MG is finally launching a vehicle worthy of the badge, an exciting looking roadster for the current age. So far the manufacturer has only officially shown the radical Cyberster concept, but now courtesy of leaked patent renderings, we can finally see what the production version is actually going to look like.
It actually bears little to no resemblance to the concept, but that’s not really a negative point since it actually looks like a convincing roadster - a real electric alternative to something like a BMW Z4. MG hasn’t tried to make the production Cyberster look overtly electric, so it still has a clearly defined grille/intake area (which doesn’t appear to be closed off).
Gallery: MG Cyberster Patent Renderings Leaked
The hood is quite long too, giving this vehicle a very recognizable sports car shape. Its front section isn’t quite as long as the BMW’s, but it’s not far off. The design of the rear seems a bit Polestar-esque, although MG added two outward-facing arrows for extra personality - they also seem to be integrated with what appears to be some type of mesh, possibly an air exhaust for cooling.
We don’t yet know where MG wants to place this model in terms of performance. The Cyberster concept was said to be able to accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 3 seconds, and MG mentioned a bespoke EV architecture and a maximum range of 497 miles on one charge.
The first new MG to debut won’t be this roadster, but a hatchback called the MG 4, which should arrive in the UK by the end of this year. Known in China as the MG Mulan, it’s around 4.3 meters (169 inches) long, it has a decent size 73 kWh battery pack in the long range version and it is basically MG’s answer to the Volkswagen ID.3 or the newly launched Renault Megane Electric.
MG, which since 2007 has been owned by China’s SAIC, has actually been doing quite well over the last two years in Europe and in the UK. Earlier this year it announced that it tripled its Euro and UK sales in 2021 with 52,000 units sold and it also increased the number of sales and service locations from 150 to 400.
It doesn’t really need to have an exciting sports car in its range. It’s been doing quite well selling Chinese electric crossovers in Europe, but since parent company SAIC can afford it, they are doing it to boost the brand’s image. They are essentially trying to revive the brand’s sports car past in EV form (again, just because they can), and we’re curious to see more.
The Cyberster is expected to go into production in 2024 and it shouldn't be too expensive to buy when it comes out.
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Source: Autocar