MG teases new roadster concept

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

The HS is MG's latest offering in the medium SUV segment. We drive it.

MG is working on a new roadster, which should please longtime fans of the brand.

The racey two-seater is called Cyberster and was designed at the SAIC Design Advanced London studio. The firm's Facebook page posted the images with little additional information about the model.

“Here’s a preview of something very exciting in the making, designed and developed by the UK & Shanghai Design team! Stay tuned for more…”, the post said.

MG could be working on a brand new sports car. Interested? So are we.

Right now, the Cyberster is more of a concept than a pre-production model. However, it's interesting to see what the design studio is cooking up for the British brand.

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The lightning around the wheels is a pretty good indication this won't be powered by a conventional powertrain.

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Whatever it ends up as, we can't wait to see it. Come on MG, unleash the beast!

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The images show a proper roadster with a long bonnet, wide haunches, big wheels and no obvious roof.

No details were given about the Cyberster's powertrain but the name and lightning in the images indicates there will be some degree of electrification.

Going fully electric would allow a more spacious frunk, helping solve the issue of storage in a sports car. It would also give the Cyberster more power than any twin-cam straight-four could offer.

If it uses an existing powertrain, MG could take the guts out of its MG ZS EV. The eco-SUV offers 110kW and 350Nm via a single motor mounted to the front wheel. It wouldn't take much effort to shift drive to the rear axle to rival the likes of the Mazda MX-5, which uses a 2.0-litre inline-four to produce 135kW/205Nm.

Alternatively, MG could take the hybrid powertrain out of its MG6 sedan which combines a 1.0-litre turbocharged triple with an electric motor for 167kW/622Nm.

MG has previously indicated it is working on a sports car to tap into its racing heritage. Such a model will go down a treat with brand fans that aren't happy with MG's recent SUV offerings. A modern MGB should easily scratch that itch.

Parent company SAIC also owns the Maxus brand, trading here as LDV (another ex-British name).