Ariel: Atom News
02-29-2008, 01:07 PM
#81
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Philadelphia Burbs
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That is what you call engineering!!! If i was rich i would honestly purchase this and a GTR without a doubt!! It just looks like a ball to drive...
I would also keep my TSX and mod the HELL out of it since its been my first brand new car!
Gibson - Sure looks that way to me
I would also keep my TSX and mod the HELL out of it since its been my first brand new car!
Gibson - Sure looks that way to me
02-29-2008, 01:18 PM
#82
has Gloryhole Girls in
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Age: 48
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Originally Posted by SuperTrooper169
How's it undriveable? I thought it was an amazing handling car and smoking fast. 
My buddy has one and it is tough to drive at 7/10's of its capabaility at limerock with the 300hp version.
02-29-2008, 01:24 PM
#83
Senior Moderator
Ill take it. The regular ones are a blast. This must be soo much more
05-29-2009, 01:36 AM
#84
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
500hp V8 Version Announced...
From Motor Authority...
http://www.motorauthority.com/500hp-...announced.html
Hot on the heels of the news of the 500hp (373kW) Caterham Seven RS, rival British sports car manufacturer Ariel has revealed plans for its own V8-powered superlight roadster based on the existing Atom platform. The exposed tubular frame road-legal racer is already a track-day favorite, but the addition of the new V8 engine, which is also rated at 500hp (373kW), brings the power-to-weight ratio of the roadster to nearly double that of the Bugatti Veyron. With a final kerb weight of approximately 500kg, the new Ariel Atom 500 measures in with a power-to-weight ratio of around 1,000hp/tonne.
The similarities to the rival Caterham project are immense. Also developed in conjunction with RS Developments, the Atom is powered by a Russell Savory-designed supercharged V8 engine displacing 3.0L and delivering its peak power at an incredible 10,000rpm. The all-alloy motor features four-valve cylinders and a dry sump oil system, and when matched with its Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox weighs in at just under 100kg.
Blurring the line between race-inspired and race-worthy even further, the Sadev gearbox is flatshift capable, meaning the driver doesn't even need to lift the throttle to shift up as the computer and gearbox takes care of all the work with the flap of a paddle. Launch and traction control are also standard. Initial testing of prototypes has shown the car is capable of 0-60mph sprints in less than 2.5 seconds.
Ensuring the lucky few who eventually get their hands on one of these creations don't have to cut short their day at the track because of fading or inadequate brakes, Alcon four-pot calipers grace all four corners behind Dymag wheels.
Production will be limited to just 25 units and if you’re interested you had better be quick as half of these are already accounted for.
The similarities to the rival Caterham project are immense. Also developed in conjunction with RS Developments, the Atom is powered by a Russell Savory-designed supercharged V8 engine displacing 3.0L and delivering its peak power at an incredible 10,000rpm. The all-alloy motor features four-valve cylinders and a dry sump oil system, and when matched with its Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox weighs in at just under 100kg.
Blurring the line between race-inspired and race-worthy even further, the Sadev gearbox is flatshift capable, meaning the driver doesn't even need to lift the throttle to shift up as the computer and gearbox takes care of all the work with the flap of a paddle. Launch and traction control are also standard. Initial testing of prototypes has shown the car is capable of 0-60mph sprints in less than 2.5 seconds.
Ensuring the lucky few who eventually get their hands on one of these creations don't have to cut short their day at the track because of fading or inadequate brakes, Alcon four-pot calipers grace all four corners behind Dymag wheels.
Production will be limited to just 25 units and if you’re interested you had better be quick as half of these are already accounted for.
05-29-2009, 01:05 PM
#85
I'm the Firestarter
Didn't the old Atom already get 0-60 under 3 seconds?
How is this different than post 62 from February of last year?
05-29-2009, 03:31 PM
#88
Senior Moderator
Ill take mine in all black please
05-29-2009, 06:42 PM
#89
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
1000HP/tonne, folks. Read 'em and weep. 
05-29-2009, 06:52 PM
#90
Engineer
05-31-2009, 11:22 AM
#93
Senior Moderator
09-08-2010, 04:32 AM
#95
You don't mind about rain?? buy an Atom!
autocar
Ariel is gunning for Bugatti's Veyron hypercar with its long-awaited 500bhp V8-engined version of its minimalist Atom 3.
The new machine, unveiled this week after a two-year-long development process, has a power-to-weight ratio of 909bhp per tonne - more than 50 per cent better than that of Bugatti's creation, and even slightly ahead of a GP2 single-seater racing car.
The Atom V8 goes on sale early next year, priced at £150,000. Only 25 will be made.
Prototypes are still undergoing final testing, but it's already been proven that the V8 Atom can accelerate from 0-60mph in under 2.5sec and from 0-100mph in well under 6.0sec.
Ariel's targets are 2.3sec and 5.4sec respectively
, eclipsing the class-leading Veyron. The Atom V8 uses a US-built, 3.0-litre, 32-valve Hartley V8 engine, originally developed from two Suzuki motorcycle engines grafted together, but much developed since.
It will be available in a choice of two power outputs: a relatively docile 475bhp version intended for easy road use and a 500bhp race version with a much more aggressive throttle map, aimed mostly at track use. The 475bhp Atom has a top speed of 170mph, while the race version can reach 200mph.
In both cases the V8 is redlined at 16,500rpm
and use the same six-speed sequential Sadev gearbox. Capable of flat-shifting, the gearbox also has electro-pneumatic paddle-shifters to soften‚ gearchanges and make them tolerable for road use.
Ariel's Tom Siebert, who has done much of the Atom V8 development driving, says the car can cope "perfectly well" on the road, and even through city traffic.
The Atom V8, recognisable for its gold chassis and wheels, a new, all-enveloping carbon engine cover and twin side pods to contain ancillaries like oil radiator and air compressor, uses a near-standard Atom tubular chassis with extra bracing around the engine bay. Every car will have a full set of Ariel's aerodynamic wings in carbonfibre, optional on lesser models.
The V8's double-wishbone suspension is similar in geometry to the existing models but the suspension arms are made in aerofoil-section chrome-molybdenum tubing. The dampers are special, Dutch-made, ultra-adjustable Intrax units with remote reservoirs, and the car also trials a new quick-change system that allows owners to change spring rates.
The brakes are twin-pot Alcons front and rear, with different grooves and other mods to provide more initial bite. The tyres are soft-compound, X-rated Toyos: 205/50 R15s in front and 245/45 R16s behind.
The seats and driving position are standard, but there is a more comprehensive Race Technology instrument pack that is configurable and has a built-in data logger. Atom designer Simon Saunders says he‚s proud of the new V8's class-busting performance.
"I believe it‚s the role of little firms like ours to go where the big companies can't or won't," he told Autocar. "It's almost our duty."
Ariel is gunning for Bugatti's Veyron hypercar with its long-awaited 500bhp V8-engined version of its minimalist Atom 3.
The new machine, unveiled this week after a two-year-long development process, has a power-to-weight ratio of 909bhp per tonne - more than 50 per cent better than that of Bugatti's creation, and even slightly ahead of a GP2 single-seater racing car.
The Atom V8 goes on sale early next year, priced at £150,000. Only 25 will be made.
Prototypes are still undergoing final testing, but it's already been proven that the V8 Atom can accelerate from 0-60mph in under 2.5sec and from 0-100mph in well under 6.0sec.
Ariel's targets are 2.3sec and 5.4sec respectively
, eclipsing the class-leading Veyron. The Atom V8 uses a US-built, 3.0-litre, 32-valve Hartley V8 engine, originally developed from two Suzuki motorcycle engines grafted together, but much developed since.It will be available in a choice of two power outputs: a relatively docile 475bhp version intended for easy road use and a 500bhp race version with a much more aggressive throttle map, aimed mostly at track use. The 475bhp Atom has a top speed of 170mph, while the race version can reach 200mph.
In both cases the V8 is redlined at 16,500rpm
and use the same six-speed sequential Sadev gearbox. Capable of flat-shifting, the gearbox also has electro-pneumatic paddle-shifters to soften‚ gearchanges and make them tolerable for road use.Ariel's Tom Siebert, who has done much of the Atom V8 development driving, says the car can cope "perfectly well" on the road, and even through city traffic.
The Atom V8, recognisable for its gold chassis and wheels, a new, all-enveloping carbon engine cover and twin side pods to contain ancillaries like oil radiator and air compressor, uses a near-standard Atom tubular chassis with extra bracing around the engine bay. Every car will have a full set of Ariel's aerodynamic wings in carbonfibre, optional on lesser models.
The V8's double-wishbone suspension is similar in geometry to the existing models but the suspension arms are made in aerofoil-section chrome-molybdenum tubing. The dampers are special, Dutch-made, ultra-adjustable Intrax units with remote reservoirs, and the car also trials a new quick-change system that allows owners to change spring rates.
The brakes are twin-pot Alcons front and rear, with different grooves and other mods to provide more initial bite. The tyres are soft-compound, X-rated Toyos: 205/50 R15s in front and 245/45 R16s behind.
The seats and driving position are standard, but there is a more comprehensive Race Technology instrument pack that is configurable and has a built-in data logger. Atom designer Simon Saunders says he‚s proud of the new V8's class-busting performance.
"I believe it‚s the role of little firms like ours to go where the big companies can't or won't," he told Autocar. "It's almost our duty."
09-08-2010, 07:38 AM
#97
Now that shit is HOT. two Hayabusa engines joined to make a V8? 
It's probably so fast that if you dropped the hammer and pissed yourself, your pee wouldn't even come out because you're accelerating so damn fast
It's probably so fast that if you dropped the hammer and pissed yourself, your pee wouldn't even come out because you're accelerating so damn fast
09-08-2010, 09:29 AM
#100
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
If this thing went any faster, we'd go back in time.
09-08-2010, 01:09 PM
#102
Senior Moderator
I would love to get some track time with that thing.
09-08-2010, 01:19 PM
#103
The sizzle in the Steak
09-08-2010, 01:22 PM
#104
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
09-09-2010, 12:07 PM
#108
I'm the Firestarter
Why would they even offer a street version of this car? They're only making 25, what are the odds that the buyer will want the slower version.
09-09-2010, 05:43 PM
#109
Senior Moderator
I would be happy with the slower version...
09-10-2010, 01:07 AM
#110
Autocar test drive
Ariel Atom V8 First Drive
Test date Thursday, September 09, 2010 Price as tested £150,000
http://cdn.media.autocar.co.uk//Car/...218234x155.jpg
We tested the Atom V8 at Millbrook's hill course, which is similar to a British B-road
What is it?
It’s the fastest road car I’ve ever driven. Come to think of it, it’s pretty much the fastest-accelerating production car anybody’s ever driven.
It’s the Ariel Atom V8 which, in place of a Honda-sourced VTEC engine at its back gets, as its name suggests, a V8 motor; of 3.0-litres. The engine started life a few years ago in the States with Suzuki bike internals but has been developed to the extent that it now wears Ariel branding.
It develops, oh you know, just the 475bhp in road trim, as tested here (500bhp in racing form). Even this trim has a good 175bhp more than the supercharged Atom – which I already thought was about as fast as you’d want one of these cars to go.
The Atom V8’s kerbweight is 550kg, so all done it makes 864bhp per tonne. For the record, an F3 car has about half that; a typical superbike will make over 700; a GP2 car will sneak over 900.
And a Bugatti Veyron? Previously the fastest-accelerating road car I’d driven, it has a mere 525 or so.
You’ll notice some serious aerodynamic addenda on the Atom V8, and carbon sidepods, one which houses the oil cooler, the other the air reservoir for the pneumatic gearshift. Yep, a pneumatically operated gearbox as you’d usually find on a Super 2000 rally car; it’s said to push upshifts through, clutchless, in somewhere between 20 and 50 milliseconds.
So the Atom is going to be terrifying, right? Not according to the blokes at Ariel, who say they’ve made it perfectly driveable. We’ll see.
What’s it like?
Absurd, of course; but, quite seriously, the V8 is as tame and docile as Ariel claims – should you want it to be.
It idles a touch lumpily, but throttle response is manageable. The low speed ride was also a touch grumbly on our test version but the engine pulls cleanly at all revs. You do this for a while – at least, I did – because you want to get used to it; you want to feel comfortable before you unleash the full 800-plus bhp per tonne.
You need the clutch to pull away but, thereafter, so long as you’ve got around 10 per cent of throttle applied, you can leave the left pedal alone and pull through a super-fast, super-smooth upshift via the diddy, carbonfibre paddles behind the gearlever.
And when you do give the Atom V8 the beans? Really, there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s a cliché to say a car is ‘superbike fast’ – even for very quick road cars like a Murciélago or the Atom 300. Bikes weigh so little they’ll also have an acceleration advantage. Except here; the Atom is a car that will show even a proper bike its tailpipes, not just in braking or cornering, but in straight-line acceleration, too.
Ariel hopes the Atom V8 will reach 0-60mph in comfortably under 2.5sec and 100mph in 5.4; and I believe it. First gear runs to over 60mph and upshifts are just stupendously fast – there’s no noticeable let-up in torque to the wheels; you’d swear it was a twin-clutch gearbox if you didn’t know better. The noise (it has a flat-plane crank) is electrifying, too. Gearing has recently been changed to make the top speed 170mph, at which point the V8 will run on its limiter.
I drove the Atom V8 on Millbrook’s hill course, which is a superb closed circuit and pretty representative of a British B-road.
We haven’t had the chance to throw the Atom V8 down a very long straight yet, but we will. By gum, we will.
Even around the hill route, though, the Atom puts down a whole new set of parameters of what I thought a road car could do. You can only use full throttle for the odd burst – a few seconds here, half a second there, but it flings itself out of corners at a pace I didn’t think was imaginable.
Traction is very strong. At the moment it’s set up to understeer until the front tyres are warmed through – and on a skippy road surface, stopping frequently for pictures and video, the fronts never get truly hot. The rears do, because with every run to 10,500rpm (where it makes peak power) they’re converting 475bhp into forward motion.
Suspension geometry is largely unchanged from the Atom 300 (though you’ll note aerofoil-section wishbones). Springs and dampers are multi-stage and multi-way adjustable; firmer here than on the 300. Ariel says the 300 is a road car that’s good on a track. The V8 is a track-biased car that’s pretty handy on the road.
Around the hill route, then, it’s agile, nimble, with lovely unassisted steering and a limit that’s governed predominantly by the front end and the fact that the suspension is a little firm for bumpier Tarmac. On an extended run on a track you could warm through the front tyres and exploit the adjustability.
As it is now, you run to where the front grip runs out, then get back on the power to straighten the line; and get blown away, yet again, by the performance.
The good thing, though – the really great thing – is that after a few minutes the performance of the Atom V8 starts to become approachable.
To say you get used to it isn’t quite right – every burst of full-throttle acceleration is an absolute sensory buzz – but you learn to appreciate that it’s there. You just think yourself 500m down the road; as soon as one corner is done, you’re on to the next one. The intimidation disappears. It’s not nearly as scary as you might think it’s going to be.
Should I buy one?
Yes. Yes, absolutely by crikey yes. There will only be 25 of them, 21 as I write are sold and, yes, I know, £150,000 is a lot of money for a car with no windows, but there might never be anything else quite like the Atom V8. And Ariels do hold their value very well.
Ariel wanted to bring this car to market at £100,000, but that it has ended up 50 per cent more expensive is not because it’s being greedy. The finish is exquisite; and the cost of development and the parts must be frightening. The gearbox alone (without the shift mechanism) costs the best part of £15,000.
But the real reason those remaining four deserve to be snapped up immediately is not because they’re rare or beautifully finished. It’s because the driving experience is utterly, utterly addictive. As I write, I gave the keys back just three hours ago, but I’d walk the length of the country for another drive of one.
I was worried the V8 would be an Ariel too far – too fast, to firebreathing, too monstrous and borderline un-driveable. Whisper it, but Ariel thought it might be too; a car just to keep the lunatics satisfied. But it isn’t; the Ariel blokes don’t know how to make a bad car. The V8 is brilliant to its core.
As soon as the opportunity arises, we’ll put the Atom V8 through a full Autocar road test. Expect fireworks.
Matt Prior
Ariel Atom V8
Price: £150,000; Top speed; 170mph; 0-60mph: 2.3sec (est); 0-100mph: 5.4sec (est); Kerb weight: 550kg; Engine: V8, 3000cc, petrol; Power: 475bhp at 10,600 rpm; Torque: 268lb ft at 7750rpm; Gearbox: 6-spd sequential manual
Test date Thursday, September 09, 2010 Price as tested £150,000
http://cdn.media.autocar.co.uk//Car/...218234x155.jpg
We tested the Atom V8 at Millbrook's hill course, which is similar to a British B-road
What is it?
It’s the fastest road car I’ve ever driven. Come to think of it, it’s pretty much the fastest-accelerating production car anybody’s ever driven.
It’s the Ariel Atom V8 which, in place of a Honda-sourced VTEC engine at its back gets, as its name suggests, a V8 motor; of 3.0-litres. The engine started life a few years ago in the States with Suzuki bike internals but has been developed to the extent that it now wears Ariel branding.
It develops, oh you know, just the 475bhp in road trim, as tested here (500bhp in racing form). Even this trim has a good 175bhp more than the supercharged Atom – which I already thought was about as fast as you’d want one of these cars to go.
The Atom V8’s kerbweight is 550kg, so all done it makes 864bhp per tonne. For the record, an F3 car has about half that; a typical superbike will make over 700; a GP2 car will sneak over 900.
And a Bugatti Veyron? Previously the fastest-accelerating road car I’d driven, it has a mere 525 or so.
You’ll notice some serious aerodynamic addenda on the Atom V8, and carbon sidepods, one which houses the oil cooler, the other the air reservoir for the pneumatic gearshift. Yep, a pneumatically operated gearbox as you’d usually find on a Super 2000 rally car; it’s said to push upshifts through, clutchless, in somewhere between 20 and 50 milliseconds.
So the Atom is going to be terrifying, right? Not according to the blokes at Ariel, who say they’ve made it perfectly driveable. We’ll see.
What’s it like?
Absurd, of course; but, quite seriously, the V8 is as tame and docile as Ariel claims – should you want it to be.
It idles a touch lumpily, but throttle response is manageable. The low speed ride was also a touch grumbly on our test version but the engine pulls cleanly at all revs. You do this for a while – at least, I did – because you want to get used to it; you want to feel comfortable before you unleash the full 800-plus bhp per tonne.
You need the clutch to pull away but, thereafter, so long as you’ve got around 10 per cent of throttle applied, you can leave the left pedal alone and pull through a super-fast, super-smooth upshift via the diddy, carbonfibre paddles behind the gearlever.
And when you do give the Atom V8 the beans? Really, there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s a cliché to say a car is ‘superbike fast’ – even for very quick road cars like a Murciélago or the Atom 300. Bikes weigh so little they’ll also have an acceleration advantage. Except here; the Atom is a car that will show even a proper bike its tailpipes, not just in braking or cornering, but in straight-line acceleration, too.
Ariel hopes the Atom V8 will reach 0-60mph in comfortably under 2.5sec and 100mph in 5.4; and I believe it. First gear runs to over 60mph and upshifts are just stupendously fast – there’s no noticeable let-up in torque to the wheels; you’d swear it was a twin-clutch gearbox if you didn’t know better. The noise (it has a flat-plane crank) is electrifying, too. Gearing has recently been changed to make the top speed 170mph, at which point the V8 will run on its limiter.
I drove the Atom V8 on Millbrook’s hill course, which is a superb closed circuit and pretty representative of a British B-road.
We haven’t had the chance to throw the Atom V8 down a very long straight yet, but we will. By gum, we will.
Even around the hill route, though, the Atom puts down a whole new set of parameters of what I thought a road car could do. You can only use full throttle for the odd burst – a few seconds here, half a second there, but it flings itself out of corners at a pace I didn’t think was imaginable.
Traction is very strong. At the moment it’s set up to understeer until the front tyres are warmed through – and on a skippy road surface, stopping frequently for pictures and video, the fronts never get truly hot. The rears do, because with every run to 10,500rpm (where it makes peak power) they’re converting 475bhp into forward motion.
Suspension geometry is largely unchanged from the Atom 300 (though you’ll note aerofoil-section wishbones). Springs and dampers are multi-stage and multi-way adjustable; firmer here than on the 300. Ariel says the 300 is a road car that’s good on a track. The V8 is a track-biased car that’s pretty handy on the road.
Around the hill route, then, it’s agile, nimble, with lovely unassisted steering and a limit that’s governed predominantly by the front end and the fact that the suspension is a little firm for bumpier Tarmac. On an extended run on a track you could warm through the front tyres and exploit the adjustability.
As it is now, you run to where the front grip runs out, then get back on the power to straighten the line; and get blown away, yet again, by the performance.
The good thing, though – the really great thing – is that after a few minutes the performance of the Atom V8 starts to become approachable.
To say you get used to it isn’t quite right – every burst of full-throttle acceleration is an absolute sensory buzz – but you learn to appreciate that it’s there. You just think yourself 500m down the road; as soon as one corner is done, you’re on to the next one. The intimidation disappears. It’s not nearly as scary as you might think it’s going to be.
Should I buy one?
Yes. Yes, absolutely by crikey yes. There will only be 25 of them, 21 as I write are sold and, yes, I know, £150,000 is a lot of money for a car with no windows, but there might never be anything else quite like the Atom V8. And Ariels do hold their value very well.
Ariel wanted to bring this car to market at £100,000, but that it has ended up 50 per cent more expensive is not because it’s being greedy. The finish is exquisite; and the cost of development and the parts must be frightening. The gearbox alone (without the shift mechanism) costs the best part of £15,000.
But the real reason those remaining four deserve to be snapped up immediately is not because they’re rare or beautifully finished. It’s because the driving experience is utterly, utterly addictive. As I write, I gave the keys back just three hours ago, but I’d walk the length of the country for another drive of one.
I was worried the V8 would be an Ariel too far – too fast, to firebreathing, too monstrous and borderline un-driveable. Whisper it, but Ariel thought it might be too; a car just to keep the lunatics satisfied. But it isn’t; the Ariel blokes don’t know how to make a bad car. The V8 is brilliant to its core.
As soon as the opportunity arises, we’ll put the Atom V8 through a full Autocar road test. Expect fireworks.
Matt Prior
Ariel Atom V8
Price: £150,000; Top speed; 170mph; 0-60mph: 2.3sec (est); 0-100mph: 5.4sec (est); Kerb weight: 550kg; Engine: V8, 3000cc, petrol; Power: 475bhp at 10,600 rpm; Torque: 268lb ft at 7750rpm; Gearbox: 6-spd sequential manual
09-10-2010, 01:23 AM
#111
Senior Moderator
pure insanity!
09-11-2010, 03:58 PM
#113
Whats up with RDX owners?
iTrader: (9)
Jeremy Clarkson approves.
09-11-2010, 08:52 PM
#114
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
^
I can't imagine driving that car. Pure insanity.
I can't imagine driving that car. Pure insanity.
01-19-2011, 04:34 PM
#115
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
2011 Ariel Atom Mugen
01-19-2011, 04:36 PM
#116
Senior Moderator
holy crap that is SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
01-19-2011, 04:37 PM
#117
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
Press release...
First photos and specification of the new Ariel Atom Mugen are released today with the car being unveiled at the British Autosport Show 2011.
History
A collaboration between Ariel and Mugen, the latest version of the original ‘no screen, no roof, no doors’ Atom celebrates 10 years of production and 1000 Atoms manufactured. Made in a Limited Edition of just 10 cars for each of the 10 years, each signed and numbered, the Atom Mugen has a special livery of red chassis, white bodywork and red graphics showing the number of the car to reflect the unique union of Ariel, Mugen and Honda. Featuring a tuned Mugen Honda engine and a high level specification, plus the opportunity to further option the car, this latest Atom gives further choice to the driver looking for the ultimate, normally aspirated trackday car.
Mugen (meaning unlimited in Japanese) engines have famously powered hundreds of race and championship winners, including Formula 1, since 1973 when Hirotoshi Honda, son of Soichiro Honda, founded the company. Basing their work almost exclusively around Honda powerplants, Mugen was an obvious partner for Ariel who have used the Honda Type R engine in the Atom for over 7 years. Working closely together on the project Ariel and Mugen found many similarities in their approach to the project, resulting in a hand built engine in a truly handbuilt car.
Engine
Heart of the Atom Mugen is the Honda K20Z Type R engine, which is tuned by Mugen to produce 270bhp at 8600rpm in normally aspirated form. Each Atom Mugen engine is stripped, measured and fully blueprinted at Mugen Europe’s Northampton headquarters. The engines are reassembled with high performance, higher compression pistons, high lift camshafts and new valve springs. A longer freeflow inlet manifold is fitted with a bigger diameter throttle body together with race grade spark plugs. The engine also features a full baffled sump and is finished with a carbon fibre Mugen cover.
After assembly each engine is tested on the Mugen dynamometer and carefully run in prior to full power test. After 7 days of work on every engine they are bore scoped and inspected prior to sign off. A lightened balanced flywheel is fitted together with a limited slip differential to the close ratio Honda 6 speed gearbox prior to installation in the Atom.
Specification
Specification of the car includes many Ariel options as standard as well as additional parts unique to the Atom Mugen. High performance Alcon 4 pot lightweight callipers, finished in red, and ventilated discs are fitted front and rear. The 4 way adjustable damper/spring package is a modified version of that found on the Atom V8 with remote reservoir lightweight aluminium dampers which have two compression adjustments and one rebound adjustment with 2 piece dual rate springs fitted with rate adjusters. This coupled with the standard adjustable Atom wishbones, gives the owner very high adjustability for track or road. Each Atom can therefore be set up exactly for each owner and their use with the ability to carry out further adjustment to suit particular driving preferences or styles.
Yokohama AO48 trackday tyres are standard specification, fitted to lightweight, white Ariel magnesium wheels.
In front of the driver is a new LCD flat screen display housed in a carbon fibre instrument panel. The multi function display is programmable with the ability for the driver to scroll through displays via menu buttons and also shows 3 colour gearshift lights and standard warning lights. A master alert warns if any function goes outside programmed perameters for quick and easy reference on track.
Additional data information, such as lap times and logging, can be viewed through the display to bring another element to the serious track day driver. 3” FIA full harnesses with crutch straps are fitted for both driver and passenger as standard with options of further competition parts for racing.
Performance
Performance of the Atom Mugen gives 0-60mph (100kph) in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 150mph, with torque increased to 255Nm @ 6,000 rpm.
Every engine is built by one Mugen technician and every Atom is built by Ariel technician, with both signing off the engine and car only when they are satisfied, reflected in a numbered build plate on each car. The particular and special skills available in producing racing and low volume cars are demonstrated in the Atom Mugen in a way that wouldn’t be possible to large volume manufacturers. Said Simon Saunders of Ariel, “The advantages of being small are obvious in this latest Atom. It’s a handbuilt car, tailored to suit individual customers who we know and like as friends and who are passionate about their cars and driving. The ability for Mugen to handbuild a performance engine, coupled with the legendary Honda reliability, takes this one stage further.”
The formula of Ariel + Honda + Mugen has resulted in a very special car that takes the trackday car to another level.
History
A collaboration between Ariel and Mugen, the latest version of the original ‘no screen, no roof, no doors’ Atom celebrates 10 years of production and 1000 Atoms manufactured. Made in a Limited Edition of just 10 cars for each of the 10 years, each signed and numbered, the Atom Mugen has a special livery of red chassis, white bodywork and red graphics showing the number of the car to reflect the unique union of Ariel, Mugen and Honda. Featuring a tuned Mugen Honda engine and a high level specification, plus the opportunity to further option the car, this latest Atom gives further choice to the driver looking for the ultimate, normally aspirated trackday car.
Mugen (meaning unlimited in Japanese) engines have famously powered hundreds of race and championship winners, including Formula 1, since 1973 when Hirotoshi Honda, son of Soichiro Honda, founded the company. Basing their work almost exclusively around Honda powerplants, Mugen was an obvious partner for Ariel who have used the Honda Type R engine in the Atom for over 7 years. Working closely together on the project Ariel and Mugen found many similarities in their approach to the project, resulting in a hand built engine in a truly handbuilt car.
Engine
Heart of the Atom Mugen is the Honda K20Z Type R engine, which is tuned by Mugen to produce 270bhp at 8600rpm in normally aspirated form. Each Atom Mugen engine is stripped, measured and fully blueprinted at Mugen Europe’s Northampton headquarters. The engines are reassembled with high performance, higher compression pistons, high lift camshafts and new valve springs. A longer freeflow inlet manifold is fitted with a bigger diameter throttle body together with race grade spark plugs. The engine also features a full baffled sump and is finished with a carbon fibre Mugen cover.
After assembly each engine is tested on the Mugen dynamometer and carefully run in prior to full power test. After 7 days of work on every engine they are bore scoped and inspected prior to sign off. A lightened balanced flywheel is fitted together with a limited slip differential to the close ratio Honda 6 speed gearbox prior to installation in the Atom.
Specification
Specification of the car includes many Ariel options as standard as well as additional parts unique to the Atom Mugen. High performance Alcon 4 pot lightweight callipers, finished in red, and ventilated discs are fitted front and rear. The 4 way adjustable damper/spring package is a modified version of that found on the Atom V8 with remote reservoir lightweight aluminium dampers which have two compression adjustments and one rebound adjustment with 2 piece dual rate springs fitted with rate adjusters. This coupled with the standard adjustable Atom wishbones, gives the owner very high adjustability for track or road. Each Atom can therefore be set up exactly for each owner and their use with the ability to carry out further adjustment to suit particular driving preferences or styles.
Yokohama AO48 trackday tyres are standard specification, fitted to lightweight, white Ariel magnesium wheels.
In front of the driver is a new LCD flat screen display housed in a carbon fibre instrument panel. The multi function display is programmable with the ability for the driver to scroll through displays via menu buttons and also shows 3 colour gearshift lights and standard warning lights. A master alert warns if any function goes outside programmed perameters for quick and easy reference on track.
Additional data information, such as lap times and logging, can be viewed through the display to bring another element to the serious track day driver. 3” FIA full harnesses with crutch straps are fitted for both driver and passenger as standard with options of further competition parts for racing.
Performance
Performance of the Atom Mugen gives 0-60mph (100kph) in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 150mph, with torque increased to 255Nm @ 6,000 rpm.
Every engine is built by one Mugen technician and every Atom is built by Ariel technician, with both signing off the engine and car only when they are satisfied, reflected in a numbered build plate on each car. The particular and special skills available in producing racing and low volume cars are demonstrated in the Atom Mugen in a way that wouldn’t be possible to large volume manufacturers. Said Simon Saunders of Ariel, “The advantages of being small are obvious in this latest Atom. It’s a handbuilt car, tailored to suit individual customers who we know and like as friends and who are passionate about their cars and driving. The ability for Mugen to handbuild a performance engine, coupled with the legendary Honda reliability, takes this one stage further.”
The formula of Ariel + Honda + Mugen has resulted in a very special car that takes the trackday car to another level.
01-19-2011, 04:44 PM
#118
The sizzle in the Steak
bummer....a step down from the V8. meh.
01-19-2011, 04:45 PM
#119
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
I'd rock the Mugen version. 
