BAC Mono enters new generation with more performance, less weight
This barely legal race car for the road is ready to get even freakier.
The BAC Mono is one of those special cars that lives on the edge of road legality, stretching every inch of the regulations to bring a track car to the streets. It's always been a scalpel of a thing, and now, it's about to get even wilder.
BAC on Tuesday unveiled the second-generation Mono, which would have happened in Geneva had the Geneva Motor Show not been canceled. It borrows much of its design from the BAC Mono R that came out in 2019, focusing on improving aerodynamics to better slice through the air. There's less frontal area and a lower ride height to make it look a little slicker, but it's always been quite the unique car.
Under the engine cover is a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 332 horsepower (27 hp more than before) and 295 pound-feet of torque. Combine that with a curb weight of just 1,257 pounds and you've got quite the pocket rocket. That's enough to get the Mono to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds, which is well into supercar territory, while still adhering to the latest EU6D emissions regulations in Europe.
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But it's not about 0-to-60 sprints; instead, it's focused on dynamics as a whole. The center of gravity is lower, and its weight distribution is ever closer to a proper 50/50 split. Heck, even the battery got moved to help achieve this balance. The adjustable Ohlins suspension has been tweaked for less movement under braking and acceleration. Standard Pirelli Trofeo R performance tires will grip until the heat death of the universe -- or until you run the things down to the cords.
The BAC Mono is dripping with technological advancements made in the name of performance. The wheels were designed with the help of Autodesk to reduce weight through a generative design process that explores the properties of thousands of wheel designs via cloud computing. The resulting rollers at 35% lighter than before at just 4.85 pounds per wheel. There's graphene in the carbon fiber body panels, and some parts were manufactured by a 3D printing process. All in, the Mono weighs some 22 pounds less than before, thanks to tech like this.
It's unclear when the new BAC Mono will hit roads, but it won't be cheap when it does. It'll go on sale in the UK at £165,950 ($211,655 converted), but that's the price you pay for handling like this.
