The iconic MGB roadster has been reborn for the 21st century in the shape of the new MG Cyberster – a two-seat electric soft-top that will be sold in Britain next year.
Unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show this week, MG Motor – the relaunched brand now under Chinese ownership – has taken the covers off its stunning sports cars, which features battery power, a power-folding fabric roof and scissor doors.
It should be on sale in the UK next summer, though prices haven’t yet been disclosed. One thing’s for sure, though – it will cost more than the legendary original, which was priced at just £950 new in the early sixties.
Here’s everything we know about the car so far…
An MGB for the 21st century: This is the new MG Motor Cyberster – a two-door soft-top roadster with electric power that’s a nod back to the sixties original
The much-anticipated model – first revealed in concept form in 2021 – was finally unveiled this week by owners SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) and confirms a new electric era for the much-loved MG roadster.
It is part of the parent company’s plan to return to its roots and use the nostalgic appeal of MG-badged sportsters to entice former customers into its zero-emission models.
MG has already been successfully relaunched in the UK, with its relatively cheap electric family cars picking up plenty of British customers, but the two-seater harks back to a the name’s sports car heyday rather than its latter history.
The sporty two-seat cabin is covered by a power folding fabric roof. When retracted, the roof panel stores under a black plastic rear deck to mimic the look of the 1963 original
The swooping long bonnet pays homage to that of the iconic MGBs of the sixties and seventies
While it is underpinned by a fully-electric powertrain, the Cyberster’s proportions are similar to that of MG roadsters of the past.
For instance, the swooping long bonnet pays homage to the iconic MGBs of the sixties and seventies, while the headlight cluster is similar to that of the MG TF of the early noughties.
A sporty two-seat cabin is covered by a power folding fabric roof that – when open – stores under a black plastic rear deck to mimic the look of the 1963 original.
Also at the back is another nod to the marque’s British heritage, with the rear lights inspired by a graphic representation of the Union Jack flag.
Entry spec models will likely have 19-inch alloy wheels, though the ones fitted to the Shanghai showcar are 20 inches.
Completing the dramatic styling is a pair of scissor doors, which open vertically to provide access to the snug interior.
The Cyberster is part of MG Motor’s Chinese parent company’s plan to return to its roots and use the nostalgic appeal of MG-badged sportsters to entice former customers into its zero-emission models
The rear lights are Union Jack-flag inspired while the headlight cluster is similar to that of the MG TF of the early noughties
The tech-laden cabin will feature a digital instrument cluster likely to comprise of three screens that wrap around behind the steering wheel. A fourth digital touchscreen will likely sit in the centre of the dashboard for infotainment controls.
And while the version shown in Shanghai this week has a traditional round wheel, MG Motor is likely to offer a yolk-style steering wheel with no top section.
Carl Gotham, MG Motor’s design director based in its studio in London, said: ‘Our intention was to create a completely new roadster ready for a new generation of sportscar drivers and which opens a bold and compelling new chapter for MG.
‘The focus for Cyberster was to create a design that was respectful of the brand’s illustrious past and to bring back that sporting bloodline, while also being absolutely clear that it should be modern and forward-facing like the MG of today, completely in-tune with the rapid transition to electric vehicles.’
SAIC-owned MG Motor first showed its Cyberster concept in April 2021 (pictured). It was penned by the company’s London-based design studio, though some of the extreme features will not make it to the production roadster shown this week
The wrap-around digital cockpit from the concept car looks set to be retained for the Cyberster roadster. And a yolk-style steering wheel (also shown here on the concept) could also be an optional extra for those customers who want it
What will power the MG Cyberster?
While MG has remained tight-lipped regarding the powertrain and performance of the Cyberster, leaked patent filings have revealed information about the car that it might not have wanted to share just yet.
It is expected to be sold with the choice of a single and twin-electric motor setup using one compact battery pack.
The entry level single motor version will produce 309bhp, while the dual-motor variant will pack up to 536bhp, the patents suggest.
Top speed is expected to be limited to 124mph and the addition of a heavy battery pack, electric motors and an electric-folding roof will see it tip the scales at a shade under two tonnes (1,850kg to 1,950kg).
That means it will be around twice the bulk of the 1963 original.
And while the 2021 Cyberster concept had a claimed 500-mile range, we expect the longest-distance variant of the showroom model to have closer to 300.
The leaked documents also show that the production car will measure in at 4,535mm long, 1,913mm wide and 1,329mm high. That’s almost a metre longer than the 1963 original, around half a metre wider and a fraction higher.
In fact, the Cyberster is similar in dimension to the Porsche 718 Boxster and quite a lot bigger than Mazda’s MX-5.
Guy Pigounakis, MG Motor UK’s commercial director, said: ‘This is the perfect time to introduce an MG that completely reconnects with our performance DNA and is designed to enthral the driver on every level.
‘MG is all set for an electric, sporting future and it is the perfect way to start celebrating our 100th anniversary.’
The Cyberster should be on sale in the UK next summer, though prices haven’t yet been disclosed. One thing’s for sure, though – it will cost more than the legendary original (pictured), which cost just £950 new in the early sixties
The Cyberster’s top speed is expected to be limited to 124mph and the addition of a heavy battery pack, electric motors and an electric-folding roof will see it tip the scales a shade under two tonnes – so around twice the bulk of the 1963 original
The original MGB roadster launched in 1963. A bona-fide classic car, its prices can range from £2,500 up to £30,000 for the best examples
How much will the Cyberster cost?
MG Motor is very much a brand that has targeted the budget end of the EV market.
Its latest model – the MG4 EV – is the cheapest electric family hatchback currently in British showrooms, starting from £26,940. Its MG5 estate and MG ZS SUV are also towards the lower end of the EV price range, with prices starting from under £31,000.
However, there has been no revelation as yet regarding the price point for the Cyberster.
As of today, the sports car market is very much untapped in terms of electric models.
It currently consists of the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan range, which are both relatively large four door cars and cost from £70,000 – and run well into six-figure territory for top-of-the-range variants.
This leaves a huge void in the market for a more affordably-priced electric roadster, which MG will surely look to capitalise on.
The story of the original MGB and how the MG brand fell into Chinese hands
by Ray Massey for This is Money
A 1966 MGB roadster. It was built from 1962 to 1980 at MG’s factory at Abingdon in under the umbrella of MG, the British Motor Corporation and its successors, British Motor Holdings and British Leyland Motor Corporation
The original MGB was launched as a soft-top roadster in 1962, with a fixed-head coupe following three years later in 1965.
It was built until October 1980 at MG’s factory at Abingdon, under the umbrella of MG, the British Motor Corporation and its successors, British Motor Holdings and British Leyland Motor Corporation. More than half a million were built altogether over the 18 year lifespan, of which more than 125,000 are the hard-topped MGB GT coupes.
Work on a successor for the MGB had been undertaken as long ago as 1968, but British Leyland had pulled the plug on that project by the end of 1970.
When the Abingdon factory finally closed in the autumn of 1980, British Leyland did not replace it.
But second hand versions of both the GT and Roaster versions of the MGB continue to provide affordable sporty motoring for many and sell for between £2,500 and almost £30,000, depending on condition, age and mileage.
MG cars were the creation of Cecil Kimber, general manager of Morris Garages in Oxford, who, in 1923, fitted special sports bodies onto standard Morris chassis.
After years as part of British Leyland and its many incarnations, it has undergone a tumultuous few years – having been sold to Germany’s BMW; who then offloaded it with the blessing of the last Labour Government’ to the infamous ‘Phoenix Four’ directors led by John Towers, before it went bust, sparking a major scandal inquiry.
It was then snapped up for a song by the Chinese and is now owned by the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).
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