HK’s ‘fast and furious’ that are a delight on racetracks
BAC Mono, ROC Edition, Huayra BC, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG GT S and Tesla Model S P100D are the ultimate weekend track toys
There are some very fast cars in Hong Kong. Few will reach their top speeds here, but most could delight on racetracks or fast-lane flits across the border.
The Briggs Automotive Co (BAC) Mono is a single-seater and one of the fastest, rarest cars in town. Made in Liverpool, the BAC Mono can be bought for £171,000 (HK$1.66 million), but before Hong Kong’s first registration tax, however. Built to race, the 3.953-metre Mono is probably the ultimate weekend track toy. It weighs just 589kg and has a 2.5-litre, 305-horsepower engine that can reach 100km/h in less than three seconds and top at 272km/h, and via an F-3-spec six-speed sequential gearbox. The interior is only 10cm off the ground but includes waterproof leather and suede, FIA-compliant safety restraints, a colour display system and a touch-sensitive starter button.
In November, Evo magazine reported the Mono outperformed McLaren’s P1, P1 GTR and 675LT; the Ferrari 458 Speciale; and Porsche’s 918 Spyder and 911 GT3 RS on a Welsh circuit. Hong Kong demand for the Mono has seemed high. The Liverpool Echo reported that eight of the Speke marque’s 12 cars were sold at the December 2015 opening of its Kowloon Bay showroom. BAC Hong Kong supplies Mono in Greater China, “and will continue to do so on 12- and 24-car deals until the end of 2018”, the marque says. BAC Taiwan opened in December with bases close to racing tracks in Taipei and Kaohsiung.
Watch out too for the Mexican supercar maker VUHL (for Vehicles of Ultra High-performance and Lightweight), whose nearest dealership to Hong Kong seems to be the Middle East. VUHL’s only made supercars since mid-2015, but its 05 ROC Edition impressed at last month’s Race Of Champions in Miami, where the marque also reportedly sold three cars. The 675kg carbon fibre and aluminium car has 5kg carbon fibre wheels and a two-litre Ford EcoBoost engine promising 100km/h in about 3.2 seconds. VUHL says it is stepping up production this quarter, and might be the collectible-racer marque to watch.
