First BAC Mono single-seat supercar delivered

WITH most of the supercar world going for so-called new energy powertrains, Liverpool UK-based Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) is maintaining a focus on ICE (petrol) power with its latest, ultra quick Mono single seat model…the first road registerable production example being delivered this week to a California-based buyer.

It was delivered only a few weeks after the model’s international launch in Carmel, California as part of Monterey Car Week. Local pricing is unknown however the model sells in the UK from £160,000 ($A306,000) excluding on road costs. There are no road registerable single seat competitors at the moment.

BAC says the new Mono has been developed to be equally at home on the road as it is on track, “happy to be accelerating onto a mountain pass, gliding across a coastal route or hitting the apex on a challenging circuit”.

At the heart of the solo supercar is a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine by Cosworth. It revs to a rousing 8000rpm developing a maximum 235kW and 313Nm of torque along the way… stats that do not sound all that arresting. However, given the Mono weighs just 570kg (kerb), it translates into an incredible power-to-weight ratio of 407kW-per-tonne.

Not only that, the Mono has what’s termed a precisely optimal weight distribution of 41 per cent front and 59 per cent rear that is said to “further add to the car’s agile yet composed approach”.

The combination of its lightweight structure – thanks in part to BAC’s advanced graphene-infused carbon panels – and high-performance capabilities allows the Mono to sprint to 100km/h in a snip over 2.7 seconds.

For comparison, a current 5.0-litre, naturally aspirated V8 “Supercar” being raced here has around 480kW and weighs 1410kg for a power to weight of 340kW/tonne enabling a 0-100km/h sprint time of roughly 3.4 seconds.

Far from being a bare bones race car for the road, BAC pitches the custom-made Mono as a luxury vehicle exemplified in its construction process that engages closely with the customer to envisage their initial creative ideation for the car.

The BAC design team worked to craft a Mono that “exquisitely” pays homage to motorsport while fulfilling the buyer’s commission. BAC says it results in an aesthetic that is compellingly emotional, delicately interweaving the identity of the new BAC supercar with that of iconic motorsport legacy with buyer preferences.

As is the case in (some) motorsport, the Mono is carefully adapted to ensure it’s a perfect fit for the driver. Informed by the brand’s ‘one-of-a-kind’ philosophy, the customer is invited to the home of BAC in Liverpool for a tailoring experience that would allow the BAC engineering team to develop a high-tech seat that optimally wraps itself around the driver’s body measurements and contours.

The steering wheel undergoes a similar optimisation design process to exacting customer-measurement details.

“We are delighted to hand over the first example of our new Mono Supercar,” said BAC co-founder and head of product development, Neill Briggs.

“It’s fitting that this new Mono will call California its home following the global debut of our new-generation high-performance single-seater supercar at Monterey Car week last month.

“It was our first time in an official capacity at this esteemed event but from the very first day we – as a brand, as a team and as individuals – immediately connected with members of the Monterey Car Week community who, exactly like us, believe in the thrill, sport, and passion of driving.

“I am immensely proud that the first example of the new Mono range will be basking in the Californian sunshine for a long time to come.”