BAC

The Briggs Automotive Company, or popularly known as BAC, has been in existence for just over a decade. Its first and only car to date, the Mono, was born in 2011. Since then, the car hasn’t gone through much of a change. The single-seater seems to be designed as a track car and then toned down in each department to make it road legal.

Since its inception, the Mono has more or less remained the same; but BAC was looking to bring out the second-gen 2021 Mono at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. As luck would have it, the show itself got canceled, but the company decided to launch it anyway. Does it get any better than the previous-gen Mono?

It’s been a while since we last heard from Briggs Automotive Company, or as it’s more popularly known in automotive circles, BAC. Eight years after launching the mental Mono road-legal sports car, BAC has kept a relatively low profile. Well, there’s no better time than the present to step out of the shadows and return to the auto scene with a bang. That’s exactly what BAC did with the unveiling of the long-awaited, somewhat already forgotten follow-up to the Mono. It’s called the BAC Mono R, and it’s here to take your soul. The Mono R is lighter, faster, and more potent than the Mono, which is pretty much all you need to know about the car before you dive deep into how it was created. It’s also limited to just 30 units, and worse, all 30 units are already accounted for. Even before we get to know the BAC Mono R, we’re effectively shut out of a chance to see it. Such is life, I suppose. The good news is that if you’re at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, you have an opportunity to check out the BAC Mono R. As for the rest of us? These photos are all that we’re going to get of BAC’s newest four-wheeled ride of insanity.

What do you get when you take a lightweight, track-focused, carbon fiber performance machine, add in a set of studded tires, and throw it onto a frozen lake? That, my friends, would be the BAC Mono Ice Driving Experience, which just enjoyed its second running in Switzerland recently, with a select group of clients and enthusiasts invited to participate in some ass-out counter-steering fun on impromptu tracks in the frigid north.

The adrenaline-fueled lifestyle event included instruction on how to properly drive quickly on the ice, as well as plenty of opportunities to wine and dine with fellow Mono lovers.

“BAC came away from the Mono Ice Driving Experience having achieved its primary goal: giving its clients and friends the raw Mono experience and having plenty of fun along the way,” the brand says. You can watch highlights from the event in the video below.

While we think the Mono’s open top might make the drive a bit chilly, the rest of the package is perfectly suited to an event like this. The composite construction keeps it stiff and nimble, while the 305-horsepower 2.5-liter powerplant gives it more than enough motivation to take advantage of the open lapping opportunities.

Up next, the brand heads to the Isle of Man in May, the same venue that’s known for its insane annual Tourist Trophy race.

British-based performance automaker BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) and the Isle of Man Government have joined forces to create the world’s first BAC Mono police car. While the single-seater, formula-style supercar probably won’t be used to detain suspects (strap them to the hood?!), it will “become an active member of the fleet and will also be on show at a number of local festivals to encourage safe and responsible driving.”

BAC has worked with the Isle of Man before, as the automaker previously used the local roads for car development, as well as to host various client driving events. The law enforcement iteration gets a special police livery. Tasked with driving the Mono is PC Andy Greaves, a police motorcyclist and collision investigator with advanced driving skill. “We are here to promote safe use of the road, and it’s amazing how many people want to talk to you when this is your transport,” Greaves said.

Continue reading for the full story.

The BAC Mono track car is no stranger to setting lap records, having conquered many race tracks over the years with the kind of speed normally associated with supercars. Turns out, the Mono isn’t done laying the smackdown just yet. It has notched another lap record for a road-legal car at the Anglesey Coastal Circuit in Wales. The record was achieved by Evo Magazine’s Richard Meaden, who piloted the Mono to a lap time of 1:07.70, eclipsing the previous lap record that was recently set by the McLaren P1 GTR by exactly one second.

Consider that for a second: the most hardcore version of the McLaren P1 hypercar could only muster a time of 1:08.70 against the BAC Mono. Then again, the Mono has earned a reputation for being a giant killer, having set the fastest lap time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed when it posted a time of 47.9 seconds in 2015. It even took top honors in Top Gear’s Power Lap leaderboard in 2013, and to date, it’s the third-fastest car to go around the Top Gear test track, eclipsed only by the McLaren 675LT and the Pagani Huayra. Those are some serious credentials for a track car that carries a power-to-weight ratio of 525 horsepower per ton.

The Mono’s ability to post blistering lap times was in full effect when it blasted around the 1.55-mile Anglesey Coastal Circuit while riding on a set of Kumho’s Ecsta V70A tires. Meaden actually set the lap record in the final flying lap on a new set of tires so the conditions were optimal for the Mono to make history. But make no mistake, premium tires or not, the Mono has earned a reputation for being a true pace-setter, and that reputation was only strengthened when it obliterated the lap record for a road-legal car in a circuit that has seen no shortage of supercars compete for what the Mono now calls its own.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

BAC, also known as the Briggs Automotive Company, introduced the Mono in 2011, after two years of development. Using a carbon-fiber composite construction over a steel chassis, the Mono is a superlight, single-seat sports car inspired by motorsports. It features an FIA-compliant rollover structure, construction principles borrowed from DTM race cars, and a suspension system specifically developed for track use. Tipping the scales at only 600 kg (1,323), it’s among the lightest road-legal vehicles you can buy. The sports car was updated in 2016, when it received a new engine and more carbon-fiber components.

Following the launch of the "facelifted" model, BAC unveiled the Mono Graphene at the "Science in the City" festival in Manchester, the United Kingdom. Compared to the standard model, it features body panels made from graphene, which makes it the industry’s first vehicle to use the material. Made from sheets of carbon just one atom thick, graphene is significantly lighter and stronger than carbon-fiber, and BAC claims it would benefit cost, performance, and fuel economy when applied wider in the manufacturing process.

“Making significant weight savings and improving body strength will allow us to offer improved performance to our customers. This is the latest in a line of ground-breaking innovations on the Mono," said BAC director and co-founder, Neill Briggs.

BAC didn’t say if and when the Mono Graphene will become available to customers, but the concept could make it to production as soon as the firm is done testing the new components.

Continue reading to learn more about the BAC Mono Graphene.

It’s not every day that a track-day car is built for the purpose of pairing it up with a super-yacht. But Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) did just that with the launch of the Mono Marine Edition, a special edition of the Mono track car that’s specifically designed for use with super-yachts. It’s still, by and large, a standard Mono. But the big difference with the Marine Edition is that it comes with special cranes, harnesses, and anti-corrosion paint. It even has a specially built storage with adjustable temperature and humidity settings.

Each BAC Mono Marine Edition Each is built to order.
The cost comes up to $775,000. That’s not a typo; the Mono Marine Edition costs almost five times more than a standard Mono.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 BAC Mono Marine Edition .

The Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb is a pretty informal event — more celebration than competition. Most drivers showboat their way up the hill to please spectators. Donuts, drifting and bouncing engines off rev limiters are all acceptable forms of self-expression, but every once in while, someone will really go for it on Lord March’s 1.16-mile driveway.

That’s what Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) test driver Oliver Webb did at the 2015 event in the company’s 2016 BAC Mono track-day car, and in the process set an unofficial road-car record of 47.9 seconds, according to the BAC Mono’s onboard telemetry system. The Mono was running in the ‘First Glance’ class, for which times are not officially recorded, but it was much faster than the winning official time of 51.33 seconds set by Anthony Reid in a 2011 Noble M600. It was also faster than the overall road-car record set by Jann Mardenborough in a 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo.

Continue reading for the full story.

Not long ago, the super-lightweight sports car market comprised just one vehicle: the Caterham 7, which is still built on the recipe automotive genius Colin Chapman introduced in 1957. More recently though, the track-day-car segment has expanded to include products such as the Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow and BAC Mono. Built by Briggs Automotive Company in a small shop near Liverpool, the Mono just received an update for 2016 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Founded in 2009, BAC needed just two years to develop the Mono single-seat sports car, with input from iconic British brands such as Cosworth and Hewland. The original recipe was simple and followed in the footsteps of the legendary Lotus Seven. The Mono tipped the scales at less than 600 kg (1,323 pounds) and used a small-displacement engine rated 285 horses for a supercar-like power-to-weight ratio.

The updated Mono was developed along the same lines. Now slightly lighter and more powerful, it takes on updated rival offerings from companies such as Caterham and Ariel. The cockpit is still custom-built around the customer’s body shape for the utmost experience on both the road and the track. Keep reading to find out what’s new.

Updated 9/1/2015: Our man Jonathan Lopez took some pics at Monterey Car Week. Enjoy!

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 BAC Mono.

Would-be racers the world over have had a dream for as long as there were dreams to have: A real, legitimate Formula One car for the street. Many have tried and failed (often in flames) to bring the Formula experience to public highways. Those that haven’t caught fire broke down. Those that didn’t break down crashed from lack of downforce, and those that didn’t crash never got driven because they rode like a pile of rocks in an avalanche. It seems, though, Britain’s BAC has finally cracked the code on bringing us true open-wheel fun for the street, without the nightmares of endeavors gone by.

In this video, Jay Leno test drives one of the first BAC Monos to reach our shores. Britain has enjoyed the Mono since 2011, and almost immediately The Stig chose it as his personal Car of the Year. Some say it’s because the Mono’s face reminds him of his mother’s. Others say it’s because it’s the second fastest street car ever to lap the track, behind Pagani’s Huayra. All we know is, it’s one Hell of an automobile — even if this "Formula One Car for the Street" is a lie, but an utterly brilliant, perfect one.

Continue reading about this beast.

It’s true that very few supercars can match the awesomeness of the McLaren P1, but when it comes to track hooning, there’s more to a car than just brute power and torque. Take the Bugatti Veyron for instance. It comes with more than 1,000 horsepower on tap, which makes it one of the most powerful supercars in production. Is it a proper track car? Not quite. In fact, we don’t see it taking laps very often, which says a lot about its racing capabilities. Race it against the Caterham 620R and you’re bound to lose.

Which brings us to the video below, in which an utterly powerful McLaren P1 is chased by an ultra-light BAC Mono on the Silverstone track. Comparing the P1’s 903 horsepower with the BAC Mono’s 285 ponies, it’s easy to say the latter is no match for the McLaren. However, bring the curb weight into the equation and the 600-horsepower gap reduces dramatically. That’s because the BAC Mono weighs in at only 1,190 pounds, which means 479 horses per tonne. On the other hand, the McLaren tips the scales at 3,280 pounds, resulting into a horsepower per tonne rating of 551 ponies. Not that big of a difference, huh?

This pretty much explains why the BAC Mono in the video above manages to catch up and overtake the McLaren P1, although the supercar is obviously faster in a straight line. The lightweight sports car is superior at entering and exiting corners, which proves once again you don’t need nearly 1,000 horsepower to be fast on the track. Hit the play button to watch the action.

Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most challenging motor-racing circuits you will find in the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix. It measures 4.352 miles and features 20 turns. The current record at the track is held by Sebastian Vettel who lapped it back in 2009 in 1:47.263.

This challenging circuit was the perfect place for the BAC Mono to prove what it is capable of. This test comes just a few days after the Mono managed to smash Top Gear’s test track record with a time of 1:14.3, thereby bettering the times of all but the 720-horsepower Pagani Huayra.

The two BAC Monos running at Spa were driven by Ron Simons, who was almost unbeatable in wet conditions at Spa for years and TV personality Sabine Schmitz.

Check out the video to see which of the two managed to handle Mono the best.

What do you think about a £125,000 (or $189,000 at the current exchange rates) video game? Sounds pretty crazy, right? But what if we tell you this game will also bring you a very real BAC Mono sports car?

This special game is being offered by Codemaster and it is called of course GRID 2: Mono Edition. Next to the car, the package will also bring you the game and a PS3 to play on it. Of course, not while driving!

The car offered with the game will be painted in a special GRID2 livery and will be equipped with a race wear for the driver.

Before you get to excited about this package you have to know that a standard BAC Mono is priced at about $130k, so you are paying for some special livery about $60k. Not the best deal, no?

In fact the new GRID:2 already entered the Guinness World Book as the most "Most Expensive Video Game Commercially Available - Special Edition."

If you are still interested, you have to know the package will be available starting May 31st, but it can already be pre-ordered.

Click past the jump to read more about the BAC Mono.

Few men get to have as much fun as Chris Harris does, as he is constantly beating the hell out of cars and getting paid to do so. So for the most part, we all live vicariously through his videos. In his latest installment, he takes on a car that we haven’t seen too much of here in the states, but is vastly popular, per Harris’ video, in the European market.

This elusive slab of carbon fiber and tubular steel is the BAC Mono. In the terms of a race car, its 280-horsepower 2.3-liter Duratec Ford engine with Cosworth-built pistons and forged rods is paltry. However, when you mate that up to a flat-shifting, paddle-shift, 6-speed trans, and a 540 kg (1,190-pound) chassis and body, you have one mean machine.

This British rocket hits a top speed of 170 mph and sprints to 60 in just 2.8 seconds – not too shabby for a glorified Focus engine, huh? Add in a rain-soaked track with plenty of twists and turns with Chris Harris behind the wheel, and you have a whole lot of BAC Mono tail wagging. Despite all of the oversteer, Harris repeatedly boasts how easy the Mono is to control. This becomes obvious when he doesn’t spin it out even once, despite swinging that tail end out pretty wide at times.

Check out the above video to see for yourself. If you’re able to, crank up the volume too, so you can get a good listen to that high-revving Ford power plant.

In the midst of all the top names in sports car history, Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) is stepping up to the plate with their new lightweight, ultra high performance, road legal Mono. The BAC Mono is designed and manufactured using the latest racing technology and is battling for top billing amongst vehicles like theAriel Atom and KTM X-Bow.

The BAC Mono track is a single central-seat featuring an aggressive design. It is constructed from high-strength carbon fiber composite and is powered by a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 280 HP. This engine sprints the car to an impressive top speed of 170 mph.

In the official statement, BAC describes their work: "Aimed at drivers who seek a purist driving experience and for whom design, engineering excellence and performance are of paramount importance, Mono is an aggressive design and will set a new benchmark in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars."

For those interested, the Mono is currently on sale for £66,625, or about $107,400 at the current exchange rates, plus local taxes.

UPDATE 12/09/2011: Any fans of the special BAC Mono will be happy to hear that the car will be imported to the US market by Sector111 LLC, California. Only 12 units will be offered at a starting price of $130,000 each.

Hit the jump to read more about the BAC Mono Track Car.