This brake business is more confusing than I expected..here's some info from road tests on the Mantula

11/1984 Motorpsort - 3.5 Mantula
"the brakes (the front disks are ventilated) have not only stopping power but feel"
12/1986 Classic and Sports Car -
"Ventilated discs off the Rover Vitesse are an option"
3/1987 AutoCar - Mantula
"Brakes : Dual circuits, split front/rear. Front 10.2in (259mm) ventilated discs. Rear 9.0in (229mm) drums. Vacuum Servo"
8/1987 - Sportscar Monthly - Mantula Spyder
"Brakes : Servo assisted front discs and rear drums"
"The brakes, if anything, are better than the excellent handling and roadholding, the unservoed system of ventilated front discs and rear drums making very light work of the job in hand" - Which contradicts the spec sheet.
4/1988 Kitcars & Specials -
"Front brakes are GT6 of, for an extra £295, ventilated discs and calipers are available"
"The ventilated front discs fitted to this car are more than a match for the power, pulling up squarely without drama. The pedal pressure is reasonable and shows what can be achieved with unservoed brakes if careful attention is payed to master cylinder selection and pedal geometry. Feel, however, is only average."
7/1991 Performance Car - Mantula Spyder
"Ventilated discs front (servo assisted), discs rear"
"Now servo assisted (on the front wheels only) the brake pedal has a lot of travel before it bites and a mushy feel"
8/1991 Classic and Sportscar -
"The brake pedal travel is long and spongy too, so you can't heel and toe"
1992 Encyclopedia of Supercars - Mantula Spyder
"Ventilated discs front, solid discs rear, 9.4in (239mm) diameter"

I get the feeling that cars with dual circuit brakes may have been the only ones to have the servo, but only on the front brake circuit.

Steve


In seeking to undo one riddle, and find the true, I knit a hundred others new.