BAC will pull the wraps off a new version of its scintillating Mono single-seater later this month.
Few – if any – road cars are as blindingly quick as the BAC Mono R. The exquisite, British-built single-seater has been conceived with ultimate track performance in mind, but later this month during Monterey Car Week, BAC will unveil a new type of Mono that offers a different dynamic character.
Details are scarce, but the next addition in the range will sit alongside the R with the same skeletal design and lightweight ethos, albeit with a ‘contrasting experience’ to its ultra-aggressive sibling. To recap, all Monos to date have used Mountune derived four-cylinder engines, with the most powerful R revving to 8800rpm and generating 256kW. The naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre unit achieves an astonishing 102kW per litre, but it’s uncertain whether the new model will utilise this engine configuration.
A teaser image indicates that the new car will continue the delicate, open-cabin styling DNA prescribed by the original Mono, and could incorporate BAC’s latest generation carbonfibre manufacturing techniques. The firm’s latest models use graphene elements within their carbon body panels to reduce weight, with the R tipping the scales at 555kg without fluids.
If this new model is indeed more road-biased, it may swap the R’s Hewland FTR sequential gearbox in favour of something more user friendly – the current Formula 3-derived unit requires use of the clutch at low speed, with flat shift capability on the move.
A new tyre could be part of the Mono’s latest developments, too. The R is equipped with Pirelli Trofeo Rs as standard, and while they’re very grippy in the dry, they haven’t been optimised for a car as light as the Mono (the now defunct Kumho Ecstas were more suitable). We’ll find out exactly what form the new Mono will take on August 17, and given the engineering brilliance that the BAC has established thus far, we’re deeply excited for what’s next.