Still a bonkers single-seat supercar for the road
The BAC Mono was one of a few ultra-light track-focused cars launched in the early 2000s aimed at delivering one thing only — ultimate driving pleasure. The original single-seater weighed 540kg and delivered 280bhp through the rear wheels via a 2.3-litre Ford Cosworth engine. But now there’s a new version and it promises to be more powerful, better looking and more high tech than before.
Emphasising its focus on global expansion for the company, Liverpool-based BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) chose the Monterey Car Week in California to host the unveiling of its next-generation Mono. As before, it’s a pared-back, single-seat sports car and production has already started at the firm’s UK facility.
At a glance, the new car is similar in concept to the BAC Mono R, a more hardcore version of the original Mono that was introduced in 2019. However, every body panel is new and Ian Briggs, co-founder and design director at BAC, explains how he wanted to reference the Mono R model in the style while making it obvious that the new car isn’t quite as extreme:
“Its proposition is different to that of Mono R but for its visual identity we wanted to forge a connection between the siblings that positioned them side by side on the one-seater supercar spectrum.
“With a more rounded aesthetic form, the Mono delivers that objective impeccably, evolving our current design language to reflect a more contemporary outlook.”
Minimal bodywork shaped by aerodynamics
To that end, the front of the Mono retains the company’s trademark shark-nose appearance with the LED high-beam headlights subtly mounted in the middle in a bid to minimise the frontal area.
That’s just one part of an extensive aerodynamics package that includes a prominent front splitter, an extended rear spoiler — sitting above slender LED rear lights and centrally-mounted dual-exit exhaust pipes — and a noticeable rear diffuser. As before, the rear suspension and mechanicals are almost entirely exposed, giving a motor sport appearance to the Mono.
Peer in and you’ll spot a four-cylinder petrol engine supplied by Essex-based Mountune Racing. It’s a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated unit that revs to 8,000rpm, and produces up to 311bhp and 231lb ft of torque.
Its internals have been developed to cope with sustained track use and it also uses individual throttle bodies and a carbon-fibre inlet visible to the left side of the single-seat cockpit.
Lots of carbon composite
BAC quotes 570kg for the Mono, which is a little heavier than the old Mono R (555kg) but still half the weight of a typical supermini such as a Vauxhall Corsa.
Weight is kept low in part thanks to the use of graphene-infused carbon panels. It was the first car maker in the world to deploy this technology — in the previous-generation Mono R — in a quest for reduced weight, and the new Mono comes with a power-to-weight ratio of 546bhp per tonne, bettering that of the Bugatti Veyron, the McLaren F1 and even LMP2 racers.
A 0-60mph time of 2.7 seconds is quoted for the BAC Mono, though that will of course depend on the gear ratios fitted to the configurable six-speed sequential gearbox.
The advanced suspension is also adjustable by the owner. Front and rear there are pushrod-activated twin wishbone systems with needle roller-bearing mounting bell cranks along with two-way adjustable racing dampers.
BAC claims that this offers better body control with less squat under acceleration and dive under braking than the previous model, though it has been developed for road and track use. A range of different Pirelli tyres are available, too, from the road-legal Trofeo R to slick and wet options for use on race circuits.
More to come from the Mono concept
“Mono creates a connection to a new type of BAC driving experience, one that can seamlessly take to the road as easily as it can encounter the demands of on-track driving,” said Neill Briggs, co-founder and head of product development at BAC.
“In many ways, this new supercar is a homage to the original BAC Concept that we established over a decade ago, proving its fundamental longevity. The new Mono is a single-seater tour-de-force that has been engineered for balance but developed for extremes.”
The BAC Mono is already in production and the first example is due to be delivered immediately after the US event. It is expected to cost in the region of £250,000, though BAC has already hinted at future developments by referring to the Mono as the “core product offering”. A more powerful, turbocharged model is likely in the next couple of years.
- If you like the look of the new BAC Mono, you might like to read Will Dron’s review of the Lotus Emira
- Also check out our list of the five best sports cars to buy in 2023
- And don’t miss our list of the five greatest Lotus sports cars of all time
Keyword: New BAC Mono weighs just 570kg, hits 60mph in 2.7sec