The Ariel Atom is a high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England and under license also by Brammo Motorsports in the US. It is unusual in respect that it is exoskeletal where the chassis is the body, and therefore lacks a roof, windows and other features commonly found on road cars. It is available with a range of engines; the top of the range being a supercharged Honda Civic Type-R K20 engine and a supercharged 2.0 liter 300hp 250 ft-lb GM Ecotec engine, both of which can reach speeds rivaling those of much more expensive automobiles.
But this isn’t that one. This is the Atom 2, the U.S. version of the Ariel Atom first produced in England by the Ariel Motor Company. Atom 2s is street-legal; track-day sports cars produced by Brammo, Inc. of Ashland, Oregon, an official Ariel Atom licensee. Though the difference between the two is flimsy, the changes are noteworthy.
The structural design remains the same Atom 2s are two inches wider to accommodate super-sized American frames. Other minor changes include a double-bubble windscreen and Koni, instead of Bilstein, dampers.
Under the hood, all top-spec Atoms comes with a supercharged 2.0 liter, inline-fours; we get the K20A from Honda Civic Type-R and the Eaton blown 300-horsepower Ecotec found in the Chevy Cobalt SS Supercharged in the US.
To start with, a switch to the right of the steering column brings the instrument panel to life. While the twin windscreens help direct air over occupant’s head, it can’t keep out grit and bugs.
At freeway speeds, a full-face helmet is recommended. An open framework of MIG-welded, large-diameter steel tubing gives stunning visions of the unequal-length A-arm suspension right from the driver’s seat.
What separate the rear from the road are only a few inches of air, few millimeters of carbon fiber, and a thin seat cushion. Steering is provided by an oddly fast, non-assisted rack-and-pinion that goes lock to lock in only 1.8 turns. The pedals are perfectly spaced and weighted for the rapid heel-toe down shifts.
Each of the Atom’s 300 horses carries only 4.9 pounds, so on the whip the reaction is immediate causing no chassis flex and no suspension squat. It does not have any electronic governor to call for clemency but just clear wheel-spin which gives 3.6 seconds to 60 mph and 12.3 seconds to the quarter.
The suspension has been optimized with two-way adjustable dampers absorb shock from the classic double-wishbone setup. With this, wheels pushed way out to the corners, and a dry weight of only 1400-odd pounds, the Atom sticks to the road tightly. The forward storage area inside is almost negligible.
The base models run a reasonable $52,000, but that doesn’t include the Stage 2 supercharger kit, comfy individual racing seats, or wicked Dzus-fastened carbon-fiber bodywork. At $88,600, Atom is exactly in 911 4S territory though it’s easily a second quicker.
However, the Atom is not that difficult to possess. They are legal in 44 states and counting including Draconian California. Some Atom distributor has revealed that the process is no more difficult than registering specialty cars like the Noble or Shelby Cobra.
The Ariel Atom is the hottest buzz around including fans like Jay Leno who already has an Atom and rumor has it that David Beckham is looking to buy one, too.
2007 Ariel Atom Picture Gallery
