of a clean 1979 MGB in Inca Yellow should get you up to speed. Let us know what you think of this “premium” color, in the comments.
Electric huh, I think I will stick with my Orange 1979 Midget
“The highly-anticipated return...”
No.....try again
They admit it’s Chinese-built, but MG as a brand is owned by SAIC, which is Chinese government owned.
Or my '54 TR2.
I’d like it if it were an ICE.
Without a stickshift, it doesn’t deserve the MG badge.
In order to appeal to traditionalists, a special container will leak oil onto the garage floor, and vintage Lucas electronics will be used.
Chinese - so, it’ll be quite familiar to MG owners: unreliable, with questionable wiring?
Will it have Lucas electrics in it?
My first car was a ‘59 MGA 1600 Mk II
It didn’t always run, but when it did, it was a lot of fun.
Then I bought a ‘72 911 Targa and immediately forgot about
British cars and Lucas electronics for the remainder of
my life.
It’s Chinese, so Lu Kas...................
...I hear ya....! got out of the service with more money than I had sense and bought a brand-new 1965 MGB roadster..”Iris Blue” was she official color....of course, the electrics were courtesy of Lucas, the Prince of Darkness...had lots of electrical glitches right from the start...fun car; wish I still had it, though...but not for upstate New York winters!!!
If someone wants an electric MG, at least get one that looks like an MG:
I remember the 59 MGA, gorgeous car. I was a little too young to drive that year, but saw them around town.
Not even if they were giving them away...
Electric! Keep it. Definitely not a MG
I eventually had a few Porsches (one at a time). My fave was the 944 Turbo.
Hope their not using Lucas electrics.
The closest thing to an MGB you can buy today is a Mazda MX5. Some Chinese electric car is not even in the same league. It serves no purpose.
It’s sad that a once loved name is stuck on such an atrocity.
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