![]() ![]() The goal was to take the 2.4 liter original version and make it more usable on the road with a near-flat torque curve that makes in-gear acceleration brutal, which one can be assured, is no easy feat. The powerplant is specially made for Ariel and features design influence from their top engineer, Steve Alford, so much so that it actually bears their name. And what an engine it is! Apart from how compact and ultra-lightweight it is, the Hartley-built 3.0 liter unit is also efficient and a masterpiece of engineering. On to the most exciting part of the new car – the engine. We wouldn’t recommend that you do 1000 miles at a time in them, but they are more than manageable over short distances. The bucket seats don’t look very inviting, but are actually quite cozy and surprisingly comfortable after you clamber your way inside. Behind the fancy display and gear shift paddles are switchgear that manage the adjustable traction and launch controls, wet or dry settings, and ferocity of the gearbox. This race-inspired addition can be utilized in different ways such as looking for that extra tenth-of-a-second round Silverstone or showing off to your mates how quickly you can get to 60mph – probably an attribute most would never use, but a neat feature nonetheless. The last feature is the slickest of the lot, allowing hardcore boffin-types to compare telemetry from your escapades. The LCD is more than just a read out for you to keep an eye on vitals like engine temperatures and pressures, revs, and current speed, but also features a gear indicator, integrated shift light, and complete data logging facilities. So let’s focus on the more serious stuff like the new LCD instrumentation that has a host of clever features. In the world of Ariel, things like doors, a windscreen, and roof are considered unnecessary – let alone creature comforts like air-conditioning and a stereo. Despite the fact that you can see through it, the chassis has high levels of occupant safety that do well to inspire confidence when conditions become challenging, which is more than we can say for the large fire extinguisher next to the driver! As you move over to give way, it becomes apparent that the buzzing beast next you is actual still quite compact before the large, adjustable rear wing and beautifully made exhaust blast past you in a frenzy of high-revving madness. Next up would be more anodized gold of the space frame chassis, flanked by two large cooling ducts on either side. ![]() If you happen to find one on your rear-view mirror, the first thing that strikes you is the familiar Ariel F1-inspired nose, with a carbon front splitter. ![]() Matching gold five-spoke wheels confirm that you’re looking at V8 and so does the new carbon fiber aero package. The Atom V8 is clearly set apart form its stable mates thanks to its powder coated gold tubular chassis – a characteristic reserved for this Limited Edition. As powerful, but three times heavier than this new Atom V8, anything in the Gallardo’s league, and in fact higher, would flounder against it on pretty much any given stretch of road or track. Something like a Gallardo Superleggera, which can be described in the same context as a WWE Superstar – all drama, flash and very capable - can still be considered slightly under talented in comparison to the Atom. Lean and mean because of its no frills, barely-there construction sophisticated because it’s clever and bare knuckled because it’s raw and uncensored. The Ariel Atom is sort of like a lean, mean, sophisticated bare knuckle boxer that has mastered all forms of martial arts. This new V8 version takes crazy to new heights thanks to minimal weight and 500HP – that may not sound like much, but when you consider that the car weighs as much as a postage stamp on a diet, things start to get very extreme indeed. The Atom is a refined vehicle that actually works on the road, allowing it to represent the best track day experience. No, your eyes are not deceiving you! Ariel have indeed gone completely bonkers and fitted a bespoke V8 engine to the already madly fast, and madly exciting Ariel Atom. ![]()
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