Car Lust--Ariel Atom
If there is a lunatic fringe among cars, the Atom is at the lunatic fringe of that fringe. It is one of the very few cars that can make the Caterham Super Seven look like a safe, sedate, practical family car. The Atom is street-legal in most states as a kit car and can be driven (rather quickly) on public roads, but while most sports cars make weak pretenses at being suitable for everyday transportation, the Atom eschews with that pretense and goes right for the jugular.
We talk a lot here about the beauty and wonder of light weight, and how a lack of mass can help a performance car excel in every possible dynamic way--acceleration, braking, cornering, and fuel economy. Well, the Atom takes that concept to its ultimate extreme, with sublime results.
Little more than a motorcycle on four wheels, the Atom combines a supercharged GM Ecotec four-cylinder engine with a tiny, impossibly light chassis for true supercar performance. Only 1,000 pounds and a 300 horsepower gives the Atom a near-superbike power-to-weight ratio. 0-60 takes less than 3 seconds. That's faster or as fast as any supercar available. Porsche 959? Slower. Ferrari F40 or F50? Slower. Corvette Z06? Slower. Any Lamborghini? Slower. Any Ferrari with the possible exception of the Enzo? Slower. And that's just in a straight line.
The Ariel really thrives when the road--or, let's be real, the track--decides to get funky. With a ridiculously low center of gravity, a wide track, and virtually no mass, the Ariel responds as quickly as your impulses can fire. Around Top Gear's test track, the relatively inexpensive Ariel thumped virtually every bloated, heavy supercar ever made--all for a fraction of the price and none of the ego.
You can even carry a passenger--great for those first dates if your date is the type of person who prefers roller coasters to fine French dining. It also wouldn't be a great idea to take a quick drive in the Atom after fine French dining.
One of the reasons I find the Atom so compelling is that I've daydreamed about a car like this for this last 15 years. Once I came into contact with my Acura Integra's brilliant 1.8-liter VTEC engine, I set myself to thinking about how to get that sweet engine into a minimalist chassis with no extra frippery adding weight. Of course, I did absolutely nothing to make that vision a reality, but I'm happy to see somebody competent was thinking along the same lines. In fact, the European version even uses a Honda VTEC engine.
Light, efficient, and relatively cheap, the Ariel is the Carl Lewis to the swaggering, musclebound Mike Tysons of the mega-performance world. Just don't try to pick up the kids or get groceries in it.
I don't typically embed Top Gear videos--I don't want to piggyback off their absolutely fantastic content--but I had to include this one. It's a great tribute to the Atom, but the real highlight is watching Jeremy Clarkson's face morph as if he's in a bad 1970s sci-fi movie.
--Chris H.
mochi mochi on April 25, 2008 at 11:13 AM
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!!!
SilentStorm on April 25, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Wow!
I think I just found the solution to my eventual mid-life crisis!
Big Chris on April 25, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Ever been to a sprint car race? It is only slightly more mass (1200lbs), lots more horsepower (800+ HP), with a huge wing on top and front for downward force to better apply the power to the track (and usually dirt underneath!). Full tubular chassis, aluminum block and titanium lots of other places, huge fuel injectors and methanol to fuel it (there goes the gas mileage!). 17:1 compression. Short wheel base. Of course not street legal. See World of Outlaws - http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint/
But thanks to this post, I have now found my mid-life crisis car.
Big Chris
Chris Hafner on April 25, 2008 at 01:03 PM
Big Chris: "Ever been to a sprint car race?"
Oh, oh, yes. I grew up picking dirt out of my teeth and brushing it out of my hair after at Black Hills Speedway. I've got a Doug Wolfgang die-cast car floating around here somewhere. To this day, I love World of Outlaws just as much as I love Formula 1 or any other racing series.
I realize as a racing purist I should love the un-winged USAC Silver Crown cars more, but there's just something about World of Outlaws that is completely evil and wonderfully fantastic.
I've always thought driving a sprint car would be like removing the canopy of an F-15 and flying it at full speed inside the Kingdome.
Rob the SVX guy on April 25, 2008 at 01:33 PM
I hate sprint cars.
Back story. I was about 6 or 7, and I went to my first (and last) sprint car race. I was all excited. I had some snacks from the refreshment area, and was sitting on top of the small bleachers near the track. The race started, and it was exciting watching them slide all over and haul ass. Then, as one car slide around a corner, I saw something leave the rear tire. It grew bigger and bigger and bigger, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, behind the bleachers, with soda and snacks spilled all over me, and a huge welt on my forehead. It was a ball of clay like mud the size of a golfball.
I've never gone back.
Big Chris on April 25, 2008 at 02:03 PM
dirt in your beer is part of the fun of Sprint Car races!
Big Chris
mochi mochi on April 25, 2008 at 03:02 PM
better to get hit by a ball of dirt than a flying engine block.
mochi mochi on April 25, 2008 at 03:36 PM
"My epiglottis is full of bees" - I love this...
How many times does anyone get the chance to say that on tv?
Other great quotes from the video:
"I am an alien!"
"There's so much wildlife in my hair you could film an episode of 'Badger Watch'"
Great video. They clearly enjoyed the ride. My question is what's it like to wash that car. And how is it in the snow and rain :)
matt on April 26, 2008 at 05:05 PM
how much and where? I gotta get me one a dese!
matt on April 26, 2008 at 05:07 PM
how much and where? I gotta get me one a dese!
Don Meaker on April 26, 2008 at 06:49 PM
Does it come with a diesel?
-=DrNikFromNYC=- on April 26, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Women did not invent this, but I know lots of women who would indeed enjoy a ride in one. Few things are better than sex. One of the reasons our crazy narrator of this video is so excited is the power/price ratio is actually within the grasp of true land rocket enthusiasts.
Anthony Cagle on April 27, 2008 at 10:28 AM
This thing would probably kick its ass:
http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/tomahawk.html
Rob the SVX guy on April 27, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Probably not. That's a show vehicle, not something meant to actually perform.
Matt Borcherding on April 27, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Not to put down the Atom here. It's amazing.
The unofficial Super Seven Top Gear track time was 117.4 seconds. (See the video embedded in the Car Lust page for the Super Seven linked at the top of this blog post.)
I don't know why Top Gear hasn't done a track time with the Super Seven. They featured it in one of their fun but goofy contests. (The hosts had to assemble a Super Seven before the Stig could drive his Super Seven from London to their location.)
The track time in the above video for the Atom was 119.5 seconds.
So, unofficially at least, the Super Seven is faster around the Top Gear track.
Top gear power lap track times here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Laps#Power_Laps
On the other hand, the Super Seven driver is probably very experienced with his car. The Stig had probably spent an hour or so with the Atom.
Let's see a factory test driver from each company face off!!!
- Matt
David Drucker on April 28, 2008 at 07:45 AM
Wonderful, as well it should be given a U.S. selling price in the neighborhood of $75K. I'd guess that it would be possible to build a car with 85 percent of the performance -- which would still be pretty scary -- for 25 percent of the price. Right now, the Atom is a rich man's toy. At 20 grand it would appeal to the same sort of people who, 40 years ago, bought dune buggies.
sirkavalot on April 30, 2008 at 10:40 PM
In fact the Dodge tomahawk would absolutely smoke the Atom. The Tomahawk is a real vehicle and will go an estimated 400plus MPH.They don't know for sure because who wants to go that fast on that machine?These are two different concepts and should not be compared to each other. This car should be compared to the Lotis Elise. Anyway , just a thought
sirkavalot on April 30, 2008 at 10:41 PM
In fact the Dodge tomahawk would absolutely smoke the Atom. The Tomahawk is a real vehicle and will go an estimated 400plus MPH.They don't know for sure because who wants to go that fast on that machine?These are two different concepts and should not be compared to each other. This car should be compared to the Lotis Elise. Anyway , just a thought
Rob the SVX guy on May 01, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Uh... no. It would not. It's a concept vehicle, built to look cool. Does it have an insane power to weight ratio? Sure. But that thing will not handle. At all. Ever seen a video of the tomahawk driving? There is a reason for that. Please quit posting stupidity. Thanks!
PS: You sound like you are 13.