For anybody in search of the closest factor to a street-legal method race automotive that cash can purchase, the reply is the BAC Mono.

The one-seat roadster has been on sale since 2012, and is at the moment in its second technology. Jay Leno lately received acquainted with the automotive, and had firm co-founder Ian Briggs readily available to clarify the ins and outs.

BAC was based by brothers Ian and Neill Briggs in Liverpool, England, and the newest model of the their automotive is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-4 that generates a peak of 315 hp as commonplace and 343 hp in Mono R guise. The mid-mounted engine is mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission and spins the rear wheels solely.

Because of a curb weight of lower than 1,300 kilos, the comparatively low energy output nonetheless leads to a power-to-weight ratio higher than any hypercar on the street at the moment. Because of this, the Mono can lap many racetracks sooner than any hypercar, too.

Regardless of the acute nature of the automotive, the Briggs brothers and their crew have been ready homologate the design for street use. This was no straightforward job, as Ian Briggs explains to Leno within the video above. One of many largest challenges, he explains, was getting the automotive to satisfy pedestrian crash security necessities whereas maintaining its design intact.

Pricing for the Mono within the U.S. begins at about $300,000 for the usual mannequin, and $335,000 for the lighter, extra highly effective Mono R.

For homeowners who often observe their Monos and could be itching to strive their hand at racing, BAC plans to ascertain a one-make sequence across the Mono. The sequence will initially be held in West Asia, together with at lots of the Components 1 racetracks within the area, and an enlargement to different areas hasn’t been dominated out, ought to the sequence take off.

On the finish of the video, Leno takes the Mono R for a drive on California’s canyon roads and shares his driving impressions. Try of the video above for rather more on this street-legal method automotive.