The BAC Mono is powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine courtesy of Cosworth. It delivers a potent 285 hp and is mated to a Formula 3000 six-speed sequential transmission created by Hewland. When combined with the light overall weight of the Mono, it can sprint to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 274 km/h.
This car really is a racecar for the road and last weekend, when the sun made a rare British appearance, we pulled ourselves away from the BBQ for a few hours to experience what it is like to be the owner of such a hardcore, no compromise machine.
We meet James of Super Vettura, an approved BAC dealership, in a remarkable location at the Docklands, under the recently opened Emirates Airlines Cable Car in the shadows of the infamous Millennium Dome and the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. This was quite a challenge as we battled our way through the battalions of people, young and old, male and female all snapping away and jostling for position to snap the obscure looking car in its glorious white finish.
Questions come flying in from all sides, ‘What is it…how many are there…how fast is it!’, questions that James is more than happy to answer. A near by boat race featuring millions of pounds of racing boats may as well not even be happening as all eyes were on the BAC!
Having clarified that the car did not belong to the STIG and really is street legal, it was time to hit the road and see just how out of place the Mono looks on the move in an urban environment!
As with the McLaren F1, the fully FIA approved BAC Mono does not feature a conventional fuel tank but a fuel bag. Not being solid means that the fuel gauge is never 100% accurate, the search for fuel quickly becomes a priority!
At the ordinary petrol station one thing becomes clear, if you are camera shy or prefer to potter around town unnoticed, the Mono is certainly not for you! Fuelled up and even more questions from other road and petrol station users, it was time to hit the open road where the Mono looks like nothing else. The car look so purposeful sat so close to the roads surface. A KTM X-Bow looks luxurious in comparison as the Mono skitters and bounces over the smallest bumps and cracks in the rough British road surface.
A short drive through a busy waterside promenade where children chase the Mono with camera phones in hand, leads to the quite street where we pull over for photos and a quick chat. The Mono looks fast standing still, the cockpit is testament to just how focused the car is, it is sparse but by no means poorly finished.
The car built in Liverpool, England, is constructed of space-aged materials. Carbon, Alcantara and other solid materials that instantly put images of Formula Cars into your mind.
A massive thanks to Super Vettura and James for inviting GTspirit to get up close and personal with the BAC Mono. If you are a fan of the Mono be sure to check out our first impression behind the wheel of the car!
