Image: MG Media.
A long time ago when music was great, industrial protests were daily, houses were grim and small market were thriving, there was a little company situated in Abington under the name of MG. And contrary to popular belief, they didn't just produce 2-seater sports cars.
MG were the kings of rebadging other BMC or Leyland cars. There was the Magnette saloon for instance which was basically an Austin Cambridge with a sporty grille on the nose. But even beforehand, MG did a selection of 'normal' cars which were based upon Wolseley's model range.
Despite that though, MG was always remembered for their sports cars; notably the more famous MGA, MGB and the Midget. For a while though, MG has been under Chinese ownership and the sporting genre hasn't been explored since the departure of the TF in 2005. But even then, people weren't really warming to MG. Could the tables be turned now however?
Image: MG Media.
The Cyberster concept caught our attention simply because it looks like a spectacular return to what made MG so well loved and respected. A sports car!
You can see that the Cyberster has styling cues that hark back to the B: such as the headlights and distinctive centre line running straight across the bonnet and lower front bumper.
However, unlike its predecessors, it isn't powered by a 95hp B-Series engine that takes an entire Roman dynasty to get to the redline - or even Buick's old 3.5 litre V8. Instead, the Cyberster is electric and will run on a battery pack. A far cry from the oily days of old.
Image: MG.
But perhaps from a general perspective, if MG decide to go ahead with the Cyberster and price it sensibly, then we could have a return to the British sports car age. Only this time, a bit less smoky!
Britain's current selection of sports cars is a bit out-of-reach for the mass market. There are Lotuses, but the current lineup is about to be axed. Then you have the Jaguar F-Type and Aston Martin Vantage which are woefully expensive for most people. And then there is Morgan - who only appear to offer 70-year-old cars for extortionate money. Oh, and before you mention the return of TVR, they haven't even built their factory yet.
So, the MG could be an answer to helping move both the British car industry forward as well as the sports car segment. There aren't any exciting engines on the cards, but with the way the world is looking at the moment, it may be the manufacturers'' only option.
Image: MG.
As for the name: Cyberster seems like an unlikely one for a production car. Logically, it would make sense to call it the MGE to signify it's electric drivetrain while also following the lineage of the MGA, B and C.
But perhaps something else could be on the cards? We'll just have to wait and see.