Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has officially launched the new BAC Mono – a higher-performance, lighter and more advanced new generation of the single-seater supercar that’s fully road legal across continental Europe and around the world. For the first time, Mono meets the latest stringent EU6D emissions and drive-by noise regulations to make it ready for the streets of Europe. Its 2.3-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine is 27bhp more powerful than its predecessor – at 332bhp – and offers in excess of an incredible 400Nm of torque. Sporting the stunning new generation of Mono design DNA first seen on the BAC Mono R, the newcomer epitomises how form enhances function with reductions in visual mass across the body, less frontal area and a lower height creating a sleeker, more organic overall appearance. The likes of BAC’s graphene R&D projects from the Mono R, additive manufacturing and a ground-breaking generative-design wheel project with software partner Autodesk have helped to reduce the weight over the first-generation model.
The new BAC Mono sports the stunning new generation of the single-seater’s design DNA, first seen on the ground-breaking BAC Mono R at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019. BAC prides itself on being at the very forefront of design and setting the bar for what’s visually possible in the supercar world. The design team’s overall brief was to make the car visually lighter, cleaner and more simplistic – a thin surface on a phenomenal machine. The striking new look of BAC Mono is centred around the value of form enhancing function – visual designs created in line with Mono offering the purest driving experience in the world. From the first-generation model, a completely new approach to body engineering has been undertaken, with all surfaces designed from scratch to reduce visual mass across the body and achieve a more organic, lighter aesthetic. This is epitomised by the imposing shark nose, which successfully reduces frontal area and improves aerodynamics.
BAC is forever innovating and pushing automotive boundaries with a perpetual focus on light weighting technology. As such, the new Mono features a number of technological feats that keep its weight as low as possible and subsequently enhance performance. New LED lights, twin-strut wing mirrors, rear crash box and a narrower tail incorporating new LED combination fog and reverse lights complete the new look, while inside remains perfect for customer personalisation with a new, even lighter carbon steering wheel and optional carbon side panels. Centrally mounted headlights are a distinguishing feature carried over from the Mono R that also simplify the front, while a 20mm reduction in height and a 25mm increase in length over the first-generation car further contribute to the Mono’s sleeker yet more squat appearance. More aerodynamically efficient front arches and wider sidepods for enhanced cooling are carried over from the R’s design, as well as a larger spoiler extending over the rear arches. Lower down on the body, all surfaces are thinner to effectively sculpt and divert airflow.
For the very first time, BAC has opted for forced induction with the engine of the new-generation Mono – focusing on road legality around the world and keeping emissions down with a turbocharged unit. The newcomer boasts a 2.3-litre four-cylinder in-line turbo engine, with bespoke development by long-standing engine partner Mountune – including a co-developed dry sump system that places the main mass of the engine lower and subsequently improves centre of gravity. Uprated chassis, transmission and driveline components also feature. Power has increased 27bhp to 332bhp, while BAC’s engineering team has worked tirelessly to ensure the staggering torque figure of over 400Nm is delivered progressively in harmony with BAC’s driving DNA. The engine meets the very latest stringent EU6D emissions regulations, while the vehicle passes EU drive-by-noise and electromagnetic (EMC) legislature to make it fully road legal across the continent and beyond. Turbocharging and meeting European regulations saw the new Mono welcome a number of additions under the skin that result in a heavier power unit and ancillaries.
BAC has lowered the car’s centre of gravity and improved weight distribution to near-perfect proportions, thanks in part to increasing the volume and lowering the fuel tank. The battery has also been repositioned to the centre of the car underneath the driver for optimum balance. The first-generation Mono was famed for providing the purest, most accessible driving experience around, and BAC’s design and engineering teams have ensured the new-generation model continues to offer unrivalled performance on the road and track thanks to a number of vehicle dynamics enhancements. Suspension geometry has been optimised to reduce pitch under braking, with increased anti-dive at the front and anti-squat at the rear maximising traction, while two-way adjustable dampers from Swedish experts Öhlins also feature. The vehicle dynamic improvements combine to reduce braking distances and weight transfer, helping to deliver sharper turn-in, provide better rotation at the apex and better traction out of corners – aided by specially homologated Pirelli Trofeo R tyres being fitted as standard on all new Mono models. All of it adds up to a driving experience totally unparalleled anywhere on four wheels – lighter weight, more power and more efficient aerodynamics provide a drive that pushes the boundaries ever closer to perfection.
