MG on next-gen EV design: "Authenticity will become even more valuable"

Unveiled at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the MG Go concept represents one of the most significant projects to emerge from the company's Advanced Design studio in London. Drawing inspiration from the spirit of the MGB rather than directly recreating it, the concept explores how MG can combine its British heritage with SAIC's evolving EV technology.

In conversation with Car Design News, design director Carl Gotham discusses the thinking behind the concept's restrained surfacing, the growing importance of lighting as a brand signature, how the London studio collaborates with colleagues in Shanghai, and why authentic storytelling may become even more important as artificial intelligence reshapes the automotive industry.

Car Design News: What was the brief and how did you approach it?

Carl Gotham: This is our fourth year at Goodwood and every year we've tried to bring something that says something about who we are as a studio.

From a design perspective, we're always searching for authenticity and storytelling. Everybody talks about how important those things are, but this project is the result of a fairly lengthy process of asking ourselves how we could embrace the authentic character of MG, which has always been about accessibility, approachability, lightness and fun.

We also knew we needed a battery electric vehicle for what will become a really important segment in the UK and Europe. This car has been designed primarily for those markets, and it's something we've been exploring for some time.

This project dials the character up another level. It leans much further into authentic British DNA, and that's exactly why we have a design studio in London

The Cyberster was about embracing new technology while paying respect to the classic MG sports car typology. This project is much more about embodying the spirit of MG. The forms are simpler and the design takes inspiration from the MGB, which is where a lot of the design language and DNA comes from.

We're not trying to build an MGB replacement. We're using some of the qualities that made the MGB so loved around the world. It remains the most successful sports car in MG's history, so we wanted to capture some of that character while creating something that feels authentically British and more reductive than some of our other cars.

CDN: The surfacing is very clean.

CG: With a car like this, you have a relatively small footprint, so the question becomes: how do you create maximum character? One approach is to add more styling. The other is to do less. We found that by reducing the number of elements, the car actually has more impact. It becomes more memorable.

The reaction this morning has already been really encouraging. People seem to connect with it immediately. There's a familiarity to it. 

CDN: That must be encouraging; the MGB was well-loved

CG: Exactly. It's about that charm, accessibility and approachability. All of our current cars offer strong technology at an affordable price, but this project dials the character up another level. It leans much further into authentic British DNA, and that's exactly why we have a design studio in London.

CDN: One thing that immediately stood out to me is the light signature. It feels mature, not overly cute, and it's quite precise. Can you tell me about that?

CG: Let's start at the rear. We've deliberately kept a single lamp mounted on the body side rather than using a split-lamp arrangement. We know this has to become an aggressively-priced production car, so we're constantly balancing cost targets with creating maximum character.

If the character is right and the story resonates, people will engage with it wherever they are

The vertical proportions reference the MGB, but they're also a broader British design cue. We wanted to bring that into the car.

The digital lighting technology is where we're able to take advantage of being part of SAIC. There is a huge amount of innovation happening in China, and we wanted to make use of that technology. The production car will feature animated, configurable lighting signatures. What you see here is already very close to production, but there will be much more scope for animation and personalisation.

Lighting has become incredibly important because we're gradually losing the traditional grille as the defining face of the car. Lighting is becoming the new brand signature. This gave us the opportunity to make the car more playful. The animations and interactions all contribute to the storytelling and reinforce the approachable character of the car.

CDN: Your London studio has always struck me as being very young and energetic. I guess that playfulness is reflected here.

CG: We encourage that. Every year we run the SAIC Design Challenge and recruit directly from it. That gives us designers with very fresh perspectives on what's happening in the world.

Of course, they need to develop within what is a very sophisticated industry, but as a satellite studio in London I think it's our job to experiment, have fun and push the envelope.

CDN: Small European cars aren't really what China has traditionally focused on. How difficult was it to get a project like this approved?

CG: The opportunity is there now. The market for four-metre battery electric vehicles is growing, while small ICE cars are gradually disappearing.

There's a real need for more affordable EVs, and this is exactly the gap in our range that needed filling. As our sales volumes have grown we've been able to look more closely at gaps in the portfolio, and this is one of the most important.

It's true that this isn't currently a priority segment in China, but there's no reason this car couldn't eventually find customers there as well. If the character is right and the story resonates, people will engage with it wherever they are.

It's a five-door car, but the profile captures that distinctive MGB GT silhouette, with the forward-sloping tailgate and the upward sweep towards the rear

CDN: European customers clearly need something like this. Renault has shown what's possible with the new 5. You have a similarly long heritage to draw from.

CG: Heritage can sometimes feel unfashionable. People often think talking about the past means pipes and slippers.

But heritage is really about stories, and stories never stop being relevant. As technology develops at an incredible pace and AI becomes increasingly prominent, authenticity becomes even more valuable. Being able to tell an honest story with real history behind it will only become more important.

CDN: Your studio is still entirely digital. How has that influenced the way you developed this car?

CG: We've been fully digital since we opened in 2018, so we've become very good at designing that way. When Covid happened we simply carried on working. We'd already developed the processes.

That said, we've had designers based in China throughout the past year working directly with the clay models. Both the exterior and interior production designs came from London, so our designers have remained fully involved throughout the programme.

Obviously that means some of my team have been based in China for extended periods, but it's been essential to ensure the integrity of the design all the way through.

We've also had tremendous support from the Advanced Design Studio in Shanghai. Whenever engineering challenges came up that threatened to compromise the design, they worked closely with us to protect the original intent.

This has become one of the most successful collaborative projects we've undertaken. It's very unusual for London to lead a production programme so comprehensively. This project is about as close as you can get to being entirely conceived and delivered from London, and that's a huge achievement for the team.

For an advanced design studio that's incredibly rewarding. Sometimes you're a satellite studio and your ideas disappear into the system. This project has shown what we're capable of.

SAIC is still relatively young while MG brings 100 years of history. Combining those two things creates some fascinating opportunities

We've already contributed to cars like the HS and the MG4, both of which have played an important role in the company's growth. I think this programme will be just as significant.

An advanced studio always has to balance creativity with commercial reality. We want to push ideas and tell compelling stories, but ultimately we still have to build a successful brand and sell cars.

SAIC is still relatively young as a global brand owner, while MG brings 100 years of history. Combining those two things creates some fascinating opportunities.

Jozef Kaban has also played a hugely important role in championing the project from Shanghai, protecting the original vision from the London studio and helping carry it through into production.

CDN: Let's walk around the car. The side view is very clean but also quite muscular.

CG: The concept exaggerates things slightly because this is Goodwood and it's the Festival of Speed. We wanted it to have a stronger performance character.

The shoulder is deliberately clean and the window graphic takes inspiration from the MGB. The wraparound windscreen references the MG3, while the spoiler has echoes of the ZR. There are little references to important cars throughout MG's history.

Some people have even mentioned the Metro because of the lower graphic treatment, although that wasn't intentional.

It's a five-door car, but the profile captures that distinctive MGB GT silhouette, with the forward-sloping tailgate and the upward sweep towards the rear. That's one of the most recognisable proportions Pininfarina created for the MGB GT, and we wanted to reinterpret it while keeping the car practical.

Although the surfaces are very clean, there's still movement through the body. We didn't want it to become overly geometric or product-like. It still needed warmth and personality.

We've also incorporated the illuminated MG logo. Jozef tells a wonderful story about children touching the badge every time they get into the car. It's a lovely way to build an emotional connection with the next generation of MG owners.

The wheels reinterpret the classic Rostyle design but in a much more technical way.

One of the biggest challenges in design is recognising when an idea is complete

At the front we've continued the wraparound glass and softer lighting forms that reference the MGB era. Everything is intended to feel friendly, approachable and full of character.

CDN: This lower front element is interesting [gestures to the tow hooks]. I assume that's purely for the concept?

CG: Yes, that's just a bit of fun for Goodwood.

The grille itself takes inspiration from the MGB and Midget. We didn't want the front to become anonymous simply because it's an EV. It still needed a clear identity, and this felt like the right balance for MG.

CDN: I remember when we visited the studio you were still trying to resolve the front face, particularly the relationship between the lighting and the grille.

CG: Yes, and I think we've found the solution. One of the biggest challenges in design is recognising when an idea is complete. You can keep searching forever, or you can focus on refining the strongest ideas and executing them properly. That's what we've done here, and I think the result speaks for itself.

It's fantastic to be back at Goodwood with another concept. This is our fourth consecutive year bringing new ideas here, and we've been building this relationship since 2018, before MG's centenary celebrations. To come back with two concept cars and receive this kind of reaction has been brilliant.