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New sports car maker BAC has announced the 'Mono', a single-seat road racer weighing only 540kg

A fledgling British sports car maker has released official studio pics of its new lightweight, single-seat road racer designed to rival models from Ariel and Caterham.

The Briggs Automotive Company’s ‘Mono’ is powered by a Cosworth-sourced, 2.3-litre engine producing 280bhp at 7700rpm and 207lb ft of torque at 6000rpm. The power is transferred to the road through the rear wheels via an F3-spec six-speed sequential gearbox.

See official studio pics of the BAC Mono

Weight has been kept down to an impressive 540kg, giving the Mono a power-to-weight ratio of 520bhp per tonne. This translates to a 0-60mph sprint time of just 2.8sec and a top speed of 170mph, according to the firm.

For use on track or road, the car features fully adjustable pushrod suspension and 295mm ventilated brake discs.

Director Neill Briggs – former engineering manager of the Mk1 Ford Focus RS - told Autocar he is aiming to produce 50 units this year, and between 100 and 200 cars per year thereafter.

The Mono is currently available for the UK market only. Briggs said, “Export is on our radar. We’re working on selling to overseas markets, hopefully towards the end of 2012.” Emissions regulations overseas mean that revisions will need to be made to the current engine for it to be sold outside the UK.

Prices start from £66,625 plus local taxes - £79,950 here - and BAC says the car will offer buyers “an alternative purchase decision” compared with rivals. “We’ve already had Ariel Atom customers approach us about it and the interest has been huge,” said Briggs.

Alex Kersten

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