MG Cyberster review: Fast enough for James Bond, green enough for Greta Thunberg

Mint

5 days ago

MG Motor's first electric roadster, the Cyberster, is fast and sleek enough to be James Bond's getaway car yet clean and green enough to be Greta Thunberg's ride. Striking butterfly doors and a retractable roof makes it so Instagrammable that it adds to its desirability.
This is certainly not an inconspicuous car—it does 0-100kmph in 3.2 seconds—and I suspect this will be a car bought ( ₹75 lakh on road) to be seen in rather than speed in.
The media reveal was at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida, a racetrack built for Formula 1 cars to go screaming at full whack. We got three laps each, and there is something deliciously contradictory about watching a bright red convertible hurtle down a racetrack with all the drama of a fighter jet but none of the noise. The MG Cyberster blitzed the tarmac while barely waking the pigeons perched on the pit lane gantry.
BIC features a back straight that could shame a runway and some corners that demand sharp steering. I get into the car and adjust the seat and steering wheel; even with the seat and back rest pushed back to the maximum, I feel slightly cramped at 6ft, but it's not a deal breaker.
The dashboard comprises three screens. Ideally, I would have liked about 20 minutes to orient myself with the screens and the interactions they offer, but this press event is on a tight schedule and there are others in line. The screens glow but unlike an ICE motor, I have no way of knowing whether the electric motor is ready to roll. So, I simply ask the instructor and he says, 'Yes, step on the 'gas' and you're ready to roll!" The soul of the car are its two electric motors. Fed by a 77 kWh liquid-cooled battery pack, a motor sits on each axle delivering a combined 370 kW (503 BHP) and 720 Nm of torque. Sixty two percent of the power and torque go to the rear axle. The curb weight has been kept to 1980kg thanks to a bonded-aluminium chassis and steel subframes.
On the track
I select Sport mode and while I can't feel it, I know from having read the press brochure that the adaptive dampers firm up, regenerative braking steps in, and the steering rack tightens to a 13.5:1 ratio for quick flicks around corners.
The first lap is for familiarity, and I slowly exit the pit lane to get a sense of the car's throttle response. I coast along the track and get to the back straight where I stop and switch to Super Sport mode. Bracing myself, I stomp down on the accelerator and the Cyberster bolts like a gazelle who's seen a leopard. The speedometer is well past 100 when I glance at it. The acceleration is relentless all the way to 160kmph after which it eases off, ever so slightly.
Yet, the Cyberster is past 200 in about 15 seconds, and I start braking at 206kmph. There was enough track length and time for the car to have hit the limiter at 215kmph, but then the braking would have had to be hurried and hard. Not a good idea in an unfamiliar car. During my dash, the rear wing deploys at a 10-degree angle for extra downforce. The braking is sharp and stable. At the next corner I cut the kerb and the multi-link rear and double-wishbone front suspension soaks up the bump without sending much discomfort into the cabin.
On the next lap I have some fun throwing the Cyberster around corners and sliding it around a bit. The handling dynamics are great, but not thoroughbred sports car sharp. Remember that this is a car that will be more driven into the porch of the Taj Mahal Palace than on a racetrack. So, the dynamics must be a careful blend of cornering ability and cushioning comfort. This has been achieved, and it is no wonder because the chassis has been tuned by Marco Fainello, who was Ferrari Scuderia's head of vehicle dynamics, and worked closely with the likes of Michael Schumacher.
What I enjoyed the most is the instantaneous acceleration at any speed. This car will be as much of a delight to drive in city traffic as it is on the racetrack. It will bring joy pulling away from a signal stop, cornering around approach ramps to Mumbai's Coastal Road and on late night coffee or kulfi drives with the top down. The top incidentally goes up or down in 10 seconds and can be operated at speeds up to 50kmph. Besides that, it's got 8-speaker, 320W Bose system with 12-channel amp and subwoofer and a cabin with glowing instrumentation and screens that feels more cockpit than car.
Over the first two laps I have been all over the place around the corners, so I try a bit of finesse on my final lap. The electric steering rack lets me slip through the chicanes without much body roll. I try to carry as much speed into the corners by braking late and accelerating early. The Pirelli P Zero tires that are wrapped around really good-looking rims give friction a good run for their money before they start to chirp in protest. Much too soon, it's time for me to exit into the pit lane and give up the driver's seat.
On the road
While the company claims that the 77 kWh battery bank can deliver 580km on a full charge, this car will even tempt a geriatric grandparent to drive spiritedly, so expect it to give a real world range of nearabout 420km.
Does this car deserve a place in your garage? Yes, if it's got companions. If you have other workhorses in your garage, this can be a car for fun, for romantic or therapeutic drives. Yes, you could go grocery shopping with it or crawl through rush hour traffic, but then you could also wear a tuxedo to the beach. The question is, would you?