Dacia MD87: Romania's answer to the MR craze. #blogpost

Some say,that the car’s manufacturing process was delayed, because the colour in which it was painted was a wrong shade of red, having to be resprayed, and that it was prone to snap oversteer(like any other MR car). All we know is, it’s not the MR2, but it’s the MR2’s Romanian Cousin.
Joking aside(or not), this is the Dacia MD87. A mid-engined, rear wheel drive(MR) concept car that started its life as an incomplete Dacia Sport(the rear quarterpanels were not welded yet), and with a little bit of ingenuity(and effort), the emergence was complete.

Yet again, you are hitting me with questions. Feels like an AMA.

So, the questions for today are:

=>When,where and how it was developed?
=>Performance stats?
=>MD87 stands for…?
=>Was it used in competitions?
=>Where is it now?

The answer for question number 1:
It all started as an idea, the dream of a visionary teenager in the 1960’s. After 20 or so years, this teenager became the engineer that forwarded this idea to his higher-ups, in 1985. The project was green-lit, and after three months the car was ready. The car took its styling cues from the Ford GT40(the engineer says so).
…
A backwards Dacia Sport, that’s what it was. Okay, explanation time:I say this because the chassis is from a Dacia Sport, only the mechanical components were moved to the rear. The rear of the car is another Dacia Sport front. Simple, yet confusing at the same time. The radiator is in the front, the spare wheel is located where the engine used to be(frunk), and the fuel tank is in the space where the transmission was.

Next question: performance. The same as the Dacia Sport, albeit with a different layout(FF became MR).

Third question: MD87 stands for…

M-Monica(the name of the engineer’s wife)
D-Dragoş(the name of the engineer’s son)
87-the year in which the car was to be introduced

Was it used in competitions? Yes, rallying, by the factory team. But it was short-lived.

Where is it now? No one knows.

I forgot to tell you something: another version called the Evo2 had a different spoiler(wing), redesigned front and “gasp” pop-up headlights. This version was made in the early 1990’s(1992-1993).

And we are done. Now, if you still have questions, I will post the “sponsors” down below.

http://adevarul.ro/locale/pitesti/povestea-md87-dacia-filmele-sf-proiectul-inedit-celei-mai-spectaculoase-masini-romanesti-facute-comunisti-1986-1_583784015ab6550cb8d2956d/index.html#gallery_currentImage
http://romaniancars.blogspot.ro/2012/08/dacia-md-87.html
http://romaniancar.com/dacia-md87/

(This time you have English sites, but please, read the Romanian ones as well. If you do not understand something, post it in the comments).

Thank you for taking the time to read this(or at least to look at the pictures) and I hope you learned/found out about the oddity that is this car, undeniably as striking as your crush.

Any kind of crush.