Why This Electric Roadster Matters More Than You Think
I first drove the MG Cyberster earlier last year on a brief test at Millbrook Proving Ground. Enough to intrigue, enough to raise eyebrows, but not enough to truly understand it. This time, MG handed me the keys for a week. Living with a car exposes its truths. Its cleverness. Its quirks. Its brilliance. And occasionally, its foibles.
This is the MG Cyberster GT, the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version, and it is unlike anything else currently on sale.
Let’s get the headline numbers out of the way first, because they are impossible to ignore. The Cyberster GT produces just over 500bhp, a frankly ridiculous 725Nm of torque, and dispatches 0–62mph in 3.2 seconds. That is supercar territory, whether anyone believes it or not. Range sits at around 275 miles, while the rear-wheel-drive Trophy version stretches to just over 300 miles, albeit with a still-healthy 340bhp and a five-second sprint.
Prices start a little north of £55,000 for the Trophy and just over £60,000 for the GT. If you are leasing, the jump to the GT makes a lot of sense. You get all-wheel drive, staggering performance, and the full theatrical experience.
And theatre, as it turns out, is the Cyberster’s secret weapon.
A Roadster Shaped Hole in the Market
The Cyberster occupies a space that has quietly emptied over the past decade. Think Audi TT. BMW Z4. Affordable, stylish, two-seat sports cars that people bought because they wanted something fun, not because it made spreadsheet sense.
MG hasn’t just returned to the roadster format. It has gone all in. Long bonnet, wide stance, dramatic surfacing and those now-famous scissor doors, which you can open remotely from the key fob like some sort of back street Batmobile. Children stare. Adults pretend not to. Everyone asks questions.
This is not a car that blends in. In bright yellow, it practically shouts.
Design: Detail, Drama and a Bit of Madness
For a modern EV, the Cyberster is surprisingly intricate. The front end alone is packed with sculpted intakes, splitters and aero detailing, some of which are functional, some of which will make cleaning a mild form of punishment.
The lighting signatures front and rear are distinctive, especially at night, and the rear light arrows give the car a sci-fi edge without tipping into parody. There’s a subtle integrated lip spoiler at the back, clever aero work underneath, and even a nod to MG’s heritage with small anniversary details tucked away like Easter eggs.
It looks expensive. More expensive than it is. And yes, it turns heads everywhere. Park it, walk away, and you will look back. Everyone does.
Practicality: More Than You Expect
With that vast bonnet, you might assume there’s a front boot. There isn’t. Open it and you’ll find service access and washer fluid, nothing more. Slightly disappointing, but not unusual.
Around the back, however, the Cyberster redeems itself. The boot offers 249 litres, which in real terms means a couple of decent suitcases or, in my case, an airport run with my son, his large bag and a cabin case. No drama.
For a two-seat electric roadster, that’s genuinely impressive.
Interior: A Cockpit That Means Business
Climb inside and it’s immediately clear this is not a repurposed MG hatchback. The cabin feels special. You sit low, the dash wraps around you, and you are greeted by what MG calls a tri-screen cockpit. In reality, it’s four screens in total, three clustered around the driver and a central touchscreen handling infotainment and climate.
The interface is slick, sophisticated, and miles ahead of where MG once was. Materials are mostly good, though I would avoid the lighter seat trim unless you enjoy watching stains slowly develop before your eyes.
Storage is reasonable for the class. There are door pockets, small cubbies, cupholders that rise theatrically from the console, and a phone slot that just so happens to perfectly fit a large iPhone. Entirely coincidental, I’m sure.
There are quirks. The outer screens can be partially obscured by the steering wheel, especially when using navigation. Night-time brightness can be overly enthusiastic until you manually tame it. And oddly, despite all this tech, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still require a cable, and not just any cable. You will learn this the hard way.
But overall, it’s a bold, futuristic interior that feels worthy of the car’s exterior drama.
On the Road: Fast, Confident, and Occasionally Wild
Let’s be clear. This thing is seriously quick. Acceleration is relentless. Press the throttle and the Cyberster GT doesn’t so much gather speed as rearrange your facial features. Engage the red “Super Sport” button and it becomes properly hilarious. The initial surge is violent, followed by sustained shove that just keeps going.
Grip, even in the wet, is outstanding. The all-wheel-drive system deploys power intelligently, correcting slips smoothly and giving you the confidence to lean on it far more than you probably should on a damp British B-road.
The steering is accurate and confidence-inspiring, particularly when set to its firmer mode, though it lacks the last degree of feedback you’d get from a lightweight petrol sports car. Ride quality is firm. Not harsh, but definitely busy on poor surfaces. On smooth roads it feels planted and solid. On rough ones, you will know about it.
This is not a featherweight roadster. You feel the mass. But MG has tuned it well enough that the weight rarely feels like a liability.
Tech, Assistance and Letting Go of Control
On the motorway, I tested MG Pilot Intelligent Drive, which combines adaptive cruise, lane centring, braking and acceleration. It works well. Smooth, logical, not jerky. And yet, it still freaks me out.
I found myself gripping the wheel, watching every move, wondering why I wasn’t just driving the thing myself. That’s more about me than the system, to be fair. If you like semi-autonomous cruising, the Cyberster delivers it competently. I just prefer to stay involved.
The Bigger Picture: Why the Cyberster Is Important
Here’s where the Cyberster truly earns its place. This is not just a halo car for MG. It is a halo car for the entire EV segment. Electric cars have become very good. Efficient. Quiet. Sensible. And, let’s be honest, a bit dull. Too many look the same. Too many feel like appliances.
The Cyberster is different. It has drama. It has theatre. It makes people smile. People point, stare, ask questions. It sparks conversations. It creates interest. It reminds people that cars can still be objects of desire, even when they’re electric. If you want to change perceptions, this is how you do it.
Verdict: Not Perfect, But Genuinely Special
The MG Cyberster GT is not flawless. It isn’t the sharpest sports car, nor the most communicative. The ride will not suit everyone. Some interior quirks will irritate the obsessive.
But taken as a whole, for the money, it is extraordinary. Supercar-level acceleration. Head-turning design. Real-world usability. Proper tech. And most importantly, character.
It is easy to live with day to day, yet every journey still feels like an event. You walk up to it, you smile. You open the doors, you grin. You drive it, and it makes you laugh out loud. And in today’s increasingly beige automotive landscape, that counts for a lot.
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