Rare MG Cyberster GT Chinese-Built Electric Roadster

A rare 2023 MG Cyberster GT arriving at and leaving Cars and Chronos at Hing Wa Lee Plaza. Introduced publicly in pre-production form at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2023, the Cyberster is built by Shanghai-based SAIC Motor, which currently owns MG Motor. It was designed in London by a team led by Carl Gotham, Advanced Design Director at SAIC Motor UK. The battery electric sports car is equipped with an electric soft top, electric scissor doors, and an 8-speaker Bose audio system. The GT trim, priced at around £60,000, features 20" alloy wheels, all-wheel drive, and a dual-motor setup. A Trophy trim with a smaller battery and rear-wheel drive is also available. Production began in late 2023 with no plans to enter the American market. This Chinese-market example, finished in Dynamic Red Tri-Coat with Black roof, is one of the only Cybersters currently in the U.S.

Yes, apparently there's an MG Cyberster in California, along with a Xiaomi, an AITO, and a VW Santana (all caught in this video). I have no idea how they got here or why they're here since there are no plans to sell any of them stateside. But it's certainly cool getting to catch these Chinese-market cars making a rare appearance on U.S. soil.

While EV technology is now widely available in nearly every type of car, there has long been an absence of an affordably priced open sports car with a fully electric powertrain - until now. I'll begin by saying that anything with "Cyber" in its name that's not directly affiliated with computers or robotics is outright cheesy. Yes, that includes Tesla's hideous doorstop-of-a-truck (although at least that truck looks like it belongs in a futuristic video game). But one thing I love most about the Cyberster is that it doesn't try too hard to look futuristic. OK, maybe except for those doors, which I must say are overly pretentious for an otherwise classy car. (Imagine if the Porsche Boxster came with vertical doors!) Despite appearing busy from some angles, this MG maintains classic sports car proportions and styling cues fitting for the historic brand that will make most assume there's a gas-powered engine under the hood. The taillights, despite sticking out from the overall design language, look pretty cool, and I especially like how the turn signals actually form arrows pointing in the direction they're signaling.

This is certainly a special car, but the big question remains of whether or not it can attract enough buyers in its intended markets. Would fans of traditional MG roadsters even consider owning a car with Chinese badging? Will preconceived notions of British reliability and Chinese quality cause consumers to shy away? With pricing in line with that of the popular Porsche Boxster, how many people will choose to sacrifice the Porsche's brand name status, reputable quality, excellent performance, and engaging driving experience for a quiet scissor-doored electric car that few have seen or heard of?

One thing that's perfectly clear is that there's no chance the Cyberster will actually be sold here in the States. Perhaps someday we'll see a handful of examples driven over from Mexico where other MG models are currently sold. But for now, this is probably the only Cyberster in the country, and it's probably going to stay that way.

Would you choose a new MG Cyberster over a similarly priced Porsche Boxster? Leave a comment and let me know!