MEV Kit Cars Past and Present

MEV Kit Cars Past and Present Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from MEV Kit Cars Past and Present, Automotive, aircraft & boat, Mills Extreme Vehicles, Mansfield.

Enthusiasts page for owners support and discussion of all vehicles designed by Stuart Mills and those sold under the MEV brand which stands for Mills Extreme Vehicles.

The perfect Exocet accessory perhaps, stick it behind the seats for a cardio workout when you have blasted the cobwebs a...
25/11/2025

The perfect Exocet accessory perhaps, stick it behind the seats for a cardio workout when you have blasted the cobwebs away in the car.

MEV Bi-FOLDJust a challenge I set myself to produce a more compact bike than is available on the market. I did it too. A...
25/07/2025

MEV Bi-FOLD
Just a challenge I set myself to produce a more compact bike than is available on the market. I did it too. About 20 % smaller when packed away than the competition. Note, no brake levers sticking out to get stuck when your sticking it in your car, it was twist grip braking. No chain or sprockets to get grease on your back seat, the shaft drive is real neat and silent. The MEV Bi-Fold as I called it was offered to bicycle giants in my home town Raleigh. BUT I quickly discovered that whilst everyone I knew worked at the firm when I was growing up, no one made anything now so unless they want to ask their friends in which ever country offer cheap bikes then it will remain a one off. I still ride it.

I am currently working on 2 projects, one could be described as a single seat Exocet and the other is an electric full bodied commuter. More on those later.

EXOBLADEThe name came about through the use of a Honda Fire Blade engine in an exoskeletal chassis. The interesting poin...
25/07/2025

EXOBLADE
The name came about through the use of a Honda Fire Blade engine in an exoskeletal chassis. The interesting point was our experiment with the rear traction. We wanted to keep the tyre contact patch constant regardless of body roll and suspension travel. From full bump to full droop we were looking for zero camber gain. This was achieved by taking a leaf out of the Land Rover book, BUT we needed a lightweight version.

As you will see in the pictures, we fabricated a rear curved beam to carry the hubs, this was suspended from the chassis on bell cranks with in board shocks to keep the un-sprung weigh to a minimum. It had a pair of trailing arms either side and a cross member to keep it all in line. It worked, fed the power down without compromise and made the point, it was an itch that needed scratching and was not intended for production. It did fly along very well though.

Having looked around a VW camper fest it occurred to me that the scene was completely lacking innovation. The T5 convers...
17/07/2025

Having looked around a VW camper fest it occurred to me that the scene was completely lacking innovation. The T5 conversions were all about the same, a pop top with canvas sides that basically converted an insulated shell in to a tent, a rock and roll bed that was neither a good seat or a good bed and well, they all lacked internal space and were heavy conversions to ensure long runs were expensive on fuel.

I came up with a solution to all 3 issues, first of all I created a pod that hinged out of the back to extend the floor space and provide space for a proper mattress. Then I created bespoke cabinets made from lightweight powder coated aluminium, and finally I created the pop top which was fully insulated.

I showed my demo T5 at various shows, everyone seemed amazed at the "tardis" approach, the great value, the weight saving and the extra space, not to mention a comfortable bed. BUT, these T5 people were like sheep, they all met up in groups and compared their T5's, not that there was much in the way of variations! However few were brave enough to take the plunge and introduce something new to their "mates". Perhaps they feared being alienated and not fit in any more. Weird bunch. I left them to it, it was obviously going to be a good seller given enough time for the scene to adapt and accept that there were tangible options available. I don't have that much patience so I moved on. Still available now though if you dare to be different.

I also made a lightweight sleeping pod, perfect for the kids or to tow with your kit car. Not enough interest to make it worthwhile to put in production so I pulled the plug on that one.

MONSTERI accidentally got my hands on a Chevy V8. A Russian firm asked me to develop a high power version of their UAZ H...
11/07/2025

MONSTER
I accidentally got my hands on a Chevy V8. A Russian firm asked me to develop a high power version of their UAZ Hunter, the power plant choice was obvious BUT midway they changed their minds and went EV 4x4. We carried out a conversion to EV and LHD and that finished up being the Spartan, I have to say it was the most powerful 4x4 I had ever driven, it literally just shot up hills.

It was due to go in to production but suddenly there were no axles or drive packages available, all factory production went to the military, years later we now know why, I guess they were building up equipment ready for battle.

I just had to find a use for that LS3 lump. Working on the basis that its relatively easy to extract 100 bhp per thousand CC I wondered what this 6.2L V8 was capable of as 550 bhp was base and in a lightweight car? Now then.

The experiment became the one off MEV Monster, styling was never fully resolved but it had serious presence and sounded awesome. I took it for a run up Santa Pod, loved it then sold it.

Whilst I was there it was set up day for some kind of VW weekend camper fest, now those vehicles got me thinking, more on that soon.

A commission was accepted from a Czech company to produce a unique exoskeletal car with a Toyota power plant. Creating a...
03/07/2025

A commission was accepted from a Czech company to produce a unique exoskeletal car with a Toyota power plant. Creating a product that is similar to a previous model and at the same time making it unique is quite the challenge. I completed the task which looked similar to the Rocket. Carrying on from that I decided to re work the Rocket chassis and make it stiffer to take more power from a V6. They became known as Exoleader and Ultimate Rocket. The Czech firm were delighted and commissioned me to design a chassis package for their gorgeous MWM Luka, we made the prototype from accurate drawings and then I went to China where the GRP (they called it FRP) body was being created. We stuck it all together and then had fun on the "roads" in the province which was to say the least a low income zone. It really was a great looking car, powered by 4 in wheel motors and a unique battery system now adopted by BYD. Which BTW does not stand for Build Your Own Dreams, it is the Chinese firms name BiYaDi electronics.

REPLICARAs a kid I became fanatical about Aston Martin’s, in particular the DBR1 race car driven by Stirling Moss among ...
26/06/2025

REPLICAR
As a kid I became fanatical about Aston Martin’s, in particular the DBR1 race car driven by Stirling Moss among others. I had a large poster on my bedroom wall of the green machine.
Fast forward about 40 years and I decided to take on a self-indulgent project. Not a replica but a DBR1 inspired open sports car. I just love those lines but this would be the trickiest body buck (pattern) I would ever create.
Packaging was difficult as the Aston used a transaxle in the rear with the 6 pot engine sitting well back in the front, in fact the first cylinder was flush with the back of the dash. Those kind of engine/trans units are not readily available unless you have very deep pockets so I just grabbed an MX5 PPF and stuck that in a spare one off chassis that I had side lined.
I now had seating/steering position and all necessary components in place to work around and create the body. The wheel base was exactly the same as the Aston and the track width was also spot on once I had introduced a set of zero offset wire wheels. Good start.
The body took forever to create, flex-ply, Jelutong and some old scaffold planks glued, screwed, shaved with a chain saw, sanded with an angle grinder, then ½ ton of body filler was applied and eventually after what seemed like hundreds of hours of hand sanding I appeared from a cloud of dust and there she was.

Next was the GRP mould, followed by more wet and dry work and then it was perfect, like glass all over, the best mould ever to come out of MEV.
I built one up, took it to the NEC classic and Sir Stirling Moss came over and signed it for me, we took orders, lots walked by assuming it was out of their reach. But the whole kit was only £4K.

It became popular enough for Aston's lawyers to order me to cease and desist. I told them where to go and they left me alone, the DBR1 was not in production or a registered design and mine was inspired by it, not a copy. Ant Anstead approached me to ask about legalities as he had had a similar issue with AML over his DBR1 style car and he lost.
I registered “Replicar” as a trade mark and sold a couple of hundred kits, I even put a prancing horse on a red one I built! The DBR1 style side strakes gave it away though.

I was invited to take one to appear on BBC's One Show where guest Richard Hammond was asked to guess if the car in front of the studio was real or a replicar. He said the MEV was a replicar without realising he was using our trade name!

As usual, I got bored eventually and sold the project, it has changed hands a couple of times since and somewhat surprisingly the current custodian has chopped a chunk out of the width and significantly reduced the front and rear overhangs, the price is now much more for a much smaller car. Long may Replicar live, although it’s called something else now so if anyone fancies building a replica car then I can offer a name!

MEVABUSAThe name was derived based on the engine which was from a Suzuki Hayabusa. A lightweight powerful unit pushing o...
19/06/2025

MEVABUSA
The name was derived based on the engine which was from a Suzuki Hayabusa. A lightweight powerful unit pushing out 185 bhp with ease. Perfect as the Mevabusa weighed in at only 410kg.

It may be suprising to hear but this was the easiest vehicle I had ever designed. Primarily due to the fact that it was largely based on the MEV Tr1ke. Now the tR1ke was never my favorite, I was always conscious of lifting a wheel which took from the fun. so I simply added a wheel.
Not quite that easy but actually the front end was great on the tR1ke, precise steering offered from the quick rack, good self centering and well sorted geometry to reduce camber deviations when the body starts to roll. The seating, pedals, wiring, body nose were just great and the chassis was very stiff to, no need to be so stiff with just 3 points of contact with the road but that made it perfect for the additional wheel. Add a chain driven diff and 2 coil over socks and we are away. A frighteningly fast car, not for the fainthearted either.

A proper track day weapon, shame they don't allow wheel to wheel racing on track days but seeing the Mevabusa in action on track is a real delight. The picture below on track appears to have suspension set too high looking at the wishbone angles.

MEVSTERThe roadster (ster!) style came about as my interpretation of what a traditional British kit car could have evolv...
15/06/2025

MEVSTER
The roadster (ster!) style came about as my interpretation of what a traditional British kit car could have evolved in to.
Rear wheel drive, front engine, open wheels, 2 seats, a screen and optional weather protection.
A contemporary version would surely be the way to go, the kit car scene has been over run with wanna be Lotus 7's style cars for decades so instead of following everyone I decided to create a modern alternative. It sold reasonably well but many potential buyers just follow others and do not dare to step way from tradition. The design was cohesive, its rear lights were Frenched in, the lines gave a chiseled impression and the shortish narrow bonnet added to the drama. Mevster had more cabin space than a 7 and a stiffer chassis, it was cheap to build and based on the modern mechanical's of an MX5, not a Ford Sierra in sight.

MEV's offerings were starting to compete with products under the same brand though and Exocet had wings so it was decided to reduce the options and sadly Mevster was axed, despite being an accomplished design in its own right.

If I had to pick a favorite MEV, Mevster would be high up on the list.

MEV X5An exciting point to remember when building a kit based on an MX5 is the demand for the parts on your donor that y...
07/06/2025

MEV X5
An exciting point to remember when building a kit based on an MX5 is the demand for the parts on your donor that you don’t need and can sell on. Often its possible to recover the costs of the donor if not more.
You can get it wrong though, one MX5 I “won” at auction turned out to be automatic, not exactly suited to an Exocet that I had bought it for.
It did have a hard top though and whilst it was ugly it did give me an idea. What if I make a fast back version and whilst I am at it try and get rid of the soft lines? Sharpen it up and bit and make it look less likely to be driven by a hairdresser. Why had Mazda not gone down the route of a coupe?
It turned out quite easy to make the new lid, I loved the lines and simplicity and soon had a mould made. The bonnet work, well , it worked, the headlights looked a little Lotus Eliseish and with that in mind I borrowed an Elise rear end and made it fit the MX5 shell.
I was very pleased with the overall design and so this became the first “body kit” from MEV.
Later I made a bespoke chassis for the MEV X5 Superlight. And it was light, new tubular wishbones, alloy uprights, shocks and calipers, new lightweight sub-frames replaced the Mazda ones and doors that added to the width but not the weight.
Trouble is I didn’t like it! It was parked up one day once complete and it caught my eye from a certain angle, it looked too short or too wide, stubby, fat, not terrible bit not good enough to put in to production. There is probably just the one knocking about somewhere but its brother sold reasonably well as a coupe.

EXOCETWithout doubt the most successful MEV product and the most successful kit car of the modern era. Still selling wel...
31/05/2025

EXOCET
Without doubt the most successful MEV product and the most successful kit car of the modern era. Still selling well today all over the world.
The MEV brand was very prominent today at the National Kit Car show in Malvern, I witnessed MEV action on the test drive track with talented drivers giving very clever demo runs, a great MEV owners display and an impressive MEV stand in the halls too.

Conceived by accident as mentioned in the Atomic post. Whilst searching for a diff for a bike engine'd car project I came across the MX5 under pining's, perfect, and so MEV became the first manufacturer to use the MX5 as a donor, setting a trend in the industry. The Exocets ease of construction and extensive use of donor parts coupled with bare bones looks and lightweight construction were a big hit from day one.
The MX5 had such a massive reputation in terms of balance and handling and so we took that and made it better, stiffer, lighter, faster and dynamically excellent, track or road, race or pose, it ticked and still ticks all the right box's.

Our Stoneleigh kit car show demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=1PsckHGzDJo of removing an MX5 shell and bolting an Exocet together opened everyone's eyes. So many people became Exocet builders who were sat on the fence wondering if a kit build was too much for them. Attracted by the low cost and ease of build and the genuine "comprehensive kit price" that included all you need apart from the donor. All other kits seem to have a "prices from" approach which I have always considered ludicrous as it just begs the question "what is the full price?". We were there to show the world that even a novice could complete the task, we gave guidance and the MEV owners club was and still is extremely helpful in ensuring no one fell by the wayside, working on the basis of the fastest growing kit car club in the world.
Exocet is so versatile and encouraged both budget builds and high end spec examples. Engines were Mazda mainly but some were built with a Jag V6 and in the states they often used a hugely powerful V8 and in a least one project a Tesla motor!

In the UK a race series is building up grid numbers, and in other news styling improvements were slowly made to reduce the nose width and introduce a more chiseled look. Our use of "G-type" was challenged by Jaguar Land Rover in court but we won and got compo too.
Options include MK1 or 2 or 3 and a rotary powered RX8 version.

Thousands have been produced and sales are still very strong, the gestation period can be extensive however so that means much more excitement in the near future as more kits are sold and more of the older kits finally hit the roads. Proud to have been of service.

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Mills Extreme Vehicles
Mansfield
NG210HJ

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+441623655522

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