![]() Pretty much every part of the Atom 4 is new Ariel says only the clutch and brake pedals and the fuel filler cap have been carried over from the 3.5. It’s not an atom-smasher like CERN’s Large Hadron Collider – that headline opportunity is denied us – but there is more than enough connection between speed and lightness to justify taking the Atom there.īut first the long schlep east. We’re heading for the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, the UK’s biggest synchrotron – a 560-metre-long ‘beamline’ that can generate very intense beams of light up to 10 billion times brighter than the sun. My destination is one chosen to celebrate not only the Atom’s light weight and Britishness but also the innovation that has seen the company succeed where so many other sports car makers have failed. Autocar Awards 2020: Ariel Atom 4 named Britain's Best Driver's Car.Britain's Best Driver's Car 2020: And the winner is.Up and Atom: The Ariel innovators behind Britain's Best Driver's Car.Ariel Atom 4R boosts Honda powerplant to 400bhp. ![]() Those who do, though, get themselves a car that offers a unique driving experience, not to mention a perfect platform to develop one's skill. Plus, they're ridiculously expensive - $100,000 for a weekend car is more than most people can afford, driving enthusiasts or otherwise. So, there's a very good reason you don't see too many Ariel Atoms bombing it down the street: they're a pain to drive in traffic, and even out of it, they're not for everyone. You don't want to have to dodge projectiles flying at you while you drive the Atom: remember, jerk the steering wheel, and you can make friends with a ditch. That's why a helmet is highly advisable, even with the windshield installed. If that doesn't get you, then maybe one of the rocks thrown at you by the cars in front or even your own front tires will. And even if they do, its lightweight nature means it'll continue to be fidgety to the inexperienced driver. With a total weight of just over 1,400 lbs (635 kg), getting those tires up to temperature is nearly impossible. Fangs, actually, and it's all down to its notorious lack of traction. Presuming, of course, you keep on the steering wheel, which you should do considering the tiny Atom is very likely to try and kill you if you don't. The steering has a very quick ratio with a manual rack, meaning you get to feel everything those two front wheels come across through your hands. The six-speed manual transmission is actually a five-speed, according to Mark, since the first gear is way too short to be of any use, even when setting off. Strangely enough, the Atom is road-legal (in most places), though the only real benefit from that should be the ability to drive to and from the track on its own four wheels. Yes, you may not have realized it until now, but body panels are not actually a necessity.Īs a result, you get a visceral driving experience that's impossible to have with any other modern vehicle that has to bother with things such as comfort, safety, or regulation. The Atom is basically a car stripped down to its bare essentials. Watching the 20-minute plus video, you get the feeling Mark could talk about the car for at least 20 more minutes, and that's despite the relative simplicity of the entire build.
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