2024 MG Cyberster unveiled in London
Following on from the release of high-definition images of the road-going version of the new MG Cyberster, which we shared last month, a few journalists were invited to a preview of the actual car at MG Motor’s London HQ in Marylebone. This was a full-size model, to all intents and purposes almost identical to the final car – the scissor doors worked, and the displays and lights functioned – and it was possible to get inside the cockpit. However, this was a beautifully crafted viewing model, said to have cost a seven-figure sum, but obviously an essential part of the product sign-off process.
MG Motor UK’s Guy Pigounakis and his Product Planning colleague David Allison gave an overview of the next steps, and SAIC Advanced London Design Director Carl Gotham and his colleague Robert Lemmens were able to expound on the project, of which they are rightly very proud. Carl was given the task of removing the tailored car cover (which was a special lockable type, clearly designed to deter prying eyes!) and said it was a special moment for all of the team who have played a part in designing this unique car. ‘The Cyberster will offer MG customers a striking, all-electric roadster which will be as exciting as MG sports cars of the past’ he promised. As we were waiting for the big reveal, entirely coincidentally, a BMW Z4 drove past the showroom; this car perhaps shows the approximate size and market price point that MG are aiming at, but with an all-electric powertrain.
In conversation with Carl after the reveal, it was clear that their hard work has been well received: ‘It’s been great to get the car out in the open – well, nearly! We had some great reaction and feedback. You have to have a heart of steel to not like the car’. There have been some raised eyebrows at the kerbside weight of this new sports car, but in fairness this is going to be one of the fundamental challenges for all makers of high-performance EVs for the near future at least, because even the best state of the art batteries are heavy. There will be at least two basic versions of the Cyberster – one with rear wheel drive and a second more expensive tarmac-shredder with electric motors front and back providing really fast acceleration.
The traditional long nose and central cockpit tropes of classic MG roadsters is made possible in part by the clever packaging of an almost skateboard-like chassis, with low-slung battery pack beneath the passenger compartment.
The large MG badge dominates the nose – Cecil Kimber would be appreciative of that.
Apparently the badge may even be illuminated in some markets where such a feature is allowed. Although the Wolseleys used to have illuminated grille badges, we suspect that modern legislation may not allow this in Europe.
The sleek low lines of the Cyberster have survived from the initial concept through to production form. Clever ‘sculpting’ of the side sills helps reduce the apparent height. This versions was shown with 20-inch wheels and low-profile tyres.
Those tail-lights are bound to remain a talking point for many.
The opening scissor doors may be a boon in a tight car park, although one onlooker commented that some care might be needed if parking within a typical domestic garage. The model at Marylebone was right hand drive – refreshing in itself, as it shows that such markets are an important part of the production plan. The fascia is impressive, and David Allison produced a neat remote control that operated the displays, although as we are likely to get a more conventional steering wheel in most export markets, some aspects of the display screen layout will most likely change for production.