Bandit9 Motors has made a name for itself in the custom motorcycle world by creating some out-of-this-world, drop-dead gorgeous two-wheelers coveted by museums, collectors, and regular mortals alike. Today, though, we’re not here to talk about the Vietnam-based company’s futuristic motorcycles but its first foray into the world of racing cars.
Called Monaco, Bandit9’s new creation is an F1-worthy, ultra-sleek electric race car with an aerodynamic profile, carbon fiber monocoque, and the engine of a Tesla. It was built with speed and performance in mind to provide the joy of driving both on the racetrack and on the roadway.
Initially, Bandit9 wanted to build a car that would mirror the experience of riding a motorcycle, but got swept into the “Religion of racing” and its principles of power, speed, aerodynamism, and control and felt compelled to take another course with their design.
So Bandit9’s army of aerospace, robotics, mechatronics, and chemical engineers, as well as the team of international automotive designers, regrouped and continued their work with another aim in mind - that of “taking the torch of Racing forward” and creating the next generation of racing.
Photo: Bandit9 Motors
“Modern sports cars come with an array of features and technology. But the truth is they’re good at many things but master of none,” the company notes on its website. “With GPS, there’s no need to have a sense of direction; cruise control means you just need to steer, and now with autopilot: you’re barely driving; just call an Uber.”
In this regard, the Monaco race car is the company’s interpretation of the old-school meaning of racing while also envisioning the next generation of race cars. They have created what the Bandit9 team calls a “platform” - a carbon fiber monocoque that serves as a “blank canvas designed to support add-ons to suit your racing style” and features the company’s signature fluid-inspired bodywork on top.
The Monaco is outfitted with the same electric engine and LFP batteries that power the Tesla Model S. Said engine endows the single-seater with over 536 horsepower (543 ps) and 445 lb-ft (603.3 Nm)of torque. The race car is expected to do the 0-60 run in 2.7 secs and have a range of 250 miles (402 km) on a single charge. These impressive numbers make the Monaco faster and mightier than the average modern muscle car.
Photo: Bandit9 Motors
In the vein of Formula 1 cars, the Monaco’s electric engine and batteries are installed at the rear of the vehicle to better transfer all that power to the track. The weight of these components press the wheels into the ground, reducing the chances of wheel spin and allowing the car to reach forces of up to 2Gs when accelerating and up to 4Gs when turning or braking. All that free space in the front allowed the designers to make a highly aerodynamic nose that helps reduce air resistance, leading to higher speed and range.
By incorporating manual driving principles into the car’s design, the team wants to give back control to the driver. “The Monaco purifies the sports car and brings back the focus, the skill and the joy of driving. By distilling the Monaco, what’s left is a real race car driver behind the wheel of one of the fastest cars ever made,” they mention.
As it seems, this muscle car on steroids is just the beginning of Bandit9’s journey in the racing world, as the company says that, next year, they plan to attempt to set a world record with a highly modified version of the Monaco. No other details are provided, so we’ll have to wait and see what the future brings.
At the moment, Bandit9 are showing a starting price of 150,000USD/EUR for the Monaco on their page, but those add-ons they mention surely won’t come cheap.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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