Entry-level cars are generally to be avoided - but not when it comes to the Ariel Atom...
No other nation is as obsessed with weight saving as we Brits are. Lotus coined the ‘simplify, then add lightness’ mantra and has used it to great effect both on and off the racetrack, while Caterham has managed to keep the Seven formula going for over half a century and shows.
And they don’t come more exhilarating than the Ariel Atom. Hard to believe it’s been around for as long as it has because the Atom looks just as extreme and otherworldly as it did when the covers came off the prototype nearly 30 years ago.
When the production car arrived in 1999 it was powered by a Rover K-Series engine with 190hp, which was in charge of pushing along somewhere in the region of 550kg. From then on the Atom range has been powered by a series of Honda engines, aside from the utterly loony 500 that received a bespoke V8. The first Honda-powered car arrived in 2003, with the Atom 2 featuring the K20A engine from the EP3 Honda Civic Type R, while a bonkers supercharged version arrived shortly after with 300hp.
Meanwhile, the chassis hardware remained top drawer, only with some components scaled back to match the lower power output. The Alcon brakes dropped from four to two-piston callipers, while the inboard Bilstein dampers were non-adjustable and set up for a more road-focused ride. What resulted was an Atom that, according to those who drove it, felt just as thrilling as the full-fat version, only with some of the base car’s more brutal characteristics dialled back a bit.
However, this particularly 160 has some very tasty mods plucked from Ariel’s parts bin, including the bell cranks and adjustable Bilstein suspension from the Atom 3, all of which were fitted by the sports car maker itself. The car also comes with new Alcon brakes up front and a ‘competition’ setup at the rear, so it’s primed and ready for the summer months ahead. It's a wonderful looking thing too, and all the more tempting with a guide price of £19,000 - £20,000.
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