A British sports car maker by the name Briggs Automotive Company has announced a new lightweight, single-seat road racer that would compete with the likes of Caterham and Airel. Known as the BAC Mono, the car is for “drivers who seek a purist driving experience and for whom design, engineering excellence and performance are of paramount importance.”
The BAC Mono track is a single central-seat featuring an aggressive design. It is constructed from high-strength carbon fiber composite and is powered by a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 280 HP. This engine sprints the car to an impressive top speed of 170 mph.
BAC says the Mono's mid-mounted 280 horsepower inline four-cylinder will send the car to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, hit 170 mph top speed, and do it all for £66,625--about $108,000. That's still pricey--beyond Nissan GT-R territory and into Corvette ZR-1 range--but it's sure to offer lateral acceleration that will make you forget all about 200-mph top speed dreams.
Suspension is a fully-adjustable pushrod suspension with damping elements made by SACHS Racing. Fitted with 295mm ventilated discs, AP Racing brakes provide stopping power. The Mono sits on 17-inch O.Z. Racing HRT alloy alloy wheels wrapped in Kumho tires.
The MONO is priced at £79,950 (€91,998 / $128,513), including taxes in the U.K.
Press Release
BAC MONO - AN ENTHRALLING NEW SINGLE-SEAT PERFORMANCE CAR DESIGNED AND BUILT BY ENTHUSIASTS FOR ENTHUSIASTS
Enthusiasts the world over dream of designing and building their own car. What set the Cheshire-born brothers Neill and Ian Briggs apart from most, is that they had the automotive qualifications and experience to do just that, and put the result into production for others to enjoy - enter the BAC MONO.
MONO (as in monoposto, or single seat) was 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, one-make series racer, etc. At 520 bhp / ton, its power to weight ratio surpasses that of the Bugatti Veyron and it can accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, 100 mph in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 170 mph. The car is also 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.
Of British conception, MONO combines the very best of all automotive worlds. Its aerodynamics were optimised using CFD in partnership with Stuttgart University, while its list of suppliers reads like a Who's Who of the international motorsport industry. The vehicle is constructed in carbon fibre with a tubular steel driver safety cell, complete with FIA-compliant roll over protection system - similar in concept to a DTM race car. Power comes from a 280 bhp, normally-aspirated 2.3-litre Cosworth unit mounted longitudinally and mated to an electronically-controlled, paddle-shift, six-speed sequential Hewland transmission with limited-slip differential. The rose-jointed, aero profiled pushrod suspension features adjustable Sachs Racing dampers derived from the heat of competition. The braking is by AP Racing, the bespoke HRT alloy wheels by OZ Racing, the purpose-developed, street-legal track tyres by Kumho, and the vehicle electronics and instrumentation by GEMS.
The driver is secured by a full six-point racing harness by Willans and there is 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 the fully adjustable pedal box and steering column that can be altered for both height and rake. There is even the option of an F1-style fully-profiled seat.
Said Ian Briggs (BAC stands for Briggs Automotive Company): "MONO is the culmination of a 12-year dream for us - the car we wanted to own but nobody else made." Neill Briggs added: "All cars are built to order on a first-come, first-served basis and our flexible production facility has the capacity to manufacture between 50 and 100 vehicles per year - or more if demand requires. All I can currently say is, the early response has been extremely encouraging."
At £79,950 (including UK taxes), the BAC MONO is not only highly desirable but eminently affordable. For further details, log onto www.bac-mono.com.
