MPM Erelis Is A $10k Four-Door Coupe Rarity You Never Knew Existed

Those who have a thing for rare and quirky vehicles will love the MPM PS160 / Erelis, a now-discontinued and quite affordable four-door coupe from Europe which remains largely unknown to most of the world. We stumbled across the model on used car websites, with several examples listed for less than $10k, wondering how did it fly under our radar for so long.

Our brains took some time to register what we’re seeing in the photos. The composite body of the four-door coupe features sporty styling cues and unconventional proportions. Unlike other vehicles with low volume production, the MPM Erelis doesn’t borrow bits and pieces from other cars – at least on the outside.

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The aggressive headlights, the sharp nose, the 18-inch wheels, and the pronounced fenders are inspired by sportscars, while the overall stance is closer to a compact sedan. The model measures 4,683 mm (184.4 inches) long, 1,824 mm (71.8 inches) wide, and 1,388 mm (54.6 inches) tall, which is very similar to a first-gen Audi A5 Sportback, although the 2,750 mm (108.3 inches) wheelbase is closer to the A5 Coupe.

Interestingly, the MPM PS160 / Erelis is not based on the platform of an existing vehicle, but uses a tubular frame instead. The PS160 was fitted with a Mitsubishi-sourced naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine producing 100 hp (75 kW / 100 PS) mated to a five-speed manual that sends the power to the front axle. The improved but identical-looking Erelis swapped it for a more modern turbocharged 1.2-liter PureTech engine from the PSA Group, producing a healthier 129 hp (96 kW / 130 PS), exclusively mated to a six-speed manual. While it won’t be setting any records, the low weight of 1,225 kg (2,701 pounds) certainly helps with its performance credentials.

Basic Kit, Affordable Price

Inside the cabin, we find leather-wrapped bucket seats at the front, and plenty of legroom and terrible headroom at the back. The pretty basic-looking dashboard is reminiscent of the late ’90s, coming with cheap plastics. Equipment includes air conditioning, electric windows, heated mirrors, a CD/MP3 audio system with four speakers, a single airbag for the driver, auto headlights, and an anti-theft system. Don’t expect any fancy infotainment or tech features, since the priority was to keep a low price.

To be precise, the MPM Erelis sold for €16,490 ($16,517) when new, making it the cheapest four-door coupe in existence, even though the initial goal was a €10k ($10k) price tag. Today, the value of most vehicles on the used car market ranges between €4,500-€16,000 ($4,494-$15,975). Interestingly, there was a huge price gap between the cheapest matte black PS160 listed for €4,500 ($4,494) and the most expensive MPM with a unique hand-painted livery listed for a hefty €30,000 ($29,954).

Most MPMs we found listed on theparking.eu and autoscout24.com are located in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Ukraine. The majority of the vehicles have comparably low mileage and look as if they are in decent shape.

So where did it come from?

Doing our research, we found out that the project started in Russia, with the model initially called TagAZ Aquila. Around 200 units were produced between 2013 and 2014 before the company went bankrupt. The next chapter was written in France by MPM Motors, which launched the rebadged PS160 in 2016, before updating it to the Erelis in 2018.

Browsing through MPM Motors’ official website we discovered that production of the Erelis stopped in September 2019 and the company went defunct in January 2021, canceling its plans for future models including an SUV and an electric city car, and the MPM Cup program. This means that there is a small number of these weird-looking vehicles in existence, making them a rare sight on European roads.