Tuesday 2nd August 2022

New MG sports car previewed ahead of unveil

'Return of the Legend' proclaims MG. We all know what that means...

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Remember the MG Cyberster concept from last year? If not universally loved by PHers - ‘Yuck! No thank you’ was the fifth comment - the Cyberster did show an interesting change of tact for MG. Because while electric and electrified SUVs can sell in big numbers (and, relatively speaking, MG’s offerings seem to do alright), a sports car can work wonders for brand perception. Especially if, as the original press release claimed, the Cyberster would do 500 miles on a charge and hit 60mph in three seconds. Plus that famous octagonal badge has plenty of sports car heritage to trade on… 

That’s exactly what MG is aiming at with this latest teaser for its new sports car, a social media preview titled ‘Return of the legend’. So a familiar nameplate seems likely, be that B, C, TF or similar. Encouragingly, too, there’s plenty to be seen in this latest car to make it as dramatic as the concept. See the scissor doors, rear light bar, big wheels and yoke steering wheel for the two-seat cabin. Plus, of course, rather more Union Jack references than is really comfortable.  

The production model is expected to share its underpinnings with the MG 4 hatch, due later this year as the first car on SAIC’s new Modular Scalable Platform. And while its initial application isn’t exactly sporting, there’s plenty about the platform - 50:50 weight distribution, a slim battery to drop the driver and the centre of gravity lower - that bodes well for a two-seater. Furthermore, though the 4 is only expected to be offered with either a 51kWh/169hp or 64kWh/204hp powertrain, the Cyberster is likely to use the more powerful of those two RWD setups as well as a dual-motor, four-wheel drive arrangement. Which would certainly ensure sports car performance, though quite where the 500 miles of range comes from isn’t clear yet.  

Anyway, let’s not be down on the Cyberster just yet. We’ve been clamouring for an interesting and engaging electric vehicle, one designed for enthusiasts but without the £2m price tag, for ages, and it looks like MG might just be the one to deliver it first. With the 4 due by the end of this year, whatever the Cyberster becomes is set for a launch in 2023. It already looks like an EV to be intrigued by. 

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• MG Cyberster EV concept revealed

[Largechris]

So it's a rebodied Wing Wah.

Which doesn't make it bad, but the SAIC scaleable architecture shows the typical skateboard battery which limits how low the driver can be.

(There was another manufacturer's sportscar architecture with the batteries vertical behind the front seats?)

[Kerching]

Tack not tact

One changes tack not tact... FFS

[LotusOmega375D]

I’m no fan of their current offerings, but good luck to them with this. Will this make MG first to market with a two seat soft top EV sports car at a relatively low price? There’s got to be a demand for such a vehicle. Will they be able to sell as many as they can over here, or will it be restricted by quotas?

[GT3hopeful]

Very British ??
Union Jack and even lioness in the video

[Hellbound]

Hmmm.

The doors went up.

I think it’s going to be a winner.

[Hellbound]

GT3hopeful said:

Very British ??
Union Jack and even lioness in the video

Ah yes, the Lion. Such a majestic, beautiful animal. Great Britain is lucky to have such a beast, native to its green and pleasant land.

[J4CKO]

Largechris said:

So it's a rebodied Wing Wah.

Which doesn't make it bad, but the SAIC scaleable architecture shows the typical skateboard battery which limits how low the driver can be.

(There was another manufacturer's sportscar architecture with the batteries vertical behind the front seats?)

Wing Wah, thats our old local chippy ?

https://www.wilmslow.co.uk/news/article/18982/end-...

[Largechris]

Hellbound said:

GT3hopeful said:

Very British ??
Union Jack and even lioness in the video

Ah yes, the Lion. Such a majestic, beautiful animal. Great Britain is lucky to have such a beast, native to its green and pleasant land.

When you've pushed as many countries stuff in as Great Britain has over the years you're entitled to claim the Lion.

[esotericar]

Largechris said:

So it's a rebodied Wing Wah.

Which doesn't make it bad, but the SAIC scaleable architecture shows the typical skateboard battery which limits how low the driver can be.

(There was another manufacturer's sportscar architecture with the batteries vertical behind the front seats?)

Makes sense, but the proportions of the production car actually look good and do not imply a hgh seating position...

[MrGeoff]

Who's really going to buy this? Or am I missing something?

[Largechris]

J4CKO said:

Largechris said:

So it's a rebodied Wing Wah.

Which doesn't make it bad, but the SAIC scaleable architecture shows the typical skateboard battery which limits how low the driver can be.

(There was another manufacturer's sportscar architecture with the batteries vertical behind the front seats?)

Wing Wah, thats our old local chippy ?

https://www.wilmslow.co.uk/news/article/18982/end-...

I was thinking Coventry, still there:

https://www.wingwah.net/coventry/

[Silvanus]

MrGeoff said:

Who's really going to buy this? Or am I missing something?

Why wouldn't they? electric cars sales are increasing massively, there is still an appetite out there for sports cars, MG are one of the fastest growing brands currently. If it looks good and is well packaged it should sell well.

[Twinair]

‘We’ve all been clamouring’…?!

Uh, no, ‘we’ haven’t…

I open the door so the ‘Greensplaining’ can commence (continue)…!!

[geeks]

Well, I like the look of it

[Superflow]

Looks good.

[kambites]

Silvanus said:

MrGeoff said:

Who's really going to buy this? Or am I missing something?

Why wouldn't they? electric cars sales are increasing massively, there is still an appetite out there for sports cars, MG are one of the fastest growing brands currently. If it looks good and is well packaged it should sell well.

Because badge...

If they can be the first to market with an "electric MX5" and actually make it good (which given their existing EVs, there's no particular reason to believe they can't), it will probably sell well in many places. I'm not sure about the UK though.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 2nd August 13:29

[esotericar]

kambites said:

Because badge...

Well, the styling of the production car looks potentially very good, regardless of badge. Looks well proportioned for good dynamics. If they've got all that stuff right, maybe they've got the driving dynamics right.

Hyundai do some of the best hot hatches these days. Maybe this company is about to step up. I mean, I'd still bet not. But the renders of the production design look remarkably good.

[kambites]

I think they already have stepped up far further than most people realise. The MG ZS EV is a really very capable car. It's not exciting, but it was never intended to be - it's just a thoroughly decent family car. If they set out to produce a sports car there's no reason to believe they wont objectively succeed at that too. Whether that's enough to make it sell is another matter.

[esotericar]

If the car is good and they put the right effort into marketing it, think it will sell based on the renders. It looks like a potentially great looking car. If it drives well and they put some money in awareness, think it could do quite well.

As you say, they'd be first to market with a decent mainstream BEV sports car if they manage it. And the badge will help if they get the marketing right. That could be the trickiest bit for a Chinese outfit - marketing a 'British' brand.

That said, they've pretty much doubled their UK sales this year, and now outsell Honda, Land Rover, Mini, Renault, Skoda and others in the UK. So they must be doing something right re marketing.

[ds666]

MrGeoff said:

Who's really going to buy this? Or am I missing something?

It will be the first EV convertible of any volume ??