Top Gear - Ariel Atom

[Blackjack]

Most folks may have already seen the Ariel Atom in action, I still just cannot imagine having a street legal machine like this, it would be way cool.

Jay Leno had an Ariel Atom custom built per his specifications; however, dropped a GM 4-cylinder power plant in instead of the Honda, he claims it is just as fast as the Honda motor...

Click Here!

 

[SpecOps13]

Wow Awesome, but it's a Cage.......

 

[dkw0417]

I don't care if that is a cage, I want one.

 

[98Redlne]

That thing is......barely.....a cage.

The V8 version they are working on should be insane. 500 hp in an under 1500lb vehicle.

I want......

 

[KJShover]

That thing is......barely.....a cage.

The V8 version they are working on should be insane. 500 hp in an under 1500lb vehicle.

I want......

I want one! I can't imagine 500hp in under 1500lbs. A friend on mine's Cobra is over 500hp in a package thats a nut hair over 1900lbs and its a real beast.

 

[RaWarrior]

All comes down to that power to weight ratio. Assuming a stock Vmax is around 110hp in 580lbs, or around 5.3 pounds per horsepower. A big ol' piggy by today's standards.

The Atom said 300hp in 500kg, which is about 1,100lbs. That gives it about 3.6 pounds per hp. No wonder it has such blistering acceleration on four wheels.

But the worlds fastest production bike...the Bimmer 1000RR, puts down 180hp and weighs in at 450 lbs, giving it only 2.5 pounds per HP

Of course if you get into top fuel and such it goes way into horsepower per pound, but for street-able vehicles an average joe could afford, the Atom is pretty damn cool.

Racing it against a 600 though? Top Gear has always been pretty biased against bikes for whatever reason.

 

[98Redlne]

It wouldn't have been as exciting if a modern liter bike like the S1000RR wiped up the Atom on the course.

 

[m-cman]

All comes down to that power to weight ratio. Assuming a stock Vmax is around 110hp in 580lbs, or around 5.3 pounds per horsepower. A big ol' piggy by today's standards.

The Atom said 300hp in 500kg, which is about 1,100lbs. That gives it about 3.6 pounds per hp. No wonder it has such blistering acceleration on four wheels.

But the worlds fastest production bike...the Bimmer 1000RR, puts down 180hp and weighs in at 450 lbs, giving it only 2.5 pounds per HP

Of course if you get into top fuel and such it goes way into horsepower per pound, but for street-able vehicles an average joe could afford, the Atom is pretty damn cool.

Racing it against a 600 though? Top Gear has always been pretty biased against bikes for whatever reason.

Plus they didn't get a bike racer to ride the bike.

When you add the weight of the rider to the BMW, it changes the power to weight ratio considerably though.

 

[Blackjack]

I feel one of the biggest advantages of the Atom is the ability to maneuver sharp corners at much higher speeds as well. A bike may be able to out acelerate it somewhat on take off or longer straight aways, only to lose this short gain double on each hard corner. Once that supercharger gets spooled up its AMF.

As the saying goes "It's like riding on rails".

Still pretty awesome for a CAGE!

 

[naughtyG]

My friend in the UK actually owned the Atom they used in the Top Gear show.

I went for a few rides in it. All I can say is un-fucking-believable. I've never been in anything that accelerates that hard. That was with two of us in it too, and no bike we ever passed could keep up.
You can drive it like any normal family car, but the second you put your foot down, the intake literally 'screams' and you're stuck in the seat, and the world goes 'warp speed'.

LOVED IT@!@!!

 

[ColoNat]

i'd say it's only half-a-cage, since you can climb straight up out the top ;]

looks like a blast to me... i'm all for going fast no matter how many wheels you're on!




side note... look, ma, 100th post :eusa_dance:

 

[specter]

Can you get them in the states?Cant afford one but it doesnt hurt to dream:eusa_dance:

 

[naughtyG]

I believe there's a distributor deal with TMI Autotech. And from what I remember, they are supposed to be working on a bike release in the near future..

http://jalopnik.com/5453003/ariel-slashes-entry+level-atom-3-price-to-49980

 

[RaWarrior]

Awww...only 220hp? What a slug. That puts it right about inline with a Vmax for power-to-weight, and we all know how slow those things are. :biglaugh:

Wonder what the top speed is? I'd imagine it's quite high, but having zero bodywork and not even a windscreen would make it an aerodynamic disaster(kind of like the vmax haha)