The discontinuation of the Mazda MX-5 reopened the battle for the top spot in one of the least important — yet most intriguing and enjoyable — segments of Israel’s car market.
Indeed, just three months after the arrival of the first shipment, the MG Cyberster has become the best-selling roadster in Israel — the first time this title has gone to a Chinese-made and fully electric car.
True mass-market roadsters have long disappeared. Even the Mazda was selling for around NIS 250,000 before it was discontinued. The Cyberster is now the most affordable option, starting at NIS 349,000, with 26 units already registered on Israeli roads this year.
On the other hand, it’s still a car with British heritage, though produced by a manufacturer that’s still working to build its reputation for sporty driving under Chinese SAIC ownership. And it’s electric — a technology that many driving enthusiasts, who care about more than just 0–100 acceleration times, view with understandable skepticism.
The BMW Z4 has dropped to second place, with 24 deliveries by importer Delek Motors and through parallel imports. The BMW is pricier, starting at NIS 450,000, and is nearing the end of its life cycle, with production expected to stop in mid-2026. That will mark the end of an interesting joint project in which BMW and Toyota shared development costs for a new sports car — the Germans built the Z4 roadster, and the Japanese the Supra coupe — both assembled by Magna Steyr in Austria.
In third place is the Porsche 911 with 21 deliveries, followed by the smaller Boxster with 14, both sold by importer Orchid Sports Cars and through small-scale import channels. The result is particularly impressive for the Boxster, given that the importer currently sells only its RS version, equipped with 500 hp and a modest price tag of NIS 1.35 million, ahead of its upcoming discontinuation. The 718 will also be replaced by an electric roadster, though a hybrid gasoline version is expected later on.
Additional deliveries this year include nine Chevrolet Corvette convertibles, seven Mercedes SLs, three Ferrari 296GTSs, two Ferrari Romas, and one 12-cylinder Ferrari Spider.