You probably can’t afford it, but it doesn’t cost to take a look. Introducing the BAC MONO, a road-legal, super-fast, single-seat race car built by two car-mad British brothers.
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 and one-make series racer.
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, can get to 100 mph in 6.7 seconds and has 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.
The MONO’s aerodynamics were optimised 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 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 is provided by GEMS.
Secure
The driver is secured by a full six-point racing harness and there is a secure locker in which to store a helmet and the detachable steering wheel when parked up St Stephen’s Green during an quick trips to Argos.
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,” says co-creator Ian Briggs.
Brother Neil adds: “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.”
The BAC MONO costs £79,950 including UK taxes. The taxes can be avoided if importing to Ireland, however Irish VRT will then have to be added. So although it’s desirable it’s probably out of reach for most (and a teeny bit impractical). That said, if you can afford one and you want a car that DEFINITELY won’t be as common as a Corsa on Irish roads, then further details can be had from www.bac-mono.com.
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