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The MG Cyberster is a headturner in design and heartstopper in performance. Priced Rs 74,99,800 (exshowroom), it is India’s only twodoor electric convertible, and competes against petrol convertibles such as BMW Z4 (Rs 92.9 lakh) and MercedesBenz CLE Cabriolet (Rs 1.11 crore).

We tested its droptop drama on the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi.

How’s the design?

It has flowing curves and muscular design lines like most sports cars do, but what differentiates the Cyberster is its scissor doors – these open towards the sky – which turn this car into a style statement. Park a Lamborghini in front of the India Gate, and then park the Cyberster with its doors open, and this MG might just attract more eyeballs.

How’s the cabin?

It has a low floor, and therefore taking the driver’s seat (or the passenger seat) can be quite a task, but once on the seat, the view of the road is good.

The cabin feels very technical, and confusing (there are too many controls and buttons, like an aircraft), but you can get a hang of it in a couple of days. The view from the driver’s seat is like that of a cockpit – it has a futuristic cluster of three screens, and a fourth display on the centre console for climate control.

The material used everywhere is topclass – almost as good as that of the BMW Z4 – and seats have a bodyhugging design. But mind you, there are just two seats, and very little luggage space.

How does it drive?

Slip behind the wheel and it can show you how advanced, and powerful, EVs have become. The 0100 km/h acceleration happens in just 3.2 seconds – in the league of a Lamborghini or Ferrari, which are 57 times more expensive. Instant electric torque and allwheeldrive grip make this acceleration dramafree – no gears are being changed – and acceleration from any speed to any speed is powerful.

On the race track, we mostly drove it in the Sport mode, where its displayed showed a realworld range of about 350 km (the claimed is 580 km). But in the Comfort mode, and on public roads, you can safely expect a driving range of about 450 km.

It has a heavy battery, and that means overall weight of about 2 tonnes, which shows when you brake hard or take sharp turns. Brakes are solid, and steering is accurate. When you drive with the roof closed, the cabin is quieter than most other sports cars – because there is no engine growl, although there is a speaker inside that produces multiple acceleration sounds – but it’s not as quiet as luxury EVs, including MG’s own M9.

While we haven’t driven it on public roads, its low ground clearance means its bottom might scrape tall speed breakers.

Is it the best sports car?

It’s electric, it’s futuristic, and it is India’s most affordable twodoor convertible sports car. Although it’s more valueformoney than the BMW, and more stunning than the MercedesBenz, it still is an MG (even though it is sold via the carmaker’s premium sales channel, MG Select). Most buyers in this segment buy into the brand, not the product, and that’s where the real test of the Cyberster lies. What it, however, has is the scissor doors that transform it from a sports car into a fashionista, giving it the theatrics typically reserved for exotic supercars.