CYBER STORM (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The MG Cyberster is everything we'd hoped an electric MG sports car might be. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 35

The MG Cyberster is billed as the world's first affordable EV roadster and it's the most aspirational model this British-influenced Chinese marque has yet brought us. Still remember MG's glory days? Here they are, reinvented.

Backgroundword count: 174

It's two decades since the MG brand launched a proper sports car - the TF of 1995. Since then, we've had to get used to very different kind of MG - a Chinese company making budget-priced hatches and SUVs, mostly electric ones in recent times. But the marque, these days owned by China's biggest auto maker SAIC, has higher aspirations and these allowed for the development of a halo sports car to replace the TF - this model, the Cyberster. It's an electric sports roadster, which at launch in the UK made it unique (at least for those prepared to ignore Elon Musk's old Lotus-based Tesla Roadster of 2008). Actually, just about any kind of relatively affordable sports roadster is pretty unique these days; the only combustion ones that remain are the Mazda MX-5 and (more relevantly for this Cyberster's price point) the BMW Z4 and the Porsche 718 Boxster. But those are ageing products. This MG in contrast, feels fresh and forward-thinking, the first sign of the coming convertible electric sports car revolution.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 210

You think of a roadster as being light and agile. But this one, unpromisingly, weighs up to 1,920kg. Which is almost the weight of an old MGB heavier than the old MG TF. But then, to be fair, the Cyberster is a significantly larger car than the TF, three times more powerful and twice as quick off the mark, courtesy of its all-electric 77kWh drivetrain. Just how quick you'll go depends on your selection between the two variants on offer. Things kick off with a rear-driven 'Trophy' model that offers 335bhp and makes 62mph in 5.0s. The range is 316 miles. The alternative is the top 'GT', which adds 4WD and a further motor at the front, boosting power to 496bhp and reducing the 62mph sprint time to just 3.2s. Range is 276 miles. So: fast or frantically fast - your choice. Top speed with both variants is 124mph. With both variants, there are four driving modes - Comfort, Custom, Sport and Track. Plus there's an adaptable brake regeneration system. The sharp handling meanwhile, comes courtesy of a team led by legendary F1 chassis tuning specialist Mario Fainello, who helped engineer Michael Schumacher's Ferrari-winning years. The power-folding roof can operate in only 10 seconds at speeds of up to 32mph.

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