MG Cyberster disassembly analysis: precise cost control, full of cool and exciti
In fact, MG's first live car teardown took place at the Greater Bay Area Auto Show on June 3rd. The intention was to invite engineers and automotive critics to explain the vehicle design and component construction from a professional perspective, just before the delivery to European customers. They provided a detailed introduction to the Cyberster's body posture, convertible scissor doors, body structure, suspension structure, and tuning, showcasing the convertible electric sports car's excellent design, leading performance, and outstanding quality. The heat of the auto show was used to promote technical and design details.
Half a month has passed, and the background of the second Cyberster teardown is the European Union's announcement on June 14th to impose tariffs on Chinese car companies exporting to Europe, which has put SAIC Motor on the hot seat.
We have seen many car teardown shows, but most are conducted by third-party organizations, and it is rare for car manufacturers to do it themselves. In the early years, many cars sold by joint ventures in China were different from the "same name" cars sold abroad. People liked to call these "China exclusive" cars, as they were tailored to Chinese consumer preferences, which everyone could understand. In recent years, Chinese brands have also been exporting to other countries, creating domestic and foreign versions of the same named car, with some differences in body structure and materials to meet special needs. This has long been no secret. Against this backdrop, SAIC MG publicly disassembled the car and frankly told you that the exported and domestic versions are the same, without any tricks, showing technical strength and also a symbol of courage.
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MG is a very representative brand in China's overseas strategy. The entire MG brand sold more than 230,000 units to the European market in 2023, and has been the European sales champion for Chinese brands for 12 consecutive years. The MG4 EV has long been the leader in the export sales of new energy vehicles by Chinese car companies and is also the sales champion of compact pure electric models in Europe, which is very popular with European customers.
However, the EU's restriction has made the next week very critical for SAIC Group. What is even more puzzling is that the EU has imposed different tariff standards on several Chinese local car companies that also export to Europe. SAIC is now facing the highest tariff of nearly 50%, which will undoubtedly cast a shadow over its export prospects. Before the "deadline" of July 4th, SAIC's way of doing this is also a form of resistance and a signal to other exporting car companies. In this situation, Chinese local brands should unite and not be defeated by the EU one by one, collapsing. You EU are suspicious, right? You issue a heavy tax bill on the grounds of not providing information, so I, MG, will disassemble it directly for you to see, with no secrets at all.This is not my first time seeing the Cyberster. As early as half a year ago, I participated in a workshop for the interior of this car and had an up-close look at the cockpit. Friends who are familiar with the overall vehicle architecture strategy know that it is not difficult to make an electric car that runs fast, nor is it difficult to just make scissor doors; China already has Haobo, Nezha, and XPeng with scissor doors, and SAIC has previously demonstrated scissor doors on their own vehicles. However, combining a soft top, scissor doors, and a racing track all at once, in China, only the Cyberster has achieved this, and this is its biggest selling point.
Sports cars are not inherently designed for comfort; they have but one goal: speed, speed, speed... The Cyberster is no exception. Even when I first sat in this car, I thought it was not designed for comfort. In fact, according to the official statement from MG, during the last chassis tuning, they specifically asked the master to forgo driving comfort and make it more aggressive, so this is a Chinese electric sports car born for speed.
The comfort of the cockpit can generally be seen from the block value of the seats; this is a seat with a very low block value. Since a soft top cannot provide much protection for the head during a rollover, 95% of people are not allowed to have their heads higher than the highest point of the seat when sitting in it. Of course, you cannot design the windshield too high to affect the proportion and posture of the entire car, so the seat is very low, the cushion is also very thin, and there is no elastic suspension underneath. With a thin cushion, the corresponding backrest cannot be too thick, and the foam can be compressed to the extreme just by squeezing it with your hand.
Speaking of seats, MG Cyberster did not choose its "strategic partner" to make these seats this time. In fact, most of the interior and exterior decorations of the whole car were made by some smaller suppliers. This also shows that as a sports car, which is not a high-volume model, the cost amortized to each car is not low, and cost control also needs to be considered in some ways. Another factor I guess is that the car's seats originally wanted to have carbon fiber backplates and die-cast seat frames to increase strength while also being as lightweight as possible. Now, this private supplier has a cost advantage in this area. Although more precise cost control can be achieved in the interior and exterior decoration, it does not mean that the same strategy will be adopted in the three electric and chassis power areas. Otherwise, Cyberster would not be able to achieve the status of "unoverturnable, impermeable" as the first true Chinese electric sports car, and it would not dare to disassemble piece by piece in front of everyone.
Why is the MG Cyberster being taken apart? Everyone knows that sports cars are the pearl at the top of the automotive industry, truly representing the technology and strength of the enterprise. The MG brand has always had a tradition of sports cars, and taking apart the MG Cyberster is a natural choice, the best way to communicate its technical strength to the public.Why develop a soft top? In fact, developing a hard top is much easier, including SAIC MG, which has already come up with a hard top solution. However, only a soft top can lower the visual center of the entire vehicle to the lowest, which may provide better driving performance.
Why are scissor doors used? The door panels of a two-door sports car are longer than the total length of door panels in a typical passenger car. When fully opened, they may encroach on the space beside them. In the case of a very small parking space, scissor doors provide the convenience of getting out of the car with the smallest Y-axis opening amplitude.
Why no roll? The addition of a restoring spring shock absorber effectively improves the roll response and enhances the comfort of driving and riding.Why doesn't it roll over? The psychological burden of a soft-top for consumers is that if it rolls over, what about the protection above their heads? The MG Cyberster not only makes excellent enhancements in hardware but also explores more stringent testing standards, allowing the Cyberster to achieve a super five-star anti-rollover coefficient of 1.83.
Why doesn't it get wet? In addition to the stylish feeling that a soft-top sports car can bring, how to protect against rain during heavy downpours is also a concern for many. Like the principle of "not rolling over," in addition to adopting a unique design in hardware, strict testing standards are also a guarantee of quality. Since its market launch and sale of over a thousand units, there has not been a single complaint about water leakage. At the same time, the first-class hardware combination can be opened and closed quickly in just 8 seconds, which is also very convenient.
MG's disassembly of the Cyberster is not only a display of technological significance but also a strong demonstration of SAIC's determination in its overseas strategy.
No matter what, we wish good luck to those car companies that have made outstanding contributions to China's new energy industry, good luck to SAIC, and good luck to the thousands of SAIC-branded cars that are sailing towards the European continent.
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