MG Cyberster Review: More Electric Grand Tourer Than Modern MGB

The MG Cyberster has now been around long enough for the initial surprise to have worn off.

We know MG can build an electric roadster. We know the doors go upwards. We know the quickest version can accelerate with enough force to rearrange your internal organs. The more important question now is whether the Cyberster offers anything beyond the launch-day theatre.

That matters because this is not a cheap weekend toy. Prices currently start from £55,245 for the rear-wheel-drive Trophy, rising to £60,245 for the twin-motor GT tested here. At that level, the MG badge is competing with established premium sports cars rather than budget electric hatchbacks.

After spending time with it, I do not think the Cyberster is the lightweight electric successor to the MGB that some people hoped for. It is too large, too heavy and far too complicated for that.

Instead, it makes more sense as an electric grand tourer. Think less Mazda MX-5 and more comfortable open-top cruiser, only with the acceleration of something far more exotic.

It still looks like nothing else

Whatever you think about the Cyberster, it certainly does not disappear into a car park.

It is long, wide and low, with a stretched bonnet, muscular rear arches and a cabin pushed towards the back of the car. It has traditional roadster proportions, but the detailing is deliberately modern rather than retro.

Then there are the electrically operated scissor doors.

Press a button and they rise upwards, transforming the simple act of getting into an MG into a miniature motor-show performance. They remain a fantastic talking point and give the Cyberster a sense of occasion that few cars at this price can match.

They are not always convenient, though. You have to wait for the motors to complete their work, and using them repeatedly can become slightly tiresome when you are simply trying to get out and pay for parking. They feel brilliantly excessive when you are arriving somewhere special, but rather less brilliant when it is raining outside Tesco.

The rest of the design is equally bold. The arrow-shaped rear lights will divide opinion, but the overall shape works. It looks expensive, dramatic and far more exotic than most people expect an MG to look.

Most importantly, it does not look like another electric SUV.

Performance that borders on ridiculous

The Cyberster GT uses two electric motors, one on each axle, producing 503PS, equivalent to around 496bhp, and 725Nm of torque. That power is sent through all four wheels, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds.

Those figures are impressive on a specification sheet. Experiencing them from an open-top two-seater is something else entirely.

Press the red Super Sport button, plant your right foot and the Cyberster launches forwards with almost no hesitation. There is no build-up, gear change or engine note warning you about what is coming. It simply delivers everything at once.

The result is properly violent acceleration. It pins you into the seat and makes overtaking almost comically easy. Brief gaps in traffic become enormous opportunities, although you need to watch your speed because the Cyberster can reach licence-losing territory very quickly.

It is entertaining, but you may also question whether a roadster really needs this much power.

The rear-wheel-drive Trophy produces 335bhp and reaches 62mph in five seconds, which is hardly slow. It also offers a longer official range and costs £5,000 less. For regular road use, it may be the more sensible version.

The GT, however, is not about being sensible. It is the one that delivers the complete Cyberster experience, combining the doors, the styling and the sort of acceleration normally associated with cars costing considerably more.

An electric GT rather than a delicate sports car

The Cyberster’s biggest limitation is its weight.

Even the lighter Trophy weighs close to 1.9 tonnes, while the GT is heavier still. For comparison, that is hundreds of kilograms more than a conventional petrol roadster and almost twice the weight of some versions of the Mazda MX-5.

You can feel that mass on a twisting road.

The Cyberster has plenty of grip from its Pirelli P Zero tyres, while the four-piston brakes provide strong stopping power. It can cover ground very quickly and feels secure when you commit to a corner.

What it does not do is dance along the road.

The steering is accurate enough, but it does not communicate much about what the front tyres are doing. Direction changes feel deliberate rather than playful, and the body can take a moment to settle when the road becomes uneven.

Approach it expecting an electric Lotus Elise and you may be disappointed. Treat it as a powerful, open-top grand tourer and it begins to make much more sense.

The suspension is surprisingly forgiving for something wearing large wheels and low-profile tyres. It deals with broken surfaces better than many hot hatchbacks and remains comfortable enough for longer journeys.

That more relaxed character arguably suits the car. With the roof lowered, the Cyberster is enjoyable at ordinary speeds. You do not need to be attacking every corner to appreciate it, and the effortless power makes it an easy car in which to cover distance.

An impressive cabin with some frustrating decisions

The interior immediately feels more special than the cabins found in MG’s mainstream SUVs and hatchbacks.

The dashboard wraps around the driver, with three digital displays positioned behind the steering wheel and another screen mounted on the centre console. There is Alcantara-style trim, electrically adjustable heated seats, a heated steering wheel and enough contrasting materials to make the cabin feel suitably dramatic.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, although the driving position is slightly higher than you might expect from such a low-looking car. Taller drivers may feel as though they are sitting on the Cyberster rather than deep inside it.

The screen layout also looks better in photographs than it works in reality.

The steering wheel can obscure sections of the outer displays, meaning you may need to move your head to see certain information. The menus are not always intuitive, and some frequently used functions require more attention than they should.

Despite early concept cars appearing with a yoke, UK-market Cybersters receive a conventional steering wheel. That is probably the correct decision for British roads and car parks, even if the dashboard appears to have originally been designed around the smaller yoke.

There are also plenty of driver-assistance warnings. The underlying systems are useful, but the collection of beeps and alerts can become intrusive. On a car designed to make driving feel special, constant electronic interruptions rather spoil the mood.

Material quality is generally good, especially by MG standards, but there are still a few switches and surfaces that struggle to justify a price of more than £60,000.

Range, charging and practicality

Both Cyberster models use a 77kWh battery.

MG quotes an official combined range of up to 316 miles for the rear-wheel-drive Trophy and 276 miles for the more powerful GT. The difference is worth considering because the Trophy is still quick enough for most drivers while offering noticeably more flexibility between charges.

The Cyberster can accept DC rapid charging at up to around 150kW. That is adequate, but no longer especially impressive when newer electric cars are beginning to offer substantially faster charging.

As a weekend or second car, neither point is likely to be a major issue. The available range is enough for a proper day out, and most owners will probably begin longer journeys with a full battery from home.

Practicality is also better than the shape suggests. The Cyberster is a strict two-seater, but the boot provides 249 litres of space. There is also some storage behind the seats, although there is no additional compartment beneath the bonnet. It should accommodate a couple of weekend bags, provided you pack carefully around the charging cables.

MG’s seven-year or 80,000-mile warranty also provides useful reassurance, especially for buyers who may be nervous about taking a £60,000 leap into an electric roadster from a brand better known for value-focused family cars.

Road tax is no longer free

One outdated assumption surrounding expensive electric cars is that they remain exempt from road tax.

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, a newly registered electric car attracts a £10 first-year rate, followed by the £200 standard annual rate. Electric cars with a list price above £50,000 also attract the £440 Expensive Car Supplement for five years, beginning with the second tax payment.

As both Cyberster versions exceed the £50,000 threshold, owners should currently budget for an annual tax bill of £640 during years two to six.

That does not suddenly make the Cyberster ruinously expensive to own, but it should be included when comparing it with a used petrol sports car or calculating the true cost of a finance agreement.

Insurance is also unlikely to be cheap, particularly for the GT. It combines near-500bhp performance with unusual doors, large body panels and specialist exterior components.

MG Cyberster verdict

The MG Cyberster is not a modern MGB.

It is not light, simple or especially delicate to drive. Its technology can frustrate, its weight is always present and the GT offers more performance than anyone could reasonably need on a British road.

But focusing entirely on what it fails to recreate misses the point.

The Cyberster is bold. It looks special, feels expensive, rides well and delivers genuinely outrageous performance. Lowering the roof and opening those doors still creates a sense of occasion, even after the initial novelty has passed.

The Trophy is probably the smarter choice. It costs less, travels further between charges and remains more than quick enough. The GT is the version for people who want the full experience and do not mind sacrificing some range for supercar-baiting acceleration.

Neither version is likely to tempt a committed Porsche Boxster or Mazda MX-5 owner searching for steering feel and delicacy. The Cyberster offers a different experience, combining open-top cruising, electric refinement and unapologetic visual drama.

It remains imperfect, but it also remains one of the most interesting electric cars on sale.

In a market still dominated by sensible electric crossovers, that alone is worth celebrating.