BAC Mono

This is one of the closest vehicles to being a race car for the street, the BAC Mono. Many of you  viewing this post are probably unfamiliar with this insane track toy, so here's a little history: the BAC Mono was introduced in 2011 by Briggs Automotive Company, which is based in the United Kingdom. It is currently the only street-legal, one-seat performance car in existence. Early iterations were powered by a 2.3-liter Cosworth four-cylinder producing 285 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque, with a 2.8-second 0-62 mph time and a 170 mph top speed. Newer versions have a more powerful 2.5-liter Mountune four-cylinder producing 305 horsepower and 227 lb-ft of torque. However, the Mono 2.5 tacks on 88 pounds compared to the Mono 2.3. Although it may not seem all that powerful or contain a massive engine, the BAC Mono's 525 hp-per-tonne power-to-weight ratio is the main factor contributing to its blisteringly fast acceleration and lap times. Every unit is equipped with a six-speed sequential semi-automatic gearbox and consists of a carbon fiber body over a steel chassis. A typical BAC Mono sells for around $200k, which tends to be more than what its nearest competitors, such as the Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow, and Caterham Seven, generally sell for. That being said, the BAC Mono is absolutely crazy despite having no practicality whatsoever. As you can tell, it was created for thrill-seeking and not much else, and I am totally cool with that.

Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II

Before AMG became Mercedes-Benz's official in-house performance division, the three-pointed star offered the 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II as one of its first performance sedans. It is powered by a 2.5-liter four-banger with 232 horsepower. This high-performance 190E makes the sprint from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h), which were incredible figures for the early 1990s. A five-speed manual was the only gearbox offered with the 190E 2.5-16 Evo II. All 502 examples of the 190E 2.5-16 Evo II are painted in blue-black metallic. However, none of them were sold in the U.S. when they were new, but they can now be imported to the U.S. under the 25-year rule in place by the federal government. In summary, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II is a great, underrated super saloon that is more than a 1980s/early 1990s E-Class with a body kit. The example above, which I saw at the London Motor Museum last summer, would look better fitted with chrome, gray, or black wheels, but at least it is better at standing out from the rest of the pack with its red wheels than an untouched example would.