1400 HP atom=more crazy than an 80s F1 car.
I wouldn't call this a car. More like a fancy go-kart on steroids. Wouldn't want to be seen in one on the streets, it's a track car. Amazing performance though!
Price range? Was checking their website, and either they conveniently left it out, or I am not that tech savvy... All this thing needs is a set of 275s out back and around 600hp.
probably need bigger than 275s. there are cars two or three times the weight of an atom and with 600hp they still spin rediculous amounts
A good comparison, topped by a quote from Simon Saunders, the reviver of Ariel and the designer of the Atom:
Definitely one of my current favourite cars. Right up there with a CarreraGT. Completely nuts ... I love it!
the lotus 340r was a failure coz....it just wasnt very good. the ariel atom,however,is a brilliant progression on the theme that lotus started with the 7. also,did u know that the atom is the fastest car u can buy standard today? it was in the english papers in july....
I'm having fun choosing the options: Wilwood brakes, 2-way adjustable dampers, "assister" springs, a quick-release steering wheel with shift lights, cockpit brake bias adjuster, and so on. I can't wait; but unfortunately I'm going to have to. Delivery won't be for a good number of months.
What is your estimated delivery date? Did you go for the big Honda engine? I configured mine too (came out to about $56k). Gotta have the steering wheel with the shift lights, and the Indy-style wings!!! Also, I hear the stock brakes are worthless, you must upgrade them to the at least the sport brakes.
I love it and will buy one in a few years, but I would settle for a few more lbs. if they would put on a cool body like the Radical. That's right, I'm a poser.
Does the U.S model have any sort of windshield? If not do you wear a helmet? Hate to be hit in the face with a rock...
it should really be registered as a motorcycle...its a 4 wheel , recumbent motorcycle...that should easy all the crash testing and emmission requirements for the u.s.....btw, how much??? i would love one...it would be a blast on the back country twisty roads near where i live????
just lookin at their used section, ranges from $27,306 to $62,662 USD. the higher one had the supercharged motor out of the honda s2000 i think, 6spd, LSD, alcon front brakes, competition rear brakes, FIA harness.
Here are the only available windscreens. I think I'll be wearing a helmet for most high speed outings! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here in Ct. i believe you are not allowed to wear a helmet while driving a car. So is it classified as a M/C. Anyways looks like a blast!
Wow! Saw the video.... fastest car they have ever tested. Faster than a superbike around the track. Based on the photos and video, it looks as if it would be possible to design some cool looking thin fiberglass bodywork that you could put on it. Make it look something like a late 1950s Ferrari TR ? Terry
Yes a VERY fast car! It looks like a ton of fun too! It'd be tough to take the wife to dinner in though! BTW- In the video I watched, it was tested vs a Honda 600RR. That's a very nice, fast bike in the hands of a capable rider. I'd hardly call it a Super bike. I'd like to see it take on a FAST bike like a R1, CBR1000R, GSXR1000, or a MV Agusta F4! The story might be different................
Didn't it beat the 600RR by over 4 seconds? Clarkson was driving instead of the Stig. One of those heavier bikes wouldn't do much better.
Dave, Where did you get the idea that it's illegal to wear a helmet in a car in CT? I'm sure that there's nothing in the state code prohibiting the use of a helmet in an automoile. (Then again, CT has a lot of odd laws...) You can't register it as a motorcycle anywhere, simply because it has four wheels. (Three-wheelers, like the T-Rex, fall under motorcycle regulations.) Terry, you probably could disguise it in some sort of bodywork, but I think that takes something away from the spirit of the Atom. It's wonderful to see the driver, in F1 position, with his legs slightly elevated to meet the pedals, through the lack of bodywork. The ability to see the steering rack move (which is mounted on the inside of the cockpite) and to see the wheels hop up and down, along with the suspension bits, is one of the joys of the Ariel Atom. 348 Turbo, you have an excellent point. A 600cc bike is hardly a SuperBike. Especially when compared to a 2-liter, supercharged, 300 bhp contender. I would have like to have seen a bigger bike in the challenge. Still, the Atom is impressive against the Honda 600RR, which is not easy for any road car. Finally, the clip I posted earlier in this thread was recently re-edited for the American market and broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Did anyone else see it?
