But the cynic in me asks: is this trying to hard? All hype and no depth?
Fortunately, MG Philippines was kind enough to lend me the Cyberster for a few days as a confident assurance on their part that it was a roadster of substance and connection. Not a hardcore sports car, but a roadster that delivers the right sort of vibe.
The MG Cyberster is built atop the brand’s dedicated electric sports car platform. It does share a number of components from other MG-SAIC vehicles but the backbone is exclusive to the Cyberster.
The front has shades of Aston Martin, Jaguar and McLaren, the rear a hint of Dodge Viper. The tail lights are a nod to the Union Jack though it is the Cyberster’s one disappointing design flaw.
Swing the doors up electronically (either via key fob or buttons on the door), slide in and the interior is surprisingly very spacious. The Cyberster is a rather large car, more Mercedes SL than BMW Z. There’s a good amount of cubby holes and storage space inside for your personal effects, and the 250 liter trunk is adequate for a small weekend bag.
The inside is luxurious but also very Chinese: depending on the lighting, it can look a pale shade of restrained red, or tera cota. The zero gravity seats are comfortable and supportive, and thankfully feel cool on your backside. The thick plush carpet feels good and luxurious as well.
The flat-bottom three-spoke steering wheel reaches out to you and there’s a plethora of buttons for the various multi-info displays, the driving aids and the infotainment system itself. So far so good, the MG Cyberster feels promising.
Floor it and all four tires scrabble for grip, eliciting a chirp that sees the MG Cyberster barrel down the road at a very disconcerting rate. The sprint to 100kmh is dispatched in a scant 3.2 seconds according to MG, and it feels very achievable. But drive it sanely and aside from the initial surge of power, the Cyberster is easy to drive smoothly. Flicking the drive mode to Eco helps mitigate the aggressive power at tip-in.
On the road, the steering is very decent; I’ve long been suspicious of the tactility of many Chinese made cars as there is usually none to talk-about. They all feel limp or absolutely lifeless.
The Cyberster has good heft, feel and feedback from the steering, brakes and suspension. Feel is important to capture emotion and drama, crucial ingredients in a sports car or roadster that relies heavily on personal connections. The MG Cyberster captures this element.
It feels inviting enough to enjoy a fast, flowing A-road, more so than some offerings from the established legacy brands. On tighter B-roads, you feel the considerable 1985kg heft and how it throws the car around when you’re sawing like a maniac behind the wheel. It will survive the B-road blasts but you have to drive it with a measure of caution and respect for its portliness.
NVH refinement with the roof up is quite good. Convertibles with soft tops typically have poor insulation but the MG Cyberster has done a good job at keeping it tight up top. Despite riding on massive 19-inch wheels and tires plus the sport-tuned suspension, there’s enough compliance and comfort in the ride to not batter you on anything longer than hour’s drive. The MG Cyberster makes for a very capable long-distance GT, offering the ability to enjoy open-air motoring when the mood calls for it and weather allows it. With the roof down, buffeting is almost non-existent at legal speeds.
The brakes utilize Brembo 4-piston calipers up front and regular single sliding piston rear calipers, but these are more for show than anything else as the regenerative braking system delivers stupendous stopping ability while harvesting energy to recharge the battery. Nonetheless, brake pedal feel is impressive: progressive and easily-modulated with a firm, driver-oriented heft.
The really impressive bit is that MG has synced braking effort / feel from the physical brakes perfectly with the regenerative system as the deceleration feels organic and natural, predictable and consistent.
About the only perplexing aspect of the drive was the shaking. Not scuttle shake from the chassis when it goes through the rough stuff, but how the interior itself seems to have a number of shakes and rattles: the vacant passenger seat visibly shakes when going through rumble strips, as do the door sidings and something underneath both the center console and the dashboard. Thankfully the steering column doesn’t vibrate as do the pedals, something I’ve witnessed in convertibles in the past and very perplexing when you’re giving it the beans.
Admittedly the test unit has a good amount of mileage on it but that leaves more work for the boffins at MG to improve on overall build quality.
Overall, the MG Cyberster is a surprisingly commendable first step for one of China’s largest car manufacturers to create a truly emotional and captivating sports car / roadster. It’s engaging, enjoyable and comfortable. It exhibits all the good, sharp driving manners one expects from a proper GT with a design that is quite handsome (save the garish rear tail lights). If you can’t tell, I genuinely was surprised (pleasantly so) and enjoyed it. I’ll gladly have one in British Racing Green.
Are we ready for the idea of a fully electric roadster of Chinese origin? One sporting a British badge that has scissor doors yet made in the land of dimsum, hotpot and noodles? Go beyond your stereotypes and have a go. The MG Cyberster is one properly sorted car.
