The good, the fast and the very, very ugly.

The first generation Mantis. An ugly car from the decade of disco (ugly.) The far better and faster (but still ugly) Mosler is pictured below

While spending over $200,000 for a car is a little steep, this Mosler is about the fastest vehicle on the planet–according to a recent Motor Trend article. It is also very loud and very, very reliable for a supercar, so the magazines say. In other words its all, or make that almost, all good.

The photo does it too much justice. Its ugly, I assure you.

While this is a great car, I have also seen this car in the bare metal and this car is ugly. It is almost as ugly, in fact, as the first two Moslers–the Consulier and The Intruder, which rank among the ugliest cars ever made. Which brings me to the first generation Marcos Mantis.*

I think I saw a Marcos Mantis in Milan, Italy as a boy. How else can I explain this nightmare I still have where I am endlessly devoured by a large insect that taunts me in a garbled Scottish brogue? I am no Kafka. So it must be the car.

* To be fair, this little British company is once again on the upswing. Here is their new site The new car is still, well, I think you get my drift.