Elite Traveler July-August 2017

elite traveler JULY/AUG 2017 35

THE SUPERCAR: BAC MONO

“It is time for a global Britain” was a frequent rallying cry for leave campaigners during 2016’s European Union referendum in the UK, and one year on, the world is starting to see just what a ‘global Britain’ actually looks like. The UK’s vote to leave the EU has transformed every British diplomat, politician and CEO into a traveling salesman, peddling British wares to every part of the world. As a Brit myself, I welcome this heightened focus on British export; from Rolls-Royce engines to a pair of Purdey shoes, Brits have a long heritage in luxury craftsmanship. And currently there are few examples of British craftsmanship at its best more compelling than the BAC Mono supercar. Thanks partly to the two-time All-Star baseball player, CJ Wilson, who is a long-time car racer and has just reached a multi-level dealership agreement with BAC, the Liverpool-manufactured supercar has now arrived in the US. So what can you expect from this new export? Well, unlike most high-end cars, the BAC Mono has absolutely nothing to do with transport. With a single seat and no storage space, this car is not designed for a romantic weekend drive up the Pacific Coast. The BAC Mono is a pure, unadulterated, raw-driving supercar that is probably as close as most people are likely to ever get to driving a Formula- level car. As you would expect, it is extremely fast; it does 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds, and certainly looks and feels more like a track car than something you would expect to have on the road. When BAC founder, Ian Briggs, designed the car, he sought his inspiration “not from any other car, but from examining spaceships and superyachts,” and the Mono is the result of this vision. Weighing only 1,190lbs, the very low center of gravity provides extraordinary balance, which enables it to drive as effectively on a country lane as it does on a mountain pass. There is little practical point to owning the BAC Mono, but where’s the fun in always following logic? It’s a dirty little secret, which anyone with a desire for pure driving should experience. From $178,845, contact Mark Rayner, chief operating officer, mark.rayner@bac-mono.com, +1 415 932 9364, bac-mono.com

THE CLASSIC: BENTLEY BLOWER

refused to make his preferred supercharged option of car, so Birkin decided to do it himself. With the help of his friend and engineer, Amherst Villiers, they created the new car themselves against the wishes of WO Bentley, and Birkin’s Bentley Blower was born. Realizing the wide appeal of the stripped-down supercharged model, the car was brought into production by Bentley and 50 original Blower models were built. Many of these are still around and likely to set you back about $2.5m, but to connoisseurs of classic cars nothing else really comes close. From$2.5m, contact sales@stanleymann.com,

When Sir John Birkin was researching his film, Full Throttle , he returned to the site of his demolished grand family home, Ruddington Grange near Nottingham in England, to familiarize himself with the surroundings. On a stable wall that had survived the destruction, he found the words “every day, in every way, faster and faster.” They were written by his great-great uncle, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, a dashing pioneer of British motor racing and one of the infamous Bentley Boys of the 1920s. There is no doubt Birkin was obsessed with speed, and was determined to find a way to increase the pace of his 4.5-liter engine rather than opt for the heavier 6.5-liter engine that WO Bentley, the company founder, saw as the answer. Bentley

+44 192 385 2505 stanleymann.com

The annual GenevaMotor Show rarely fails to surprise its visitors with a collection of futuristic show cars, and this year was no different. Of all the cars displayed, perhaps themost eye-catching was the Airbus Pop.Up, a pod-like car that turns into a quad-copter flyingmachine at the click of a button. It looksmore like a prop from Independence Day than amotor vehicle, but flying cars are slowly becoming a reality. Traffic jams could soon be a thing of the past, as the fully autonomousmachine can take off and landwherever you ask it to. No doubt there will be significant airspace regulations to navigate first, but Airbus are saying they hope to have it in production within 10 years. We’ll believe it whenwe see it, but it is certainly something to look out for. airbusgroup.com THE FUTURE: AIRBUS POP.UP