MG EV Roadster Teased For The First Time As Electrifying MX-5 Rival

Seen by many fans as the battery-electric successor to the MG F/TF roadster, the new EV is reportedly due to debut before 2024.

Aug 3, 2022 at 11:52am ET

Ever since the patent renderings of MG's upcoming convertible sports car surfaced in June 2022, we've been waiting for some official details about the brand's electric rival for the Mazda MX-5 Miata.

We finally get that in the form of a video teaser that shows us glimpses of MG's production electric roadster, which may not use the Cyberster name.

Previewed by the wild-looking MG Cyberster Concept a year ago, the battery-electric successor to the MG F/TF roadster has been teased for the first time by the brand, suggesting an unveiling is finally around the corner.

In the low-quality video posted on social media, MG shows the electric roadster's long hood, sleek LED lights, power folding soft top, yoke steering wheel and bi-color sports seats. We also get a glimpse of the car's flowing profile and other design cues such as subtle ducktail rear spoiler and rear lighting design inspired by the Union Jack. All of them fit the patent renderings.

The video MG posted on Twitter is titled "Return of the legend," suggesting that the new model will revive a nameplate from the brand's rich history. As Autocar notes, MG trademarked the name MG C EV, a reference to a lesser-known, straight-six-powered version of the illustrious MG B from the late 1960s.

While the patent renderings have given us a clear look at the exterior design, little is known about the MG electric roadster's underpinnings. The most logical architecture for it would be the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) developed by parent company SAIC Motor and set to debut soon on the MG4 electric compact hatchback.

This would give the electric roadster access to 167-horsepower and 201-horsepower rear-wheel-drive powertrains, as well as a 443-horsepower dual-motor option. Our money would be on the more powerful rear-wheel-drive powertrain, as a dual-motor setup would add too much weight to a car that's supposed to compete with the lightweight Miata and act as the spiritual successor to the mid-engined MG F/TF sold in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Following the same logic, the MG electric roadster would use the smaller of the two battery packs offered on the MG4 (51 kWh and 64 kWh). The 51-kWh pack would likely give the electric sports car a range comfortably exceeding 200 miles (322 kilometers).

According to Autocar, the electric sports car is due to debut before 2024 as an affordable halo car for MG.