BAC Mono R
Evo UK|October 2022
The Mono was already one of the fastest road cars we've ever driven on track. Now it's just got faster still with the 90 per cent new, limited-edition R
STEVE SUTCLIFFE
BAC Mono R

THE BAC MONO IS AN EXQUISITE T creation, designed by the Briggs brothers, lan and Neill from Liverpool, purely for the purpose of maximum driver engagement. This makes it a car many of us at Evo are rather fond of, not least because of what it can do but also because of what it stands for.

To our knowledge, it's still the only single-seat road car that's ever been made in regular production numbers, i.e. not by some nutcase who's managed to road legalise a Formula 3000 car as a one-off. As a result, and despite it being over a decade old now, the Mono is still arguably the most focused road car money can buy.

It's also very, very quick. In simple terms it's the fastest car we've ever timed around Anglesey Circuit - by over two seconds - our own Dickie Meaden setting a somewhat surreal time of 1:07.7 in the 2.5-liter version in 2016 (see issue 229 or visit youtube.com/evo). The next fastest road car we've timed around the coastal circuit is the near 1000 horsepower, four-wheel drive, hybrid-propelled Ferrari SF90 Assetto Fiorano, which clocked a 1:10.0 lap just recently.

Not even a McLaren P1 GTR on slicks has got within a second of the Mono's time, so in road car terms it really is the king of the hill when it comes to pure track speed. You'd need nothing less than a Formula 3 car to beat it around a circuit like Anglesey. And now BAC has made a new version- the Mono R - which, according to its chief designer lan Briggs, is 'over 90 per cent new' in its thinking and construction and is lighter, more powerful, and even quicker than its predecessor.

This story is from the October 2022 edition of Evo UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 2022 edition of Evo UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EVO UKView All
RENAULT SPORT MÉGANE R26 R
Evo UK

RENAULT SPORT MÉGANE R26 R

It's possibly the greatest hot hatch ever made, but it took true dedication and extreme measures to create it. This is the story of how the Mégane R26.R came to be

time-read
9 mins  |
July 2024
THE ART OF THE ESTATE
Evo UK

THE ART OF THE ESTATE

Fast estates have always been cool, but today they can take many forms. We pitch Peugeot's updated hybrid 508 PSE against Skoda's more conventional but equally compelling Octavia vRS

time-read
6 mins  |
July 2024
HYBRID WORKING
Evo UK

HYBRID WORKING

Bentley's new Continental GT will be its most powerful and most advanced road car to date. A drive of a pre-production example provides our first taste of its new V8 hybrid powertrain

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
THE LONG GOODBYE
Evo UK

THE LONG GOODBYE

After powering Bentleys for more than 20 years, the magnificent W12 engine has finally ceased production. We go for a farewell drive in the model where it all began - and look forward to the new Crewe generation

time-read
9 mins  |
July 2024
A DESIGN FOR LIFE
Evo UK

A DESIGN FOR LIFE

As a star of the very first issue of evo, Audi's design icon is a car entwined with this magazine's history. But now it's no more. We drive an early Mk1 quattro alongside a late Mk3 RS to find out if it enters retirement with grace

time-read
9 mins  |
July 2024
BACK ON TRACK?
Evo UK

BACK ON TRACK?

After the slightly under-achieving M4 CSL, could the new M4 CS be the sweet-spot in the M3/M4 range?

time-read
9 mins  |
July 2024
FAMILY AFFAIR
Evo UK

FAMILY AFFAIR

Thirty years ago, the McLaren F1 set new benchmarks with its speed and purity; now Gordon Murray's latest supercar, the GMA T.50, promises to do the same. We drive them back to back

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Aston Martin DBX707
Evo UK

Aston Martin DBX707

Much-needed interior overhaul, plus other mid-life updates, ready the DBX for its second act

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
Radical SR1 XXR
Evo UK

Radical SR1 XXR

Radical's entry-level racing car has been re-released in enhanced XXR guise. We find out just how good it is in the most revealing way - by racing it

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
VW Golf R
Evo UK

VW Golf R

The Mk8 Golf R has never really wowed us. But can the Mk8.5 change all that? A drive in a prototype version provides some clues

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024