MG Cyberster: British tester is positively surprised

The car is not as agile as a classic roadster, but it is a lot of fun

MG Cyberster 2024: Picture from the front, with scissor doors open

By: Stefan Leichsenring

Published by: Brian Potter

Jun 29, 2024 at 4:58am ET

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The MG Cyberster is already configurable in the UK, costing £54,995 for the Trophy version with rear-wheel drive and £59,995 for the all-wheel drive GT version. According to the MG website, the car is due to be delivered in the UK from August. Our British colleagues at Autocar were among the first to test drive the electric roadster. We were curious and took a look at their insights.

"What a wonderful surprise the Cyberster is," writes Kris Culmer in his summary. Although the car is not a classic roadster, it shows that the electric future can also be fun.

MG Cyberster Trophy MG Cyberster GT Powertrain RWD 340 PS, 475 Nm AWD 544 PS, 725 Nm 0-100 km/h / top speed 5.2 sec. / approx. 125 mph 3.2 sec. / approx. 125 mph WLTP power consumption n.a. n.a. Battery net / WLTP range 74 kWh / 316 miles 74 kWh / 276 miles Max. DC charging power 150 kW 150 kW Min. DC charging time (10-80%) 38 min 38 min Price in Great Britain £54,995 £59,995 GBP

The Cyberster is the first MG roadster since the TF from 2002 (Wikipedia). The brand, which belongs to the Chinese SAIC Group, is launching the car on its 100th anniversary - MG was founded in 1924. The idea for the two-seater came from a group of designers who designed the car themselves as a modern version of the legendary MG B. A study was shown at the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show and the feedback was so positive that it was turned into a production car.

At 4.53 metres, the Cyberster is over half a metre longer than the Mazda MX-5 (3.92 m), but the BMW Z4 (4.32 m) or Porsche Boxster (also 4.32 m) is shorter, while the Mercedes CLE Cabrio is even taller at 4.85 metres. However, the platform comes from the MG 4 Electric, as do the permanent magnet synchronous motors. These draw their power from the 77 kWh battery known from the MG4 Electric (which, according to the article, only offers 74.4 kWh net).

The height of just 1.33 metres was only possible thanks to a battery with a very low height (11 cm). Nevertheless, the car does not look like a modern MG B, but more like a modern super sports car, writes Kris. This impression is reinforced by the scissor doors. The classification as a super sports car is also justified by the sprint time of just 3.2 seconds.

MG Cyberster 2024: Side view with closed soft top

MG Cyberster: Only 1.33 metres high and with a classic soft top

For the British market, the seating position has been lowered a little, a one-pedal driving mode has been added and the boot has been slightly enlarged so that golf clubs can fit in. The displays and the driving noise have also been adapted to European tastes. The sound should only be noticeable at full throttle; then it sounds like a mixture of a distant four-cylinder engine and a futuristic laser beam sound.

MG Cyberster 2024: The cockpit with four displays

Four monitors, but the touchscreens to the left and right of the instrument display are concealed by the steering wheel

However, digitalisation has also hit the Cyberster. There are four displays. One is located in the centre console and is needed for the climate settings, among other things, then there is an instrument display and two small touchscreens to the left and right of it. The steering wheel covers large parts of the side screens, no matter how high or low you set it.

However, the bucket seats with artificial leather upholstery offer good comfort; tester Kris had no complaints even after four hours of driving on bumpy roads. However, he would have liked to sit a little lower. And colleagues over 1.80 metres tall had to contort their necks to escape the airstream.

The Cyberster Trophy with its 340 PS rear-wheel drive costs just under £55,000 and competes against the 300 PS Porsche 718 Boxster, which costs around £56,000 in the UK and sprints at a similar speed. The £5,000 more expensive Cyberster GT with 544 PS all-wheel drive has to compete with the Boxster GTS, which only produces around 400 PS and has a worse sprint time (4.0 seconds).

The Autocar tester writes that you should warn your co-driver before going full throttle in the tested Cyberster GT. Thankfully, not all the power is available in Comfort mode - not even in Sport mode, but only in Supersport mode. The modes are selected using the right-hand steering wheel paddle while the left-hand paddle is used to activate one of the three recuperation modes.

MG Cyberster 2024: View of the front

Even though MG now belongs to SAIC, the octagon is still emblazoned on the front

In terms of handling, the Cyberster GT feels much better than you might think with a weight of over two tonnes, says Kris. The suspension never feels too harsh, although the car hardly rocks even when cornering sharply. Bumps in the centre of the bend at high speed are no problem, even potholes are absorbed well. As a result, the car always remained composed on the test tracks through the British Highlands. In this respect, it feels more like a Gran Turismo than a sports car, says Kris.

The electric steering gives little feel for the road, but its precision inspires confidence, especially in Sport mode. That's why Kris favours this, together with Comfort mode for the drive. Track mode, which is activated with the red button on the steering wheel, is probably only used with great caution on the road.

Kris puts the efficiency during the test drive at around 2.5 miles per kWh. Quite a lot, as Kris admits, but even this still gives a range of around 200 miles. In the standard cycle, the car should manage around 300 miles.

Mazda MX-5: No more than 132 hp (97 kW), but plenty of driving fun

Mazda MX-5: Only 132 hp (97 kW), but a lot of driving fun

Porsche 718 Boxster: No longer configurable due to the EU Cybersecurity Directive

Porsche 718 Boxster: No longer configurable due to EU cybersecurity directive

All in all, the Cyberster is not as light-footed as an MX-5 and not as sophisticated as a Boxster, writes Kris. In addition, the infotainment is distracting and the assistance systems don't perform well either. Kris quickly switched off the latter after he felt the steering wheel jolt once on a mountain slope.

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But the car proves that electric cars can be fun, offering safe handling and travelling comfort like a GT. The tester was also impressed by the breathtaking power of the all-wheel drive model. The lighter rear-wheel drive model was even better; you could even make the rear wheels squeal when cornering.