Last updated 16th February 2010
These are very informal jottings about my Marcos Mantis and what it's like to own one. If you want more objective information about Marcos, or specifically the late Mantis, follow the links here. Otherwise read on to experience the angst & pleasures of owning one of the most distinctive & exclusive sportcars in the world...
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Aah, yes - My Marcos
Mantis. )
Referred to variously as 'the Batmobile' (by most people), 'the Snatzomobile'
(by me), 'How ?@#$ing much?' (by parents/bank manager) or 'Well if you
can afford that you can afford a ring...' (my girlfriend).
For the petrol heads amongst us you can see the full
technical spec on the right. The rest of us need only know that it's big,
it's green & it's gorgeous!!! Oh, and you can hear
it coming. Apparently...)
History
The car was purchased mid 2000 from my local(?) Marcos
dealer, Optima Sport Cars in Birmingham, as a replacement for my beautiful
but eccentric Evante 140TC which I'd owned for
the previous three and a half years. Alas, I had relectantly come to the
conclusion that the Evante felt a bit cramped on longer journeys, and
it was touring Ireland in it with the Fossil in 1999 for a couple of weeks
which made me finally decide that I needed something with a bit more room,
both back & front. )
Replacing the Evante was no easy task however, as I
had grown accustomed to both the superb handling and the attention it
gets(!). I wanted to buy a British sportscar, which had to be 'driveable',
both eye-catching & rare, and from a company with a bit of history
& some racing pedigree. I've always admired Marcos, with their distinctive
body styling (with the odd hiccup!), and although the newer Mantaray
was a more natural successor to the Evante in terms of sophistication,
the OTT bodyshape of the Mantis just oozed style & screamed 'look
at me' so it became, as our colonial cousins say, a 'no brainer'...)
Although I was delighted with the original Mantis body shape, I have
had Optima add a rear road over-spoiler and under-spoiler, which I feel
has definitely put the finishing touches to the car's profile. I get
a real buzz out of just looking at the car, let alone driving it. I've
also discovered that Marcos only ever made fifty Mantis (three of which
were Coupes, and ten of which were GTs), so my model Spyder is one of
just thirty seven, beating the Evante in the rarity stakes as it was
a common-or-garden one of one hundred and twenty nine! I guess I have
found a worthy successor to the Evante after all...
Diary
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