GOODWOOD - BAC will showcase an all new wheel being offered as an extra for the MONO, the weight saving is huge.

• BAC reveals all-new carbon-composite wheels, to be shown for the first time at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed
• The BAC team, led by BAC’s co-founder and Design Director Ian Briggs, designed the carbon-composite wheels in collaboration with British performance wheel manufacturer, Dymag
• As well as revolutionising the look of the BAC Mono, the new wheels bring weight and performance improvements
• The latest version of the Mono also comes with the new, wider chassis that adds as much as 56mm of interior space without changing the looks or external dimensions of the car

BAC has revealed a stunning upgrade to the looks of the Mono supercar, with a brand new set of hybrid carbon-composite wheels now available for new and existing cars. The new wheels will be shown in public for the first time at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The new wheels typify BAC’s innovative approach to new technology, and show how the ground-breaking company is able to take bold steps in collaboration with its suppliers and to take new developments to market.

BAC’s co-founder and Design Director Ian Briggs led the design of the wheel, which was created to perfectly complement and enhance the car’s looks. BAC put the performance very much at the forefront, as the design was led by the function of the wheel. As part of its quest to use British suppliers whenever possible, BAC has teamed up with elite performance wheel brand Dymag.

The innovative 17-inch wheels are an advanced carbon composite construction, and are made using the latest technology from Dymag. The rim, which features soft curved corners to aid strength, is made of carbon composite to lower the rotational weight of the wheel.

The spokes, where stiffness is a crucial requirement, are crafted from a solid billet of aluminium, while the wheel is secured to the car with five pairs of titanium bolts, adding further strength and lightness. With each wheel bolt weighing just 30.2g, this amounts to a 212.5g saving per wheel.

As well as adding to the dynamic and purposeful look of the Mono, the new wheels boost the car’s handling and performance due to being notably lighter than the standard wheels. The total weight saving on the front axle is 23.5%, where the 7.5-inch by 17-inch wheels weigh 5.7kg each. The 9-inch-wide rear wheels each weigh 6.0kg, despite being half an inch wider than the standard rims, amounting to an overall 22.9% reduction in weight on the axle.

On a wheel with fewer spokes, the rim has to be heavier in order to take the increased load between the spokes. By using five pairs of spokes, BAC has achieved the clean look of a five-spoke rim, but with the structural and weight saving benefits of a 10-spoke wheel.

Visually, the wheels evoke the spirit of high-end sports equipment, thanks to the large graphics on the rim, which give the wheel a strong, bespoke look. The design of the wheel means that the extent of options as part of the BAC Bespoke programme can be increased. As well as choosing to colour match the spokes with the body of the car, the customer will also be able to tailor the colour of the logo and the wheel’s finish.

The wheels cost £9950 when chosen as an optional upgrade on a new Mono. They can also be fitted to existing cars, and cost £12,500 for those that want to make the upgrade on their current car.

BAC co-founder and Design Director Ian Briggs said: “We wanted a lighter wheel and a wheel that’s visually complementary to Mono. By working with an innovative British company like Dymag, we were able to be bold and create something that is genuinely cutting edge.

“We also wanted the wheel to enhance and complement the Mono’s looks and, through the personalisation options, offer a further extension to BAC’s ‘One of a Kind’ design approach. As with the rest of the car, the wheel is inspired by the world of extreme sports, as the Mono is very much designed for the sport of driving.”

Neill Briggs, BAC co-founder and Director of Product Development, said: “This new hybrid wheel is a world first, and typifies the bold approach that BAC embraces, and shows how we are able to take a lead in developing and showcasing new technology.

“BAC’s agility, innovation and ability to work with the speed and flexibility akin to motor sport mean that it is perfectly placed to work with market-leading suppliers like Dymag to showcase new technology and bring it quickly to market. This then plays a key role in taking these developments to the wider market. These new wheels represent a genuine performance upgrade, further enhancing the car’s ride and handling, in a tangible way.”

Chris Shelley, CEO of Dymag, said: “We are very excited to be involved with a high spec niche supercar manufacturer such as BAC, as our first project using Dymag’s new design philosophy and manufacturing process.

“Working on an exclusive luxury supercar like the BAC Mono is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of our latest technology, offering improved handling, performance and ride on a vehicle that is designed to be equally at home on road and track.

“This is the first of a new generation of carbon wheels for Dymag and the first product to be developed with the National Composites Centre, Bristol, through the £7.1m Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) funding secured by Dymag to produce next generation durable, lightweight carbon composite automotive and motorcycle wheels.”

The new carbon wheels for the BAC Mono are available to order now for delivery in July 2016.

BAC at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2016

The latest version of the Mono that will be on display at Goodwood also comes with the new wider chassis that adds 56mm of space in the cockpit. The chassis adds more space inside but without altering the weight, external dimensions or looks of the Mono.

BAC will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed all weekend, and the Mono will be taking part in the newly created ‘Race Cars for the Road’ class, where it will be driven by BAC’s official test driver, Oliver Webb.