Enthusiasts the world over dream of designing and building their own car. What set the Cheshire-born brothers Neill and Ian Briggs apart from most, is that they had the automotive qualifications and experience to do just that, and put the result into production for others to enjoy – enter the BAC MONO.

MONO (as in monoposto, or single seat) was designed to bring formula race car levels of handling, performance and thrill to the public road, but it’s also the perfect trackday tool, racing school car, one-make series racer, etc. At 520 bhp / ton, its power to weight ratio surpasses that of the Bugatti Veyron and it can accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, 100 mph in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 170 mph. The car is also an object of engineering perfection and desire, courtesy of the Briggs brothers’ 15 years experience of the motor industry, during which time they’ve handled design and engineering consultancy projects for the likes of Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, through their company Adaptive Space.

Of British conception, MONO combines the very best of all automotive worlds. Its aerodynamics were optimised using CFD in partnership with Stuttgart University, while its list of suppliers reads like a Who’s Who of the international motorsport industry. The vehicle is constructed in carbon fibre with a tubular steel driver safety cell, complete with FIA-compliant roll over protection system - similar in concept to a DTM race car. Power comes from a 280 bhp, normally-aspirated 2.3-litre Cosworth unit mounted longitudinally and mated to an electronically-controlled, paddle-shift, six-speed sequential Hewland transmission with limited-slip differential. The rose-jointed, aero profiled pushrod suspension features adjustable Sachs Racing dampers derived from the heat of competition. The braking is by AP Racing, the bespoke HRT alloy wheels by OZ Racing, the purpose-developed, street-legal track tyres by Kumho, and the vehicle electronics and instrumentation by GEMS.

The driver is secured by a full six-point racing harness by Willans and there is a secure locker in which to store a helmet and the detachable steering wheel when parked. The seat is fixed for safety and optimum weight distribution (48/52 front to rear), and drivers of varying shapes and sizes can be readily accommodated thanks to the fully adjustable pedal box and steering column that can be altered for both height and rake. There is even the option of an F1-style fully-profiled seat.

Said Ian Briggs (BAC stands for Briggs Automotive Company): “MONO is the culmination of a 12-year dream for us – the car we wanted to own but nobody else made.” Neill Briggs added: “All cars are built to order on a first-come, first-served basis and our flexible production facility has the capacity to manufacture between 50 and 100 vehicles per year – or more if demand requires. All I can currently say is, the early response has been extremely encouraging.”

What do we have here, then?
The BAC Mono 2.5. The latest evolution of the no-roof, no-windscreen, track day special from Briggs Automotive Company – now fettled to produce even more power while offering a host of new options to lose even more weight.

More power? How’s that happened?
Thanks to new technical partner, Mountune. See, BAC ditched the 2.3-litre Cosworth-tuned four-cylinder engine of old in favour of a Mountune-fettled 2.5-litre. This new highly-strung lump sees power jump from 280bhp to 305bhp.

However, there’s a weight penalty with that extra capacity, 40kg to be precise. So standing on the scales, this new Mono comes in at 580kg – 40kg more than the previous car. What. A. Fatty.

Even with this extra mass, the power-to-weight is still punchy at 525bhp per tonne, bettering the likes of hypercars such as the Porsche 918 Spyder. And as we all know, power-to-weight is the main barometer of driving fun, not horsepower.

Isn’t adding more weight counter intuitive, though?
Not when you can take some of it back away again. See, if you have sufficient funds, you can chisel away at the kilos gram by gram (and pound by pound) thanks to the new options list.

First off, you tick the box that says ‘Visible Lower Carbon’. That’ll add even more carbon to your carbon panelled carbontastic car to the tune of £11,862.

Then there’s the set of trick Dymag carbon composite wheels. They’re the lightest 17-inch wheels on the planet, but surprisingly, not fully carbon. Instead, the rim (which features soft curved corners to boost strength) is made of carbon to lower the rotational weight of the wheel while the spokes (where stiffness is crucial) is milled from a solid billet of aluminium. It doesn’t stop there, as five titanium bolts make sure they don’t fall off while adding further strength and lightness. How much weight does that save? 212.5g per wheel. That’ll be £11,940, please.

Finally, you can add tiny but brutally effective carbon ceramic brakes for another £11,820, saving 2.5kg per corner. But as one of those inspirational Instagram posts will tell you, perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. And we’re really struggling to see what else can be taken away.

Are you saying it’s perfect, then?
As a solitary driving experience, it’s not far off.

Just getting in the thing is an event. There are no doors, just that tiny porthole to clamber in. BAC now offers a slightly wider set chassis (increasing the cabin by 56mm) for the more - ahem - portlier driver. Even so, snake hips are still required to nestle down into the fabulous carbon-fibre seat.

The driving position is still the best in the game. Feet up, backside down as you lie back and perch your eyeballs up to gaze down at a POV shot from an F1 PlayStation game - complete with wheel covered in coloured Skittles - and over the aero screen to the road ahead.

A long press of the starter button reveals it’s a visceral thing, especially with that even angrier engine throbbing away behind your head. The reverberations in the cockpit that make you jitter, jiggle and buzz incessantly would have you believe you’re in a carbon monocoque, but it’s still the same carbon fibre composite construction over a steel spaceframe chassis as before.

Even though it’s an incredibly serious bit of kit, the operation of the Mono is friendly and manageable, there’s a new drive-by-wire throttle system (not that we could tell) and the clutch is easy to use – perfect for the road, then. It’s compliant, too. As the ride’s violence can be dialled up or down depending on how much of a masochist you are thanks to the fully adjustable Sachs pushrod suspension.

Although it does have a VIN number, number plates and can chunter through central London’s traffic, you need a track to make the most of the performance, especially when 0-62mph is seen off in 2.8 seconds and you have 170mph of top speed to play with.

Is it a handful on track?
Not at all. It’s intuitive and responds to you instantly as you’re in the crosshairs of the chassis. In the dry, it’s not at all snappy as changes of direction feel very cohesive, giving you the confidence to open the taps.

When you reach its limits (or set your inputs to ‘Ham-Fisted’) it’ll either push at the front, or slip at the rear but any breakaway happens progressively. When up to temp in the dry, trying to overcome the traction of the bespoke Kumho Ecsta tyres (available in ‘Prime’ and ‘Option’ compounds – very F1) is quite a chore.

When driving quickly, the steering is so direct and positive you move the steering wheel telepathically to correct under- and oversteer with inputs quickly becoming instinctive and effortless rather than cerebral. You just want to go quicker and quicker and quicker.

And you should, as that new engine enters a new, angrier dimension than the old one. Like a Porsche GT3, you strive to live in the last few hundred rpm where the thing car sings and becomes its most violent. Then you pull the carbon paddle and the pneumatic six-speed Hewland gearbox – lifted straight out of an F3 car – gives you another cog and you go again.

It’s a truly addictive experience and an assault on the senses. Screw those new fancy 4D cinemas, if you want a true 4D experience, save money on the popcorn and drive one of these. Driving can’t get anymore four-dimensional as you’re continuously buzzed with vibration, stimulated sersorily as compressed air is fired into your earholes and your eyes try to keep the local scenery in focus as things splat against your face at silly miles an hour.

How much does this 4D experience cost?
Well, it ain’t cheap with the base car costing £163,140. But the car we drove with all the glitzy lightweight bits came in at an eye-watering £229,214.

For that price, you could buy a Caterham 620R, Ariel Nomad, KTM X-Bow and Radical SR3 SL. But what the Mono offers is completely unique, so if you want to experience it that’s the price you have to pay.

And all we can say is, if you like driving, slave away and work every day of your life until you make enough money so you can afford one. It doesn’t matter if you lose friends, family and a social life in the process, as it’s not like you can take anyone along for a ride anyway.

So there you have it, the new BAC Mono, a reason to celebrate selfishness.

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has officially launched the all-new Mono R - a higher-performance, lighter and more advanced new generation of the iconic Mono.

BAC Mono R serves as The New Reference - the very pinnacle of design, innovation and engineering. It sports a stunning new generation of Mono DNA, features revolutionary new materials and technology and offers world-beating performance on the road and track.

R is 35bhp more powerful and 25kg lighter than the standard Mono, at 340bhp and 555kg - equating to a truly remarkable power-to-weight ratio of 612bhp-per-tonne.

BAC Mono R is one of the most exclusive supercars ever made, with a total of just 30 models being produced and sold to existing Mono customers around the globe. Ahead of its launch at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the full production run of Mono R has sold out worldwide.

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Having set The New Reference for design, BAC's talented engineers have ensured Mono R breaks new ground with its engine, too. Co-developed with long-standing engine partner Mountune, the Mono's 2.5-litre, four-cylinder unit has increased in power by 35bhp to deliver an astonishing 340bhp.

BAC and Mountune left no stone unturned when it came 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 7,800rpm to 8,800rpm.

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Key Statistics

• Top Speed: 170mph
• 0-60mph: 2.5 seconds
• Power: 340bhp
• Weight: 555kg
• Power-to-Weight ratio: 612bhp-per-tonne
• Price: from £190,950

BAC will be pulling the plug on the outgoing Mono as it prepares for the launch of the new generation model at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show in less than a month.

However, before starting the production of the new Mono next summer, BAC is sending out the current one with the exclusive £158,958 ($206,897/€187,745) One edition.

Limited to just three examples worldwide, each finished in one of the company’s corporate colors (white, red and black), the Mono One boasts special features. The Mono One Iconic White has a gloss white paint finish, which is the shade of the first example presented at the Retro Classics Show in Stuttgart, Germany in 2011. It is also the most popular spec for the one-seat supercar over the past decade.

The Mono One Carbon Black sports black visible carbon bodywork, red logos, stitching and carbon-hybrid-wheel decals, while the Neon Red Edition has a red look, white-painted decals and red detailing.

In addition to the unique color scheme, all of them get visible carbon lower bodies, new logos on the outside, carbon-hybrid wheels and commemorative plaques. As usual, the Liverpool-based company will include the made-to-measure seat and steering wheel, as well as a one-off helmet with Bjork’s robot-inspired livery.

“When we first designed the Mono and drew inspiration from Bjork’s video (‘All is full of love’), we did so with a dream of sharing the experience with our close friends and having a lot of fun in the process – never could we have ever visualized our growth around the world and just how many remarkable garages Mono now finds itself part of”, said co-founder and design director Ian Briggs.

“It’s now time for a new generation BAC Mono and a new bid for world domination. See you in Geneva.”