This Is The Single-Seater, 340bhp BAC Mono R

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has gone and raised the stakes in the single-seater class with this lighter, faster, more powerful second generation version of the road-legal Mono R.

Said to mark “a monumental step” in BAC’s history, the Mono R is dripping in weight-saving materials, from the generous application of carbon fibre for the race-inspired body panels to magnesium that has helped construct the chassis and various transmission components.

Tipping the scales at just over 550kg, the Mono R is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine. Co-developed by tuning specialist Mountune, power is up by 35bhp on before and now stands at 340bhp. All of which makes for eye-popping performance.

0-60mph can be taken care of in two-and-a-half seconds which, for the record, is quicker than a Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Ferrari 488 Pista, while the top speed stands at a none-too-shabby 170mph. Most impressive of all, however, is the power-to-weight-ratio: 612bhp-per-tonne!

To make sure you can stop on a sixpence, carbon-ceramic brakes are fitted to each corner. AP Racing has provided the brake callipers, and Ohlins has chipped in with two-way adjustable dampers. The latter is a first for the car and is said to help minimise horrible pitch and dive.

Shown to the world at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, the Mono R is dominated by a “shark nose front”, a side-mounted Formula-inspired air dam, large side pods, and a huge rear diffuser above which sits a fresh titanium exhaust system. Coupled to a lower ride height, the Mono R has guaranteed kerb side appeal.

Downsides? You will struggle to find space for a weekend bag, and swallowing the occasional fly might become the norm. The biggest of all, however, is the fact that only 30 units are being built and every single one has already been sold. To who? Existing Mono owners, of course.