It’s not many supercars that have their roots in a university student project. But that’s exactly where the Ariel Atom got its start. Designed by a student at Coventry University back in 1996, it was then showcased at the British International Motor Show in Birmingham that same year, where it proved an immediate hit.
Production finally got under way at the dawn of the new millennium in 2000. In both styling and engineering, the Atom is a supercar in the rawest form possible, offering favourable comparison with classic Lotus sports cars in keeping the design as simple as possible.
Weighing in at just 1349 lbs, this allows it to deliver an incredible, aerodynamic performance once out on the circuit track, as its 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder engine roars out with 300 bhp, accelerating from 0 - 60 mph in a scorching 2.8 seconds, with top speeds in excess of 155 mph achievable.
See 15 locations map See 7 locations map See 2 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 9 locations map See 4 locations map See 4 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 4 locations map See 15 locations map See 15 locations map See 4 locations mapThe Ariel Atom holds a distinctive record on the BBC’s long running motoring show Top Gear. In an episode of the sixteenth series in January 2011, an Atom 500 variant of the supercar clocked the fastest lap time around the show’s test track, of 1:15:1.
Another version of the Atom, the Ariel Atom 3.5R, was produced in 2014, and one of these was supplied to Avon and Somerset Police, to help support their motorcycle safety initiative in the Crewkerne locale where the Ariel Atom factory is based.
A thoroughly modern supercar in its rawest form possible, the Ariel Atom belies its kit car origins. It gives many equivalent turbocharged machines a run for their money, with a fine tuned 4 cylinder engine powering out 300 bhp and acceleration from 0 - 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. Take a look below to browse the full range of Ariel Atom driving experiences we have available to book at venues all over the UK with Driving Experience.
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