Get ready, America! Atom 4 is finally here!
The Ariel Atom came to life when Niki Smart designed the car as a project at Coventry University with Simon Saunders as his project guide. The first generation used a lightweight exoskeleton as the main chassis, with the whole car designed around it. At the time, the Rover K-Series was powered by a 190 hp naturally aspirated engine with a 6-speed manual and tipped the scales at just 500 kg, including petrol. This gave it a power/weight ratio of 380 hp/tonne that had never been seen in other cars on the market before.
All that to say that it immediately drew eyes from every corner of the globe when it was introduced to the public at the British International Motor Show held in Birmingham in 1996. The resounding success at the event later set the tone for the other generations to come.
Fast forward to the 2010s, and the 4th generation Atom carries a range of party pieces to enthuse the average customer. It borrows its powertrain from the already quick Civic Type-R and brings it up to eleven, nudging 324 hp and 420 Nm of Torque from the Honda K20C i-VTEC inline-four turbo engine. For those who need more ‘POWERRRR’ in their lives (Jeremy Clarkson’s reference ), Ariel offers a special Performance Pack that would storm the figure of 354 hp through the magic of ECU tuning. It also comes with a three-stage boost controller and a performance exhaust system added to the mix.
The other components that accompany the powertrain are what makes the Atom a hoot to drive. The Atom 4 underneath is a brand new car over the 3rd generation and maintains only the brake pedal, the clutch pedal, and the fuel cap. The chassis is an all-new tubular space steel frame that is 15 percent stiffer than the previous one. Suspension duties are handled by double unevenly sized wishbones, pushrod operated inboard dampers, adjustable outboard rod ends, aluminum bell cranks, and lightweight machined uprights, providing height, toe, and camber changes.
The standard version comes with Bilstein single adjustable dampers and two-piece Eibach springs, while those opting for greater feel and control can upgrade to the Bilstein MDS double adjustable dampers or the Ohlins TTX 3-way units, the race roller bellcranks, and the race-grade rod ends.
The 354-hp engine is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission and can be sent to the wheels with an optional Limited Slip Differential. Braking duties are covered by 290 mm AP Racing four-piston calipers offering superior stopping power.
All this power on board with a curb weight of just 594 kilos means that the Atom 4 will sprint to 100 km/h in only 2.8 seconds with a top speed of 162 mph.
The Atom 4 will be assembled at the Ariel facility in South Boston, Virginia, with prices starting from $74,750 for North American buyers.
The Atom is the nearest you can get on four-wheels to the ‘wind in your hair’ experience offered by superbikes.
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