Morris Garrages (MG) will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2024. The occasion was planned as the occasion for the launch of a production model of the MG Cyberster electric sports car, as a reminder of the brand DNA that started with sports cars.
According to MG, the new model is expected to help MG to attract a younger audience, and build enthusiasm for the history of this British brand.
The MG sportscar was announced in a digital teaser under the name MG Cyberster Concept in April 2021, then its figure was introduced at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show.
The concept car received an enthusiastic response with 5,000 potential buyers. Because MG issued an official statement that the production version of this sportscar will be priced at an affordable price.
It was officially revealed by an MG spokesman to Autocar, that MG will return to work on the segment that became its trademark in the past, namely an affordable sports car.
Combining the clues given, we can conclude that the market segment in question is a sports car with a fully electric powertrain, but at an affordable price.
The production version of the MG Cyberster concept is allegedly the successor to the discontinued MG TF, the last MG sports car.
According to Carl Gotham, head of design at MG UK, the Cyberster is a sports car roadster that brings back the lifeblood of MG’s DNA.
Carl Gotham revealed that this roadster will look to the future while touching on the brand’s heritage in cutting-edge design and cutting-edge technology.
It is possible that the production version of the MG Cyberster sportscar will be in the same segment as the Mazda Miata MX-5 for the ICE engine, or the production model of the Toyota GR Sport EV Concept.
The exterior design is quite unique, presenting a compact form with a fully aerodynamic design. It looks futuristic with modern full LED lighting, big wheels and prominent aero components.
In the interior, it is very thick with a digital feel thanks to the full digital instrument cluster, and the panel on the center console which is also fully digital.
The unit’s steering gadget also features a modern feel with a top-less shape to display the instrument cluster completely unobstructed, and there’s a shifter button that seems to be operated by the index finger.
Its powertrain performance has been announced by MG, such as the ability to reach speeds of 100 km/h in under 3-seconds and a range of mileage with a fully charged battery of 800 km (497 miles).
For an ICE-engined car, maybe that performance figure sounds impossible to become an affordable sports car, because that’s the performance of a supercar that generally costs tens of billions of rupiah.
But keep in mind this is an electric car, where power and performance figures are easy for electric motors. The analogy is the Tesla Roadster, which is valuable at the sportscar level, but is as powerful as a hypercar.
So, the announcements made by MG regarding performance, range and affordability are perfectly possible and make sense. However, electric battery technology may still make this car not very cheap.
MG is a legendary British brand that was about to be completely shut down due to financial problems. Then it was acquired by SAIC China 16 years ago, to be resurrected as a global brand by working on an SUV segment that is different from its trademark world of racing and sportscars.
