This car will literally bend your face. It will also be the most fun per dollar you ever spend in your pre-retirement years. You need only watch the video after the jump to see that. With a weight-to-power ratio of 4.10 lbs to 1 hp, the Ariel Atom 2 accelerates 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds – making it faster than a McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo or Porsche Carrera GT and nearly as fast as the Bugatti Veryon. Even better, it only costs a fraction of those cars. We like.
You don’t need a track to drive the Ariel Atom 2. It’s a street legal sports car in kit form. Looking something more like a Formula One race car, it’s designed with performance, and only performance, in mind. The optional road pack includes turn signals, horn, rear tail lights and headlamps. We can hear the inevitable car enthusiast’s rants and raves: “ooo, you got turn signals.” Read on for more on the Atom 2.
More images, full specs and Top Gear video after the jump.
What this means to you: This is pure, raw, unadultered vehicle engineering at it’s finest. We want one in orange.
Top Speed: 140 mph, 225 km/h (155 mph, 249 km/h supercharged)
Power: 220 bhp (300 bhp supercharged)
Weight: 456 kg (1,005 lb)
Transmission: Honda six-speed with reverse
Price: £35,000
Manufacturer: Ariel Ltd
Length: 3.41 m
Width: 1.79 8m
Height: 1.195 m
Designer: Nik Smart
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Top Gear Video with Jeremy Clarkson
From Ariel Atom | Bremmo Motorsports LLC:
Chassis
The Exposed tubular chassis puts the engineering on display. Form following function and engineering dictating aesthetics. Influenced by race cars, motorcycles and aircraft, the Atom was designed around driver and mechanical components – form following function and engineering dictating aesthetics – design with a purpose. With development from the ground up by Simon Saunders Automotive Design together with major suppliers Bilstein, Eibach, British Steel, Delphi, plus input from the country’s leading engineers and journalists, the Ariel Atom has an absolutely unquestionable pedigree. Designed to the highest standard, including seat belt mounts, steering column safety, exhaust emissions and lighting.
Ariel were adamant that primary and secondary levels of safety were as high as possible. Heart of the Atom is the large diameter, but light weight, tubular steel chassis forming the main structural component of the car. Developed using sophisticated computer modeling and testing techniques the chassis offers more interior space, strength and protection than any other cars in its class. The unique safety levels, afforded by the high side rails and lack of doors, are complemented by integral front and rear rollover tubes giving a driver and passenger safety cell. Six point seat belt anchorages are designed to exceed FIA, SCCA, and NASA Approval standards.
The bare chassis is a work of art, the welding is immaculate. Hand built in-house, every chassis has a guarantee of expertise that can only come from experience and a pride in producing only the highest quality product. Made from large diameter ERW and CDS steel tube, entirely welded by hand using MIG and TIG welding, then powder coated, each Atom chassis is just the beginning of an immediately visible attention and care to detail design and quality. The chassis is a work of art in itself.
Wheels
Team Dynamics involvement with leading edge technology and race bred performance is leading to an ever increasing range of competition wheels covering many of today’s demanding applications.
In Rallying, our wheels have provided the durability and strength to help Jonny Milner win the British Rally Championship in 2002 and 2003. The 2004 season has seen a large uptake of these wheels in many classes all over Europe.
In Touring Cars they are used in the British, French and European Championships with PCD and Centre Lock applications, and we are the exclusive championship wheel supplier to the British Touring Car Championship for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons.
Developed for road track day and race performance applications, these wheels are designed to be the lightest cast wheels on the market today.
Dymag has been designing and manufacturing high performance car wheels & motorcycle wheel for over 30 years. Wheels made by Dymag are the product of proven engineering, racing experience and continuous striving for superior safety and performance.
Dymag’s client list encompasses most of the world’s top car and motorcycle race series including Formula One, GT and Touring Car, Grand Prix and Superbike and many more.
Body
All Atom body panels are non-structural, hand-laminated composite panels of either fiberglass (standard) or carbon fiber (upgrade). Using Formula One laminating techniques, the Atom’s composite panels are of world class quality and finish. These composite panels maintain the minimalist nature of the vehicle and provide a significant weight savings over conventional production body panels manufactured in steel or aluminum. For an even further weight savings (along with the aesthetic of the weave pattern!), customers have the option of upgrading to carbon fiber body panels. Weight reduction for a carbon body panel set is around 30% over the standard fiberglass panels.
