Cosworth

The BAC Mono, a brand new high performance sports car developed and manufactured in the UK, is the latest in a prestigious list of vehicles to use a Cosworth engine.

Unveiled at the 2011 RETRO CLASSICS show in Stuttgart, Germany where it attracted plenty of admiring gazes, the Mono, (short for "monoposto" meaning single-seat), is fitted with a 280 bhp Cosworth engine,longitudinally mounted and coupled to a six-speed sequential gearbox. In addition to looking every inch a supercar with its carbon-fibre composite body work, the car is capable of some impressive performance metrics (see table on the right).

The 2.3L Duratec at the heart of the Mono is part of Cosworth's range of crate engines - so called because the fully assembled engine is delivered to the customer in a crate ready to bolt into their vehicle. Built in Northampton by the same team that build our Formula One units, the Duratec range employs a specialist set of Cosworth components that are assembled within the OEM engine block. The end product is straightforward for the customer to install in their vehicle and is particularly cost effective making it ideal for niche sports car programmes like the Mono. However the real attraction in the Cosworth Duratec
range for manufacturers such as BAC is the power and performance available which enable vehicles to deliver a genuine supercar experience.

The Cosworth designed and manufactured components in the Duratec crate engine enable this level of supercar performance, turning a standard OEM powerplant into something special. Key items in the bill of materials include the lightweight, forged pistons and rods which enable the engine to rev high speed (over 7200rpm) for extended periods of time. Also important are the F1 style barrel throttle system, machined on our Northampton manufacturing floor, and the dry sump that provides consistent oil pressure during high speed cornering where significant changes in g-force can be endured.

The BAC Mono made an appearance at the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed in the summer of 2011 where it made its track debut in the Supercar Run piloted by F1 and sportscar favourite Johnny Herbert, and has since made several more public outings including the Top Gear Live shows in Birmingham and London.

More information on the BAC Mono can be found at www.bac-mono.com.