...by enthusiasts..for enthusiasts...

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.

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.

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.