The BAC Mono gets dressed in graphene to be lighter and faster

These days, there is one word on the lips of every manufacturer seeking maximum performance from new models through weight reduction: carbon fibre. This material is extremely light and allows weight to be reduced without losing strength, making cars faster and more appealing. But just when this seems to be the panacea for sports cars, the time has come when other materials are being developed that are even more effective.

The BAC Mono, the fastest production single-seater on the market, has just announced that it will use graphene plates to build certain parts of its bodywork and will also be present in other elements of the car. In this way, it will reduce the weight of the single-seater even further, something that will boost its speed and performance even more.

BAC has signed a collaboration agreement with Haydale Composite Solutions, with which it will develop rear wheel arches made of graphene. In case you didn’t know, graphene is made up of sheets of carbon with a thickness of a single atom. This structure makes it lighter than carbon fibre, yet even more resistant. With this material, weight can be reduced by 20% using a material that proves to be far stronger and tougher than steel.

The company behind this spectacular model has chosen to begin testing with the rear wheel arches. From this point on, if its use proves viable, they will start developing other elements where they can use graphene. The size and complexity of the part make it suitable for this first experiment, and with the data obtained from this test, work can be done on other applications for this material.

By applying graphene to the manufacturing process, they will be able to reduce not only the weight of the car, but also manufacturing costs, while increasing the performance and speed of the single-seater. The British manufacturer recently showcased its car at the Goodwood hill climb this past June, achieving impressive times. It should be remembered that the current generation of this special sports car features a 2.5-litre engine that delivers a more than sufficient 305 CV, with which it goes from standstill to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds.

Fuente | BAC