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- 2024 MG Cyberster debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed, ahead of sales in Europe scheduled for 2024.
- The electric roadster will offer a choice of two batteries along with single- and dual-motor layouts, with a top range of 360 miles.
- The EV roadster will be among the first electric drop tops to go on sale in several countries, with Europe being the Chinese-built model's main export market.
MG is using the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the official debut of the Cyberster electric roadster, due to go on sale in Europe and China in just a few months, becoming the first mass-market electric drop-top of the decade.
The once-British brand, owned by China's SAIC since the mid 2000s, previewed the Cyberster a couple of years prior as a much more dramatic concept, but the production version revealed this week still hits the right notes when it comes to customer-friendly design along with a few nods to MG's past.
Just like other EVs, the Cyberster will be served up in single- and dual-motor form, with the base RWD version set to offer 310 hp, while the dual-motor version will dial that up to 536 hp. The Cyberster will also offer a couple of battery options, with the smaller of the two offering 64 kWh, expected to land a bit south of the 300-mile mark, while the larger 77-kWh unit should be able to stretch its range up to 370 miles.
Aside from a modern interior, revealed in the days leading up to its official debut at Goodwood, the Cyberster is also expected to serve up blistering launches in under three seconds, at least in dual-motor form. The AWD version will be the sportier of the two when it comes to ludicrous performance, but it will also be the heavier of the two with a curb weight of 4376 lbs.
The Cyberster won't exactly be MGB-sized with a length of 178.5 inches—over two feet longer than the classic—and will also be quite a bit heavier, in keeping with EV trends.
The official debut of the Cyberster has also revealed a tech-laden interior with a three screens arranged into a single wraparound layout, and a decidedly conventional steering wheel in contrast to the yoke of the concept. However, the production version has kept the scissor doors, giving the roadster a touch of supercar flavoring.
What the Cyberster will not offer is supercar pricing.
The model is expected to start at $70,000 in Europe, where it will land next year, but could be far more affordable in China with a starting price just above the $40,000 mark. Actual pricing will be revealed closer to the model's debut in various countries, where the Cyberster will surely command 100% of the electric roadster segment.
North America will not be one of those markets as MG has not made sales here a priority, but something vaguely like it could materialize as Porsche has been planning electric versions of the 718 Cayman and Boxster, set to arrive for the 2025 model year. The gas-engined versions of Porsche's duo will remain on sale for at least a couple years afterwards, but no long-term promises have been made beyond that.
Is it too early for automakers to offer electric convertibles, or is the demand there at this point in time? Let us know what you think.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
