This is the 1989 MVC (Moscow Vehicle Corporation) Миров II (Mirov II), a Soviet supercar concept that was developed by a specialist props designer by the name of Jon Bunker in order to be used as a 1:1 scale mock up fictional vehicle to be featured in a TV commercial for British insurance company Norwich Union which aired on channel 4 on September 16th of 1989. Two life size examples are believed to have been developed using a British UVA M6 GTR kit car as the basis for the project, and current day, at least one of the two cars has been recommissioned into an actual, drive-able vehicle, which is said to have taken around 9 years to achieve, and the car shown here is the result of that very project. This example, wearing the plate ‘AVG 192S’ is the only one that’s actually functional. As seen here, the early mock-up did not feature the large rear wing as seen on this car, and unlike the static display car, this one features a mid-mounted Renault 2.6-litre V6 engine. The buyer, and rebuilder of the Mirov II is also the author of the book ‘How To Build Your Own Supercar’, Brian Thompson, and in his book, a comprehensive outline of all of the ideas and techniques he used to complete the project are all provided. The idea to incorporate a fictional sports car from the Soviet Union into the Norwhich Union advertisement was first thought up by an advertising agency by the name of Burkitt, Weinreich, Bryant, Clients & Co, and using M6 GTR kit cars from a company known as Unique Vehicle and Accessory (UVA), Bunker was able to develop two cars that were just about satisfactory enough to appear on camera. The main, and most time consuming part of turning this mock-up into a functional road car was developing a body with gullwing doors that was structurally sound. Many parts were required to be entirely custom made, including elements such as the exhaust system, twin aluminum fuel tanks, and more.
How many made? 2
Engine: 2,664cc mid-mounted aluminum alloy Renault V6 engine
Debut: September 1989, Norwhich Union TV Advertisement, channel 4
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: Sergei Yakovlev, @dimnoc, @rubythehealey
Research: @rarecarsonly