BAC Announces the 150th Production Model of the Lightweight Mono

BAC, the Briggs Automotive Company, founded by brothers Ian and Neil Briggs, is bringing the year to a close with the delivery of its 150th BAC Mono vehicle. It’s quite a success story, with the two brothers founding AC in 2009 with the aim to deliver what they call the most ‘authentic and pure’ driving experience. It might sound a little vague on paper, but I think we all know what they mean.

The single-seater BAC Mono is a svelte 555kg Mono R model; part of a continuing refinement of the Mono series from the Liverpool based company. Sitting under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre dry-sump naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine capable of putting out 342bhp. This is controlled by a 6-speed gearbox – a sequential derived from Formula 3 the company says. Let’s go back to that weight; never has the mathematics of power to weight ratio been more telling – while 342bhp might not sound too eyebrow raising these days, when mated to a racer that weighs such an amount, it results in the ability to lap the Anglesey Circuit in just 1 minute 6.9 seconds, which is an incredible 2 seconds less than the McLaren GTR P1, despite the McLaren running on slicks. The exciting Anglesey track test was carried out my Evo Magazine.

As with each BAC Mono that rolls off the production line, it is meticulously designed around the owner’s personal specifications.

While the lower part of the body features exposed carbon fibre, this Mono R features what BAC call their ‘Man in the (Satin) Mirror’ livery. This comprises of digital metallic Satin Liquid Silver paint and exposed satin carbon logos. Highlighter Yellow (a name much easier to imagine for most of us, I’m sure) adds striking bright detail. Pre-paint, the car was carefully masked by hand over a period of three days.

The 150th BAC Mono was commissioned by Julien Begasse de Dhaem, a Belgian financier now based in Hong Kong. Julien worked closely with Daniel Youd, BAC Bespoke Specialist, to create the fine-looking automobile we see here. While retaining the status of being the 150th BAC, this is also the 29th Mono R and as such, it has the number R29 embedded within the centrally mounted light surrounds.

Adding to the overall light weight, carbon hybrid wheels are included, clad in bronze and Highlighter Yellow, thanks to a collaboration between BAC and UK-based high performance wheel maker, Dymag. Inside, even the steering wheel has been made-to-measure for the client, and silver stitching on the solo seat and headrest logo adds to the space-age sci-fi feel of this particular BAC Mono.

The BAC Mono R is a fully road-legal powerhouse too, which may surprise some. It might be the festive season, but the Briggs Automotive Company does not intend to rest on its laurels for too long, saying that they have some exciting announcements to come for 2023.

Images: bac-mono.com