2024 MG Cyberster electric sports car revealed
New electric MG Cyberster will be the brand’s first all-new sports car this century, and promises affordable zero-emissions thrills. Here’s everything you need to know...
On sale Summer 2024 | Price from £55,000 (est)
Brands such as Nike and Converse have recently taken to selling new trainers, in modern styles, but with a retro-inspired theme. Similarly, the MG Cyberster is an all-new electric sports car, but one that draws inspiration from the sporty models of MG's past.
As these pictures of a near-production model show, the Cyberster adopts the classic two-seat convertible layout of its ancestors (such as the MGB), with a long, low bonnet and a soft-top roof.
However, a closer look reveals that the Cyberster isn't nearly as traditional as its proportions suggest; in fact, it'll be MG’s first all-electric two-seater.
It’ll also be the first sports car sold by the brand since the MG TF went off sale more than a decade ago. But while that car rivalled the likes of the Mazda MX-5, the Cyberster’s extra size, performance and price will put it in competition with one of our favourite petrol-powered sports cars: the Porsche Boxster.
Buyers are expected to be offered a choice of two versions: a lighter, entry-level rear-wheel-drive variant, and a more powerful four-wheel-drive alternative.
The rear-wheel-drive model is expected to use a single electric motor producing 309bhp. In comparison, the entry-level Boxster produces 296bhp from a 2.0-litre petrol engine and can sprint from 0-62mph in 4.7sec. With the instantaneous thrust provided by electric motors and no gearshifts, we can expect the Cyberster to achieve a similar sprint time, despite the likelihood of it being heavier than its rival.
The four-wheel-drive version of the Cyberster is expected to produce 536bhp from two motors. That's a lot of power by sports car standards; even the fastest Boxster – the 4.0-litre GTS – produces just 395bhp, and is available with rear-wheel drive only.
While MG hasn't yet confirmed details about the Cyberster’s battery, the current MG 4 Long Range is equipped with a 61.7kWh (usable) unit that gives it an official range of 281 miles. However, with the Cyberster costing nearly twice as much as that car, it's likely to be fitted with a larger battery, providing a range of at least 300 miles.
The Cyberster has no obvious electric rivals just yet (although an electric Boxster is expected to arrive in 2025), and it will certainly stand out within MG’s existing line-up; this consists of value-focused family models including the MG 4 small electric hatchback and the MG HS, a large SUV available with either petrol or plug-in hybrid power.
Also helping the Cyberster to stand out are its ‘scissor’ doors, which open upwards rather than outwards, and the arrow-shaped rear lights, which look unlike anything in the current MG range.
Although this isn’t the final production version of the Cyberster, it’s expected that the only significant change for the production version will be the replacement of the concept car’s steering ‘yoke’ with a more conventionally shaped steering wheel.
The Cyberster is expected to cost from £55,000 for the single-motor version, making it slightly more expensive than the entry-level Boxster. Pricing for the dual-motor version is likely to start from around £65,000, which is about £10,000 cheaper than the Boxster GTS.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Read more: Best sports cars 2023 >>
Best plug-in hybrid cars 2024 – best and worst PHEVs named
Plug-in hybrid cars can reduce fuel consumption to an absolute minimum, but which models are the best all-rounders and which ones should you avoid?
