#19: 2012 BAC Mono
We’re not talking about blood-alcohol content, but you’d have to remove all inhibitions to drive this car to its absolute limits – sober, of course. The Briggs Auto Company’s Mono is a ridiculous one-seater supercar from across the pond. Some blokes in Liverpool slapped this F1-lookin’ ride together in 2011 using a heavily modified Ford Duratec 2.3L I4 motor, and the rest is history.
Weighing just 1,190 pounds and putting out over 300 horsepower at peak curves, the BAC Mono sports a power-to-weight ratio (HP/LB) of 25.63, higher than the best hypercars like the Pagani Huayra or the Porsche 918 Spyder. That makes for a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds, giving Tesla’s electric motors a run for their money. Part of that magic speed sauce hides inside the Mono’s crazy F3 semi-automatic transmission, which can shift gears in 35 milliseconds (so much for torque curve lag).
The Mono also gets away with being as power-efficient as possible by being as small as possible. The blokes at BAC custom-build each car around the individual buyer, providing just enough butt, shoulder, and leg room to avoid claustrophobia from taking over at the track.
But this minutia just grazes the surface of what makes the BAC Mono such a monster. Design elements and wild engineering all contribute to making the Mono a true racecar made barely legal for the public roads. There are zero windows. No roof. No sound system. No air conditioning (though probably not needed). No electric power steering.
Carbon fiber is everywhere, including in the cage and on the valve covers. Suspension is as light and tight as any F1 car, sporting real pushrod coilovers. Inside the cockpit is little more than a 5-point harness, a square for a steering wheel, and some simple LED lights to indicate gears and engine speed.
One driver described the responsiveness of the vehicle as though “… the steering rack is directly connected to your frontal lobe.” There is no hesitation to speak of in this car – and there’s no turning back if you decide to take it out for a spin.
