MG Cyberster RWD Showcased: Defying the traditional wisdom that electric sports car have to cost $100,000 or so, MG Motor has taken the wraps off the rear-wheel drive (RWD) version of its upcoming Cyberster roadster.
This cheaper setup comes with some impressive range range numbers — numbers that might surprise EV skeptics — but still provides the thrill that road boat lovers crave.
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A Heritage Reimagined for the Electric Age
The Cyberster isn’t just another electric vehicle but the rebirth of MG’s prestigious sports car heritage for the 21st century.
Taking design cues from MG’s tradition of historic roadsters, the Cyberster is a glimpse at how MG not only takes sporting DNA concept cars into an exciting new future, but set free the next generation of EV’s in the process.
“We wanted to produce a video that pays homage to our heritage, but also very much celebrates the future,” says MG’s Chief Design Officer, Carl Gotham.
“The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching on our heritage but more importantly building on our future.”
This kind of spiritual successor to classics such as the MGB is coming at important moment for the car industry, as traditional car makers desperately hurry to electrify their vast line-ups while not losing the magic that drivers have so cherished about traditional sports cars.
Amazing Performance Specs The race-inspired specs that get every driver salivating.
The reimagined RWD is a tempting proposition for driving enthusiasts and efficiency nerds alike. As for performance, the rear-mid-mounted electric motor puts out 335 hp and 370 lb-ft, and it propels the Cyberster RWD from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds — not quite AWD quick, but brisk enough for most drivers.
The RWD is where the variant really comes into its own, range-wise. MG is quoting a claimed 362 miles (583 km) on the WLTP test cycle from its 77 kWh lithium-ion battery pack – quite a step up from the AWD model’s 321 miles.
This means the Cyberster RWD is one of the longest-range electric sports cars on the market, which was a common concern among those that want to make the switch but worry about range anxiety when they’re high-stretching their car.
The car also offers the ability for DC fast charging which is capable of charging from 10% to 80% in about 34 minutes, making road trips more feasible than some other electric roadsters.
Identifiable Design Language
The design of the Cyberster’s body is a successful mix of retro-cues and added-on futuristic packaging. Its form is taught, low, the classic roadster design brief, long bonnet, short deck, but there’s a unique evil on-road presence to those LED light graphics.
Then there’s those scissor doors which arc skyward instead of outward – a theatrical flourish which guarantees the Cyberster arrives in style wherever it goes.
This minimalist fabric roof retracts in 12 seconds at speeds of up to 30 mph, so the driver can continue the journey while responding to the vagaries of the weather.
“We wanted to make something obviously an MG but also entirely fresh,” says Shao Jingfeng, the car’s exterior designer. “The Cyberster had to make people check it out not only because it’s electric, but because it’s a little bit sexy.”
Inside, the cabin has been similarly digitized, with a driver-oriented cockpit fitting a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch center touchscreen.
Specially designed to give decent support while cornering, but plenty cosseting for those long journeys, the Zero Gravity sports seats serve that purpose.
Pricing Strategy Shake Up to the Market
For a long time, it looked like the Cyberster RWD was its pricing approach. MG hasn’t published official pricing information across all territories yet, but early signs point to the entry-level RWD model costing around £45,000 ($58,000) which would place it well below rivals such as the Tesla Roadster and Porsche Taycan.
This competitive pricing sees MG carrying on to execute its modern approach by delivering value-for-money EVs, without the premium attached. By comparison, the all-wheel-drive version is anticipated to cost just under £55,000 ($71,000).
“We believe that electrification should not be reserved for those with the deepest pockets,” says MG Marketing Director David Allison.
“The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching the heart of automotive enthusiasts.”
This pitch is an opportunity for potential disruption in a market that has served wealthy early adopters so far.
If MG does extend the electric roadster thrills to the masses, then the company might well force competitors to rethink their own pricing.
Driving Dynamics & Chassis Tuning
MG designers have gone to great lengths to make the Cyberster fun to drive, even with all that battery weight. The rear-wheel drive layout enables a near 50:50 weight distribution with the batteries mounted to the floor of the chassis.
The roadster sits on a bespoke platform that employs double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rearend. Adjustable dampers are standard, so drivers can choose comfort, normal, or sport setting based on road conditions and personal taste.
Initial test drives indicate that the RWD model will offer a more traditional sports car driving experience over the AWD model, with journalists commenting on its more programmable nature as well as being more willingness to rotate under power – something that is favoured among driving enthusiasts.
“We used some of the best traditional roadsters as benchmarks for steering feel and chassis response,” says chassis development lead Zhang Wei. “The EV would look after itself – and if we got it right, the kitchen and fridge would look after itself, too.”
Technology Integration
Despite being focused on driving pleasure the Cyberster isn’t short of tech. The iSMART data connectivity system brings over-the-air updates, remote vehicle monitoring and smartphone integration. ADAS includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking.
One interesting setting, dubbed “Track Mode,” tweaks power delivery, throttle response and fake sound for even more involving performance driving. This also includes the active rear spoiler for extra downforce at high speeds.
The attention to detail goes as far as the standard 15-speaker Bose sound system, which has been specifically tuned to perfection for top-up and top-down driving.
Supply & Demand Factors Production and availability
Production of the Cyberster RWD is expected to start in late summer 2025 at MG’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shanghai and deliveries for key markets are due to start in Q4. Is MG Preparing to Return to the U.S.?.
MG is going to launch the model in Europe first, followed by select Asian markets, and perhaps even in North America where the brand stuck its last heel, only to silently pass away.
MG will initially produce 1,000 units in the first year of production, with output depending on demand for the model. Pre-orders have already outstripped supply, with the first online allocation for the UK reportedly selling out within 48 hours of the order system going live.
Market Levelling and Competition
The Cyberster joins a fledgling yet still-wide-open electric roadster category. Its most direct competition is the much more expensive Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and the forthcoming Tesla Roadster, along with potential punch below, like a rumor of an all-electric Mazda MX-5.
And what might set the Cyberster apart in this crowded field is a balance between unique looks, real-world performance, decent range, and a price that doesn’t require selling multiple organs—a mix that could appeal both to the within-every-sports-car-motorheads who are finally thinking about making the jump to vehicle electrification and those who’ve already embraced the electric revolution.
“This has brought electric performance to the masses – the democratization of electric performance,” says automotive analyst Sarah Chen.
“It’s 90% of the experience of those high-end electric sports cars being offered by traditional internal combustion-engine car manufacturers at 60% of the price, and that kind of value proposition is the one that might drive EV adoption among enthusiasts.
What It Means: The Next Era of Affordable Electric Performance
The arrival of the Cyberster RWD represents a significant step forward in the development of electric vehicles.
Now with battery technology getting better and better, not to mention with economies of scale also lowering production costs, and you have a formula for more manufacturers to follow MG’s footsteps that’ll give enthusiasts the more ‘performance’ focused electric cars at more affordable prices.
The Cyberster is only the start of a fresh MG-performence electric lineup for MG specifically. Other sporty EV models are hinted at by company executives, with a hot hatchback and compact sports sedan among the possibilities — all based on the doctrine of affordable electric high performance.
“The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching on our heritage but more importantly building on our cutting-edge technology and advanced design.
“Most importantly, it shows that this exciting future does not have to be something that only a small percentage of wealthy people can access.
In the ongoing evolution towards electrification, the MG Cyberster RWD is an enticing reminder that the future of affordable performance is not just electric, but promisingly so.
