Rare Rides: The Innotech Mysterro - a Mid-engine Czech Corvette?

In what’s bound to be one of the most obscure editions of Rare Rides yet, today’s ride is very limited-production in nature. So limited, in fact, that only one was produced. And it’s so limited in its exposure that the Internet can’t seem to decide the year it was actually built.

It’s hard to know where to start with this thing.

The story seems to begin back in the early 1990s; sources can agree on that much. They also agree the car was designed and built in the Czech Republic by a man named Vaclav Kral.

Kral was interested in car design from a young age, creating serious designs beginning around the age of 18. He went to work for Skoda as a young adult, then produced illustrations for Czech car magazines. Throughout his career he would continue designing cars, as well as dune buggies. A big break came for him after the fall of Czech communism: He went to work for Tatra and designed the MTX V8. Somewhere along this period in time is when the Mysterro came to life.

The vague time reference above is because the production date of the Mysterro is unclear. While the present listing indicates a model year of 1993, other information online says it’s 2000, and still other sources list 1995. What is clear is that this roadster is mid-engined and powered by a Corvette 5.7-liter V8.

The tubular space frame is unique to the Mysterro. No word on the construction of the shapely exterior body panels, but a good guess here is probably fiberglass. Corvette parts (aside from the engine) abound: suspension, brakes, and steering all from the Gold Bow Tie. The listing indicates 300 horsepower, which would lend credibility to an earlier 1990s production date and engine — the C5 Corvette’s 5.7 made 345 horsepower. The transmission is listed as a bespoke five-speed manual, but that seems a bit suspect for such a parts bin job.

What’s certainly bespoke looking is the interior — a mix of Momo, Recaro, and bubblegum pink leather. Two passengers face a carbon fiber dash, and there are covered luggage compartments right next to the engine for any non-melty items which may need storage.

Sources indicate a run of 25 vehicles was planned, yet only one was made. Eventually, its designer moved on to other things. Mr. Kral finished up his life concerned about the environmental impact of the very automobiles he spent most of his career creating. Between the late ’90s and the 2000s, he turned his attention to solar power technology, and started teaching at a university in Prague. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 69.

The Mystero is a bit of an enigma, but more pictures can be found at various sources online, including some which indicate this car used to have hidden headlamps. The seller has suggested a “realistic” offer somewhere around $291,000 USD.

Last I heard, most Innotech employees work at Intertrode now.

[Images: seller]