The appeal of a supercar has many forms. For some it is the way it looks, the outlandish exotic styling, over the top aerodynamic aids and the sleek lines forming a thing of beauty and desire. For others it is all about the thrill of the driving, the insane power delivery, raucous noise levels and the scary speeds possible in a straight line or through an inch perfectly handled series of bends. For most it is a concoction of all of these factors. A sense that the car you’re driving makes people yearn for it when they see it, gives you goose bumps when you hear the engine and turns you into an instant celebrity amongst petrol heads you pass in the street.
But what about those cars that go the extra mile? Sure there are supercars that can deliver all the luxury, styling and performance most people could ever need, but what if you want more. If the basic idea of the supercar is to deliver racing car thrills for the road, how can you get closer to the experience yet still drive something that you can still drive through town. That’s where track day cars enter the mix. A track day car is meant to be able to blast around a track one day and then drive through town or along a country road the next. Set a blistering time round the Nurburgring, but also be able to get you there and back in the process.
A track day car is no compromise and as extreme as it gets. There is usually no air conditioning, no cup holders, no carpets, no electric seats or even windows (that’s if it even has windows in the first place). Some go as far as no windscreen, no doors, no heater of any sort and possibly are missing any form of roof if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Yet most track day cars are limited of a true track day experience by one simple factor; the passenger seat. If you’re tearing round a track pretending to be the next Lewis Hamilton, Jenson button or Max Chilton, why would you want someone to sit next to you. It might be so that they are more usable for everyday use, but chances are you wouldn’t want to be a passenger in one of these cars anyway. Usually a track day car means hard suspension, rattling trim (if there is any to rattle) and a distinct lack of any creature comforts at all. Being a passenger in a track day car without the thrill of actually driving it is surely a torrid affair so they must dampen the experience for the keen driving enthusiast looking for that racing thrill.
There is one car though that throws caution to the wind in order to give you the maximum motorsport thrill; the BAC Mono. The Mono is a real thing of beauty. It looks like a cross between a fighter jet and a Formula One car from the future. The exposed suspension struts and minimal bodywork fused with aerodynamic wings, fins and ducts show that the car means business, and then there’s the biggest bonus if them all; it only has one seat. What you have here is the closest thing to a racing car for the road that money can buy and a treat for the driving purist out there, and you can forget being lumbered with a passenger.
The stunning carbon composite body is minimal yet functional, sculpted for airflow and downforce with no excess or compromised styling. The central driving position allows for not only perfect weight balance but it centralises everything about the car, from the central top mounted air intake to the single exhaust poking out the middle of the rear, just below the low drag carbon spoiler. There’s no styling for styling’s sake with the Mono, the front and rear lights are simple round non-fussy affairs, not integrated to the bodywork but mounted on their own appearing menacing from underneath the fairings. The whole front end gives a menacing ‘get out of my way’ look to a nervous rear view mirror viewpoint and with such incredible performance figures it wouldn’t be behind you for long. There are purposeful gaping holes in the styling everywhere you look to aid air flow through the body and around the car in order for the Mono to cut through the air as easy as possible whilst the aerodynamic engineering does its black magic around you. Achieving this level of beauty whilst creating a machine capable of ultimate performance is something that the current range of Formula 1 cars could take note from. The central driving position no doubt makes the handling as good as it can be, with perfect weight distribution and the ability to visually place the car wherever you like thanks to an equal viewpoint around the car. But it also means that the styling benefits no end too. The single seat open cockpit is what makes the car so balanced visually and it has been designed with seemingly no compromise for regulations or everyone’s favourite spoilsports; health and safety.
Whilst perfectly road legal, the Mono looks like it’d be more at home on an aircraft carrier or runway, especially when that minimal bodywork is specified in black. But the BAC falls in the same category as exotic Lamborghini’s when it comes to colour options; it looks fantastic in bright ‘look at me’ shades. Let’s face it everyone is going to be looking at you anyway when you pull up in one so why not give them a luminous colour of body panels to notice you even more. The flowing bodywork rising from front to back is coloured only to the top half, allowing for an air of mystery and intrigue to the black lower half somewhat concealing the inner workings and barely hidden running gear. It’s simple but it definitely works well. Exposed suspension struts are always a sign that a car means business and the Mono pulls off this trick without being too showy, giving onlookers a glimpse of the adjustable suspension and nothing more. Despite the bare minimalistic styling, the whole car looks more refined and useable than the comparable efforts from Aerial and KTM. Whilst a crash helmet would obviously be the headgear of choice when driving, the Mono looks more of a complete car than the other two and would at least allow drivers some degree of privacy rather than onlookers being able to check out your wardrobe choice for the day. Not that it affords any other creature comforts though. The interior is lined in necessary waterproof leather and waterproof suede as you’re definitely not going to stay dry if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Everything about the car gives a sense that this small Liverpool company means business, but not only that, they know what they’re talking about. From the way the whole car looks down to the smallest of details, everything has a purpose or has been custom made to improve the performance and handling of the car. If it’s not necessary or isn’t needed for this purpose, it’s left out entirely. It may not be the cheapest of road going track cars or the one with the most pedigree, but if you’re looking for the ultimate incarnation it’s staring you right in the face with its menacing eyes and angry expression. No other car can give you the thrill of single seat racing action for a quick blast round a track or a weekend drive on a quiet winding country lane, and then give you the same thrill whilst catching your reflection in a shop window in the centre of town. Better start saving now (donations are welcome).
HYPE Automotive 