Crikey, how time flies. I remember the day in 1998 when the postman delivered that week’s issue of Autocar magazine and I was captivated by the announcement of what was the first exo-skeletal car, the Ariel Atom.
Those early ones were powered by a 1.8-litre Rover K-Series engine delivering 118bhp. I also still chuckle when my much missed mate, the late Peter Coxhead said, when asked what he thought of the Atom, “I’m still waiting to see one with a body on it,” he said.
Anyway, the Crewkerne-based manufacturer, still run by designer and founder, Simon Saunders, recently celebrated their 25th anniversary since production began in year 2000.
To help celebrate this momentous occasion they’ve launched an outrageous version of the Atom called the 4RR, which is the most variant yet, which has an uprated Honda VTEC engine delivering a hilarious 525bhp and the little matter of 406lb/ft of torque.
Hitherto the most powerful Atom has been the 4R, which itself is no slouch with 400bhp and a 0-62mph time of sub-3-seconds. Weighing it around the 680kg mark, it’s estimated that the 4RR, with its substantial power hike, could have a power-to-weight ratio of 770bhp per tonne. Ariel does sy however, that there will only be 25 examples of the special edition model produced.
With the Mk2 Atom marking the switch to Honda VTEC engine (as per Type R model) power rose to 225bhp, although when they added an optional supercharger that rose to 275bhp.
The Atom 3 saw power rise again, to 300bhp as standard and that generation marked the introcution of a new chassis, suspension and a revision to the car’s skimpy bodywork.
The Atom 4 now in Mk4 guise (although Ariel Motor doesn’t use that designation) has an entry-level model that produces 320bhp, moving to 350bhp and then the 4R and 4RR.
More information from 01460 78817 or via www.arielmotor.co.uk ENDS.