Autoblog

First US-built BAC Mono headed to Cars & Coffee

Zach Bowman — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Specialty

Sector111 has announced it will unveil the first US-built BAC Mono at the upcoming Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California. The car was built from a knock-down kit, and Sectior111 says the company's allocation of 2012 Mono units has completely sold out. It's currently taking orders for 2013 models. As you may recall, the single-seat, street-legal racer tips the scales at a mere 1,190 pounds, and gets around your favorite track thanks to thrust from a 280-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine worked up by the minds at Cosworth. If that sounds like a party to you, best head to Irvine tomorrow for a look.

A little over a year ago, BAC announced it was partnering with Sector111 to bring its heathen machine to our shores, albeit in very low numbers. The company shipped just 12 knockdown kits to the states. Check out the brief press release below, and be sure to tell us if you get to see the machine in the flesh.

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First US-built BAC Mono headed to Cars & Coffee originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAC Mono slithers around in the wet with Chris Harris

Zach Bowman — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Videos

Chris Harris has gotten his hands on the BAC Mono on a closed track. With 280 horsepower and a curb weight of just 1,190 pounds, the machine may very well be the king of the open-wheel, street-legal hooligans.

With the track wet enough to boast plenty of standing water, Harris gets a notion for just how controllable the Mono can be. The rest of us get to soak up plenty of shots of him sticking the tail out four our enjoyment. With the machine's gorgeous carbon fiber body work, exposed piston suspension geometry and angry vertical projector lenses ensure it won't be missed on public roads, either.

Harris isn't one for hyperbole, which makes his comments on the vehicle's dynamics all the more interesting. He says the BAC Mono is the best car he's ever driven in the wet. It certainly looks that way. You can check out the full clip below to see his impressions for yourself. Just be warned: he audio quality takes a dip when he mics up under his helmet.

Continue reading BAC Mono slithers around in the wet with Chris Harris

BAC Mono slithers around in the wet with Chris Harris originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Molecule By Molecule: Examining Sector 111's Ariel Atom

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Specialty

We called the gloriously minimalist Ariel Atom "awesomeness that defies all classification." And that's just how we feel about the outside; Auto Shepherd stopped by Arizona distributor Sector 111 (which, incidentally, will also handle the outrageous BAC Mono) to pore over every detail under the Atom's skin, what little of it there is.

Then they took it to In-N-Out.

For an up-close look at Ariel's extreme open wheeler, check out the video after the jump.

Continue reading Molecule By Molecule: Examining Sector 111's Ariel Atom

Molecule By Molecule: Examining Sector 111's Ariel Atom originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 1M, Fisker Karma and BAC Mono are Top Gear stars' Car of the Year winners

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Sedan, Performance, BMW, Specialty, Fisker, Luxury

Top Gear magazine and Jeremy Clarkson have already let us in on their 2011 care of the year, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque taking the cake from both of them (although Clarkson made the distinction that the best car of 2011 was the BMW 535d M-Sport Touring). A few more TG stars have clocked in to make their assessments, with Hammond choosing the BMW 1 Series M, May selecting the Fisker Karma, The Stig pointing to the BAC Mono, and mag writer Tom Ford laying money on the Morgan 3Wheeler.

Hammond found the 1 Series M perfectly "boisterous," May was smitten with the Karma's future-forward-vegan ethose, namely the fact that it has no animal products, and The Stig's stenographer wrote that the F3-racer-cum-street-legal-maniac BAC Mono is, well, just that. As for the Morgan 3Wheeler, after recounting all the ways it misses the mark as a car, Ford gives those very reasons for it being an awesome experience. You can have a look at each in our high-res gallery of photos and click the links to read all the details.

BMW 1M, Fisker Karma and BAC Mono are Top Gear stars' Car of the Year winners originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAC Mono now available in U.S.

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Specialty, MISC, Racing

Remember the BAC Mono? The 1,190-pound, 280-horsepower, £79,950 single-seater from the UK was inspired by Bjork's "All is Full of Love" video, a car that Autocar scribe Steve Sutcliffe called "Fan-bleeding-tastic." The Mono has a U.S. importer now, that being Sector111, the folks in Temecula, California that address the aftermarket needs of Lotus Elise and Exige and Ariel Atom owners.

Previously, the company had said its entire run of 50 for 2012 was sold out, but they've managed to scrape up "less than 12" to offer the U.S. market next year. Pricing hasn't been announced, but a straight conversion of the UK price works out to $125,138. That's costly, but not out of the question for a roadgoing Elise-beater that can run like an F3 racer on the track and just happens to be The Stig's Car of 2011.

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BAC Mono now available in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAC Mono single-seat road car is "fan-bleeding-tastic"

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, UK, Specialty

Autocar's ex-racer scribe Steve Sutcliffe sat himself in the middle of the BAC Mono - which is the only place to sit, actually - and came away with a helmet full of glee. The £79,950 single-seater apparently drives just like an F3 car, an effect created in part by its 1,190-pound weight, 280-horsepower, four-cylinder Cosworth engine and its F3 suspension. Sutcliffe said it handles better than a Lotus Elise, which one might expect of a race car for the road, but that it also drives better, too.

Briggs Automotive Company is making 35 Monos this year, but they're all spoken for. Next year's run of 50 is also sold out. So while you wait for 2013 and a bunch of money to afford it, there's the video after the jump to keep you entertained. Another video you'll find there: Bjork's "All is Full of Love," which was said to have influenced the BAC Mono's design. That's what we call cool.

Continue reading BAC Mono single-seat road car is "fan-bleeding-tastic"

BAC Mono single-seat road car is "fan-bleeding-tastic" originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAC Mono gets real. Real awesome.

Zach Bowman — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Specialty

BAC Mono - Click above for high-res image gallery

Maybe we watched too much A-Team when we were kids, but we just love it when a plan comes together. That's especially true when the plan involves an open-cockpit, single-seat racer like the BAC Mono. Designed specifically to put hardware like the KTM X-Bow, Ariel Atom and the whole Caterham bunch in their proper places, the Mono features a carbon fiber skin draped over a space-frame steel cell. The bodywork is slick as can be, but it pales in comparison to the fact that this beast is powered by a 2.3-liter Cosworth four-pot with 280 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque.

Considering the Mono tips the scales at a feathery 1,190 pounds, that should be more than enough pep to widen your eyes. ~~The sad part? Briggs Automotive Company is only planning to hem 35 examples of the Mono.~~ Of course, with a price tag of £67,000 pounds, we'd have more than a little trouble getting our hands on one even if we knew which palms to grease. BAC has been so kind as to release full specs on the machine as well as a volley of photos of the production model.

Delicious.

Hit the jump for the full read.

UPDATE: Following a communication with BAC, we've stricken the reference to the 35-example limit on Mono production, as the automaker has pointed out that is not the case.

Gallery: BAC Mono

[Source: BAC]

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BAC Mono gets real. Real awesome. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAC Mono: Another Ariel Atom-fighting roadster in the UK

Jeff Glucker — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, UK, MISC

Sick and tired of getting pushed around by Ariel Atoms at your local track day? Briggs Automotive Company, who prefer the acronym BAC, are getting ready to produce the Mono. It's a carbon-fiber shell wrapped around a single-passenger steel cell.

The BAC Mono's 2.3-liter Cosworth four-cylinder engine makes 280-horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and it's mated to a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox. Those power figures put it right in line with all non-V8-equipped Atoms. However, the BAC Mono weighs in at just 1,190 pounds - 160 pounds less than the Atom.

BAC plans to build just 35 examples of the Mono, and the first 10 are already spoken for. You better start saving your cash if you're interested because the Mono will cost you £67,000, or about $108,000 USD, before tax.

[Source: Jalopnik]

BAC Mono: Another Ariel Atom-fighting roadster in the UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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