► MG’s electric roadster takes to the Goodwood hill
► Ben Collins in the drivers’ seat
► Here’s how the Cyberster is shaping up
MG is back but not as we know it. In the last 24 months, the reborn brand (now backed by the Chinese SAIC company) has expanded its EV portfolio dramatically. In the last year it’s revealed impressive MG 4 hatch (recently followed up by the 429bhp MG 4 XPower) and this; the MG Cyberster. A spiritual successor to the MGB, it’s going to be the first electric convertible to market, beating the Caterham Project V and Polestar 6 by a good two years. And priced around £50k, it’s going to be a good chunk cheaper too.
To find out how it’s shaping up, CAR magazine took a passenger ride up the Goodwood hill with former CAR contributor and Top Gear Stig, Ben Collins.
First impressions
Electric vehicles tend to be deceptively large (think back to your first real-world encounter with an Ioniq 5) but the Cyberster isn’t much larger than you’d expect. Instead, it’s just a touch bigger than a Mazda MX-5. The MG measures 1913mm to the Mazda’s 1735mm across and is 4535mm long compared to the Mazda’s 3914mm. Crucially, it’s not much taller; the Cyberster is 1329mm tall to the Mazda’s 1240mm. That all means this MG has the British roadster proportions we were hoping for – just bigger.
The styling leans toward understated – even including those ‘arrow’ rear lights – but that’s no bad thing. Just as with the 4 XPower hot hatch, MG’s designers have been boldly cautious for 2023 – and it gives the car a timeless look. The only downside? The ocotagon logo on the bonnet is huge, though you can forgive MG for the brand building.
And inside?
Jump in the Cyberster via the car’s motorised scissor doors (which we don’t expect to make it to production) and you notice two things immediately. The Cyberster is low for an EV, but its skateboard chassis means you sit relatively high – about a Yellow Pages higher than you’d expect. Would it be annoying when driving? It’s unlikely, and it has no impact on leg room either.
It’s impossible to properly assess the fit and finish of a prototype, but the MG interior is nice enough – even in the Kilroy-Silk orange of this car’s interior. It’s driver focused – with a gear selector (to the right of the driver in our LHD car), and a trio of screens around the medium-sized wheel. The menus were entirely in Chinese but the displays looked to be of a good resolution at least.
What’s it like up the hill?
MG quotes a 0-62mph sprint of around 3.5 seconds, and with the top down the Cyberster feels at least that fast. There’s just a hint of wheelspin and then we’re off with that seamless acceleration we’ve come to expect from EVs. The rush dissipates after about 70mph and we’re soon into a key test for the Cyberster; the first braking zone.
Ben leaves it late, but the car slows quickly and in a composed manner. There’s hardly any dive, no ABS-intervention and the Cyberster feels stable if not a little heavy. We’re into the mid-corner next, where Ben carries good speed while whipping the car around to the left. A slight complaint from the tyres, a little help from the traction control (Ben can’t navigate the Chinese menus to turn it off) and we’re using all the road – and the battery – as we exit.
The acceleration is obvious on paper, but it’s the Cyberster’s braking and mid corner composure that stands out here; most EVs can launch effectively, but few (especially at this price) have this much poise in the middle of a corner.
As we approach the infamous flint wall, Ben jinks the car to the left as we power to the finish line. Even watching back the run, the car is compliant and quick to react to inputs – and there’s not a huge amount of roll after it does.
Verdict
The Cyberster doesn’t as feel as light on its feet as an ICE-powered car, but it offers a comparable level of grip and stability. This is only Ben’s third run in the car, and even with his skills and experience aside – this feels like a car that inspires confidence. It hides its weight under acceleration but seems to do good job of managing the extra weight when you get to the twisty stuff. We’ll be able to be able to know for sure when we get behind the wheel ourselves.
For those interested, our run in the Cyberster takes place around the 11:12:50 mark, below.