BAC Mono barges into flyweight battle

The barebones/minimalist supercar genre is now crowded with the likes of Ariel, Radical and KTM -- not to mention the Caterhams and so forth -- but that's no reason why another player can't join the fray.

Pictured alongside is the latest entrant to the segment, and it's dubbed the Briggs Automotive Company (or BAC) Mono.

Visually, there are more than a few elements reminiscent of the KTM X-Bow, but the Mono promises even more extreme performance than the Austrian tearaway.

Motive power for the single-seat missile comes from a Cosworth-built 2.3-litre four-cylinder screamer that kicks out 210kW at 7700rpm and 280Nm at 6000rpm. Mated to the mid-mounted motor is a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shift control.

The car's real trump card is a kerb weight of just 540kg (about the same as a modern F1 car), which means its power to weight ratio is a Bugatti Veyron-rivalling 388kW per tonne.

No surprises, then, that BAC quotes a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) sprint of just 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 275km/h. The rest of the package seems up to snuff too, with Sachs fully adjustable pushrod suspension, AP Racing 295mm ventilated, cross-drilled disc brakes and bespoke rubber developed by Kumho.

Conceived for both road and track use, the Mono is built using carbon fibre composite cloaked around a steel safety cell and comes with an FIA-compliant steel rollover structure.

Needless to say, it will cater to a micro-niche audience, and company boss Neill Briggs was quoted as saying the UK-based firm plans to build 50 units this year, and between 100 and 200 cars per year thereafter.

Although currently aimed at the UK market only, Briggs told respected magazine Autocar: "Export is on our radar. We're working on selling to overseas markets, hopefully towards the end of 2012."

Prices in the UK start at the equivalent of $107,990 (plus taxes), which makes it about 10 to 15 per cent pricier than the range-topping KTM X-Bow and around double the cost of an Ariel Atom 300.

This doesn't seem to have deterred buyers too much as, according to Briggs, "We've already had Ariel Atom customers approach us about it and the interest has been huge."

Dimensions
Length  3952mm
Width   1800mm
Height   1110mm
Wheelbase  2565mm
Ground clearance 100mm (f) 110mm (r)
Kerb weight 540kg
Power to weight 388kW per tonne
Weight distribution 48:52 (front/rear)

Vehicle construction
Carbon composite, FIA compliant safety structure

Performance
Top speed  275km/h
0-96km/h  2.8 secs

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