BAC Mono – a single-seater for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts

BAC Mono – a single-seater for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts

Ah, here’s what happens when enthusiasts get beyond being merely enthusiastic in armchair fashion and do something about it. It’s called the Mono, and it’s the creation of BAC, a company started out by a couple of Brit lads.

The Mono (as in monoposto, or single seat) has been designed to bring formula race car levels of handling, performance and thrill to the public road, but it’s also the perfect trackday tool, racing school car and one-make series racer.

Conceived by brothers Neill and Ian Briggs, the Briggs Automotive Company creation offers superlative performance – at 520 hp to the ton, its power-to-weight ratio surpasses that of the Bugatti Veyron and it gets from nought to 100 kph in just 2.8 seconds, to 160 kph in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 273 kph.

BAC Mono – a single-seater for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts

The car is an object of engineering perfection and desire, courtesy of the Briggs brothers’ 15 years experience of the motor industry, during which time they’ve handled design and engineering consultancy projects for the likes of Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, through their company Adaptive Space. Ian Briggs says that the Mono is the culmination of a 12-year dream for the brothers, the car they wanted to own but nobody else made.

The Mono’s aerodynamics were optimised using CFD in partnership with Stuttgart University, and is constructed in carbon fibre with a tubular steel driver safety cell, complete with FIA-compliant rollover protection system – similar in concept to a DTM race car.

Power comes from a 280 hp normally-aspirated 2.3 litre Cosworth unit mounted longitudinally and mated to an electronically-controlled, paddle-shift, six-speed sequential Hewland transmission with a limited-slip differential.

BAC Mono – a single-seater for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts

The vehicle features a rose-jointed, aero-profiled pushrod suspension with adjustable Sachs Racing dampers. Elsewhere, there’s an AP Racing braking system, bespoke HRT alloy wheels by OZ Racing, purpose-developed, street-legal track tyres by Kumho and vehicle electronics and instrumentation by GEMS.

The driver is secured by a full six-point racing harness by Willans, with a secure locker in which to store a helmet and the detachable steering wheel when parked. The seat is fixed for safety and optimum weight distribution (48/52 front to rear), and drivers of varying shapes and sizes can be readily accommodated thanks to a fully adjustable pedal box and steering column alterable for both height and rake. There’s even a F1-style fully-profiled seat option.

The Mono – which goes for £79,950 – is built to order on a first-come, first-served basis, and production capacity is currently between 50 and 100 vehicles per year.

Gallery after the jump.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=2077]

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • ezracopters on Mar 21, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    haha.. i bet one gonna look weird in this next to u on the traffic light. yea yea ur fast, but ur freak as well.. better stay on track laaa..

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    • iamisiamwhatiam on Mar 21, 2011 at 8:23 pm

      Yeah, ’cause the next lane driver will only see the top of your helmet :D

      Still, I wonder if JPJ would approve this on our road to any who is nuts/cool enough to bring it here.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • GUNMAN on Mar 21, 2011 at 8:49 pm

    orgasm!!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • seriusSAM on Mar 21, 2011 at 8:55 pm

    they should make a closed cockpit version than it would be awesome
    we malaysian need to stick roadtax on windscreen meh

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • it is damn dangerous to drive this car on Malaysia roads…. can’t imagine if got “tak-apa-tak-kisah” type of lorry driver just runover this car when trying to turn left while on the right lane.

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  • armandd on Mar 21, 2011 at 9:39 pm

    must be damn fun driving one of these on the track and blasting ah bengs in corners and traffic lights.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • kokopai on Mar 22, 2011 at 9:55 am

      can easily smoke vtec and forced induced 4Gs

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • armandd on Mar 22, 2011 at 2:20 pm

        vtec & 4Gs fanboys are not even in the same league.. this thing can even scare ferraris and lambos..

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  • shoon on Mar 22, 2011 at 1:01 am

    they can feature this as a mini bat mobile in the next batman movie :D

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • S.Neo on Mar 22, 2011 at 2:43 am

    this should put a good run with Atom Ariel, Caterham 7, KTM X-Bow

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • TurboMan on Mar 22, 2011 at 8:38 am

    I cant help but imagine an ariel atom or this car travelling through bumps at an angle, slowing down to the speed of an ant.

    It seems like malaysia has more bumps than people, with some roads having 9 bumps for 100 metre stretch.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • fadzly on Mar 22, 2011 at 9:12 am

    sure can cilok under the lorry :D

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • llgriver on Mar 22, 2011 at 9:29 am

    what happens to ESNA VENERE since the lost of Mr Esmail Naziadin??what a loss..

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  • bobdbilder on Mar 22, 2011 at 11:37 am

    Older people (like me) would remember Briggs and Straton single piston lawn mower engines. You’ve come a long way baby! But this looks like an extended X Box. It will probably get an MOT in UK and be able to drive it up to the track if they put some air shield in front.

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    • Ordinary Joe on Mar 22, 2011 at 4:12 pm

      No need ‘air shield’… just get a Simpson fullface helmet like the one the Stig use! Sure will turn heads!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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