It’s 8am at a very gloomy Buddh International Circuit, India’s temple of speed, and I’ve lined up on the infamous back straight, ready to launch the new MG Cyberster. After pressing the big red ‘Super Sport’ button on the steering wheel, I hit the brake pedal, stomp hard on the accelerator and, a second later, lift off my left foot. I’m shoved back into my seat and, in the next three seconds or so, I’m doing north of 100kmph. By the end of the straight, I’ve crossed 200 clicks with a big smile on my face. All this in just about 15 seconds. Good lord.
After many launches and three fast laps, I pull into the pits, park my Flare Red Cyberster behind a Nuclear Yellow example (which, I have to say, looks absolutely smashing), untie my helmet, and open the powered scissor doors via the button on the centre console. I step out giggling, because honestly, I didn’t expect this thing to be so much fun around a track.
People who are going to buy the Cyberster are going to love launching it, because this is one seriously quick car. It’s propelled by a 503bhp dual-motor setup that churns out 725Nm of peak torque and delivers it to the road via Pirelli P Zero tyres — with no drama at all. Three-point-two seconds to 100kmph is no joke, and it’s particularly impressive because the Cyberster weighs a smidge under two tonnes. Yes, there are a few more surprises — but before I tell you everything about it, here’s a quick overview of the car.
The Cyberster is MG’s flagship product. It’s the fastest car ever to wear the MG badge and it’s now on sale in India, a couple of years after its global debut, at ₹75 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s an important car for the marque because it marks MG’s return to making roadsters after more than a decade. The Cyberster concept was first introduced in 2017, but the car we see today was unveiled in 2023. I’ve wanted to get behind the wheel of the Cyberster ever since I first saw it in person at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025 earlier this year because…
...Thanks to its sharp looks and those big performance numbers. The amount of attention the Cyberster garnered at the Bharat Mobility Expo was just unbelievable. And that’s been the reaction to this car worldwide — because it looks like a proper exotic machine. It’s low-slung, with a reptilian front end, a raked windscreen, and aggressive rear haunches. It gets a long bonnet, sharp bumpers at both ends, a set of beautifully detailed headlights and 20-inch alloy wheels. The rear of the Cyberster is dominated by a light bar and a pair of arrow-shaped tail-lights that double up as turn indicators. A bit cartoonish, in my opinion, but not too bad. All in all then, I love the way the Cyberster looks. No, it won’t tug at your heartstrings like the timeless, beautiful MGs of yesteryear — but it’ll definitely make you go, ‘Whoa! That’s cool.’ And when you pull up, drop the top and open those scissor doors, it’s going to be the talk of the town for days.
The interior of the Cyberster is also a rather nice place to be. Getting into the driver’s seat is an easy affair, thanks to the large aperture offered by those fancy scissor doors. Once inside, you're surrounded by soft-touch plastics and high-quality leather almost everywhere. It's a decidedly driver-focused cockpit, complete with a central divider on the console that separates the driver from the passenger.
Inside there's a gorgeous three-spoke steering wheel wrapped in the same rich red leather as the seats. It looks fantastic, features generously sized buttons, and though it feels solid in hand, it might come across as slightly too thick for some. Behind it, you’ll find paddle shifters that let you toggle through different levels of regenerative braking. And right behind the wheel is where things get very digital — not one, not two, but three screens! A main 10.25-inch digital cluster sits flanked by two 7-inch displays, giving you a cockpit-like feel. Taking centre stage on the console is a vertically mounted 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, with the drive selector buttons neatly positioned to its right. Below that are the controls for the soft-top and door release.
The cabin feels well put together, although with the roof up, it does feel a tad claustrophobic. Outward visibility is acceptable, but not perfect — particularly up front, due to the sharply raked windscreen. Still, it comes packed with all the kit you’d expect: wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two generously sized cup holders, a 360-degree camera, Level 2 ADAS and an 8-speaker BOSE stereo system.
Powering the Cyberster is a 77kWh battery, with a claimed 580km range on the MIDC cycle. It supports 144kW DC fast charging, which means a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in just 40 minutes.
My time with the Cyberster was limited three laps around the BIC, plus a couple of runs on a slalom course laid out in the parking lot. After one sighting lap, I decided to give it the beans. As expected from an EV, throttle response is instant and punchy, regardless of the driving mode — Comfort, Sport, Super Sport or Custom. The dual-motor setup delivers power in a 62:38 front-to-rear split. But despite that, it never feels tail-happy, thanks to the phenomenal grip from the tyres. Sure, you can kick the tail out by switching the traction control off, but around fast corners, the Cyberster stays remarkably composed. That said, understeer does creep in if you carry too much speed into a corner and brake late. Braking comes courtesy of Brembo calipers all-round, with a four-pot setup at the front. They offer good feedback, but they could definitely do with more bite — especially under heavy braking, where the Cyberster's nearly two-tonne mass makes itself felt. After repeated hard stops, some brake fade was also noticeable.
The Cyberster’s steering can be adjusted through three modes Light, Standard and Sport. While it does weigh up in the most dynamic setting, the steering doesn’t offer much in the way of feedback and feels fairly inert overall. That said, in city traffic, the light steering will be a boon — and let’s be honest, that’s where most Cybersters will live. The chassis has been tuned by former F1 engineer Marco Fainello. The car feels planted through corners at high speeds, with some body roll, but nothing unsettling. In fact, the softer suspension setup might just make it a brilliant grand tourer — and that’s something I’m genuinely looking forward to testing more thoroughly.
One area that could use improvement, however, is the infotainment user interface of the screens. The layout of the screens is a bit counterintuitive and will take some getting used to.
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At ₹75 lakh (ex-showroom), the MG Cyberster offers staggering bang for your buck. It's got the numbers 503bhp, 3.2 seconds to 100kmph, a claimed 580km of range but it's not just about performance on paper. It looks like nothing else on the road, with exotic car drama that’s dialled up to eleven, from those powered scissor doors to the spaceship-style cockpit. It may not offer the purist engagement of a true lightweight MG roadster, but it more than makes up for it with its serious wow factor. If you find yourself behind the wheel of one, chances are, you'll end up driving it far more than you initially thought not because you need to, but because you want to. It’s an attention-commanding, grin-inducing, poster-worthy experience which many will fancy.
