The BAC Mono R pushes the envelope even further

The BAC Mono R is one of the most advanced vehicles the world has ever seen, pushing the envelope when it comes to power and weight. BAC has just launched the all new Mono R, an evolution of the original icon, a design that pushes the boundaries of what is deemed possible on four wheels.

Weight is the enemy of speed, which is why the Mono R is the first production car in the world fully incorporating the use of graphene-enhanced carbon fibre in every body panel. Using the revolutionary material enhances the structural properties of the fibre to make panels stronger and lighter with improved mechanical and thermal performance. In order to save further weight, certain parts of the car have been manufactured by 3D printing them, ceramic brakes have been added, and the car has been fitted with a lighter exhaust system and light AP Racing brake calipers. The overall weight of the Mono R has been brought down to 555kg, which is 25kg less that the original Mono.

The heart of the Mono R is a bespoke 2.5 litre four-cylinder engine co-developed with Mountune. BAC and Mountune have left no stone unturned when it comes to meeting power targets: increasing the cylinder bore size and reducing new billet crankshaft stroke to optimise power and torque delivery and increase rpm from 7,800 rpm to 8,800 rpm.  

The striking new Formula-inspired ram-air inlet system provides pressurised air into an all-new throttle body and cylinder head system to further increase power, plus a higher-spec, drive-by-wire motor allows for a quicker throttle response. As a result, the bespoke Mountune engine now offers 136bhp per litre – a new naturally aspirated global record for a road-legal model.   

The weight and the sheer power of the Mono R results in a remarkable power-to-weight ratio of 612bhp-per-tonne, which put’s it right in hypercar territory.

Of course, the Mono R is much more than a collection of impressive numbers. BAC continues its minimalist approach when it comes to design. Although the car is still undeniably Mono, the R sports an entirely new generation of the single-seater’s design DNA. A brand-new approach to body engineering has seen all surfaces designed from scratch and 44 bespoke carbon parts restyled to give the car a more aggressive, organic and futuristic stance.  

The Mono R also pushes the envelope when it comes to the driving experience both on the road and on the track. This is the result of continuous development on the suspension and chassis. The suspension geometry has been optimised to reduce pitch under braking, with increased anti-dive at the front and anti-squat at the rear maximising traction, while two-way adjustable dampers from renowned Swedish experts Öhlins feature for the first time.  

The fuel tank has increased in volume and been lowered, and the battery has been repositioned to the centre of the car underneath the driver for optimum balance – thus lowering the centre of gravity and improving weight distribution to near-perfect proportions.  

The vehicle dynamic improvements combine to reduce braking distances and weight transfer, helping to deliver sharper turn-in, provide better rotation at the apex and better traction out of corners – aided by specially homologated Pirelli Trofeo R tyres being fitted as standard on all Mono R models.

BAC will only build 30 Mono Rs and the entire run has already been sold. Especially worth mentioning that all of the Mono Rs are going to current customers who already own a Mono.