A modern MG sports car has been hinted at for years by the British marque and now one has finally arrived in the form of the Cyberster, which was revealed on Monday at the 2023 Shanghai auto show.
MG is arguably best known for its lightweight, open-topped sports cars of the 1950s and ’60s, but the brand has been owned by Chinese auto giant SAIC since 2006 and since then has focused on more profitable segments like crossovers and hatchbacks. Those efforts have paid off as MG now has the capacity to return to its sports car roots, starting with the Cyberster.
The Cyberster is an electric roadster with two seats, a power soft-top roof, and scissor-style doors similar to those used by supercars. It’s due to go on sale in 2024 in markets where MG operates.
The design has clear links to MG’s sports cars of the past, particularly with the long hood and drooping nose. Carl Gotham, advanced design director at MG’s design studio in London, said the mission was to create a design that was respectful of MG’s heritage while pushing the brand into the future to attract a new generation of sports car fans.
MG was short on specifications, but at least two versions of the Cyberster are expected: a base model with a single motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain and approximately 309 hp, and a range-topper with dual-motor all-wheel drive and around 536 hp. The curb weight is expected to come in at 4,078 pounds for the base model and 4,376 pounds for the dual-motor model.
MG’s MSP modular EV platform will likely underpin the car. It was unveiled in 2022 and confirmed by the brand as capable of supporting sports cars.
The Cyberster is unlikely to reach the U.S. given MG’s absence in these parts, but another company plans to offer electric MG sports cars here. A British firm is building replica MGBs powered by batteries, and left-hand-drive versions are in the pipeline.
HIGH-RES GALLERY: 2024 MG Cyberster
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com
Source: www.classiccars.com