MG Australia/New Zealand launched the new Cyberster in high style this week, with a glitzy event at the Carriageworks "cultural precinct" in Sydney and a very special guest: MG advanced design director Carl Gotham, who flew in from the brand's Marylebone, London studio to drive the car into the most gentrified railway workshop you've ever seen.
Let's cut to the chase: the Cyberster will be launched in a single model for New Zealand, at $129,000. That will seem like a lot of money for an MG to many, but you could argue it's also a lot of car.
Or rather, a lot of EV roadster, which is itself a unique selling point.
Cyberster is pure-electric, with a 77kWh battery and dual motors (AWD) that make 375kW/725Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of just 3.2 seconds.
WLTP range is 443km (NZ 3P-WLTP conversion yet to be announced) and it can charge at up to 150kW, meaning a potential 10-80% boost in 40 minutes.
Why size matters for MG Cyberster
You might Cyberster is small, but it's not. At 4535mm it's as long as a Mazda CX-5 (but to be fair, not quite as long as MG's own HS mid-size family SUV) and imposingly wide, at 1913mm.
Cyberster is a hefty two tonnes and rides on mixed-size tyres: 245/40 front and 275/30 rear, both on 20-inch wheels.
So it's clearly not a Mazda MX-5 rival and is not meant to be. But the car's size is still clearly a conversation point, given it taps into MG's rich heritage of tiny roadsters; the last "classic" MGB of the 1960s/70s (an example of which came out to meet the newbie at Carriageworks) was well under 4m.
Even the company's launch information states that "the two-seat body manages to hide its dimensions well, and the car’s proportions imitate those of a front-engine machine, with a long bonnet, a set-back cockpit and short boot lid reminiscent of the old days when the MGB was around."
In a quiet moment away from the launch, Gotham argued to DRIVEN Car Guide that this the right size for a EV roadster on 2024-roads; to be clear, this is a man who sees the appeal in tiny sports cars: he's "currently hankering after an MG Midget" and speaks with enthusiasm about the Suzuki Cappuccino.
“The journey of this car has seen lots of iterations," says Gotham. "We originally started with a smaller proposition, but to be honest where it’s ended up is… absolutely appropriate.
"The idea of driving around in something as small as an MGB in its traditional sense is not for everybody. Cars are big on the road now, there are lots of SUVs, lots of tall traffic. Cyberster holds its own ground.
"We’ve tried to keep it as attainable as possible in the spirit of the brand, but the technology that’s in that car allows it to have this incredible performance and experience. It's at a higher price point, so it needs more presence, which I think the proportion allows it to have.
"One of the key bits of feedback we’ve had is that when you drive it, you feel like you’re in a car that’s a class more expensive, or even a brand that’s more expensive. And that’s still in keeping with the brand spirit, which is to be a more accessible version of other sports cars.
"I think we’ve hit it right, [for] right now. Maybe it will unlock the possibility of doing other [sports cars] in the future."
Cyberster's scissor doors: how and why
Within that proportion and relative styling simplicity is the big design feature of the Cyberster: scissor doors. They open directly upwards, attached at the A-pillar, behind the front wheel.
The doors are electric and can be controlled by either the vehicle’s key, a button on the door, or from within the cabin. So they're complex and expensive, but MG argues they also have functional advantages.
They improve driver and passenger access to the cabin; the Cyberster has wide sills and wheelarches that would otherwise obstruct entry and egress, says the company.
How Cyberster's three dashboard screens work
Inside, the triple-screen dashboard is another standout feature. It features touchscreens on either side. Essential data such as speed, range and navigation info can be shown on the central 10.25-inch screen, while images relayed from the car’s cameras appear on the right-hand screen.
The two outer screens measure seven inches across and are touch-sensitive, but some
functions are replicated on the multifunction steering wheel, where extra buttons cycle through different menus.
The Cyberster is available in five colours; English White Standard, Sterling Silver
Metallic, Camden Grey Metallic, Diamond Red Metallic and Royal Yellow Premium. The hood comes in black or red with all exterior colours apart from red and yellow, which have a black top only.
Cyberster is still a late-2024 launch for NZ; however, it's now live on the local website and some early adopters already have their orders in. Don't be shy.
