Ariel Atom 500
| Ariel Atom | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ariel Motor Company |
| Production | 2000-present |
| Designer | Niki Smart |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.0 L 245-bhp naturally aspirated or 310-bhp (350-bhp in 3.5R) supercharged Honda K20Z4 i-VTEC; 2.2 L or 2.4 L 205-300-bhp supercharged General Motors Ecotec; 3.0 L 500-bhp Ariel V8; 2.4 L 245- bhp naturally aspirated or 300bhp supercharged Honda i-VTEC; (US) 2.4 L 230-bhp naturally aspirated or 365-bhp turbocharged Honda K24Z7 i-VTEC. |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual 6-speed sequential manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3.41 m (11 ft 2 in) |
| Width | 1.798 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Height | 1.195 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,350 lb (612 kg) |
The Ariel Atom is a road legal high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Crewkerne, Somerset, England and under licence in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.
There have been seven Ariel Atom generations to date: Ariel Atom, Ariel Atom 2, Ariel Atom 3 (including the Ariel Atom 3 Mugen Limited Edition and Honda Racing Edition - of which only 1 was made) Ariel Atom 3.5, Ariel Atom 3S, Ariel Spec:Race Atom, and Ariel Atom 500 V8 Limited Edition (only 25 to be made). The current models are the Ariel Atom 3 (US), 3.5, the more powerful 3.5R, the 3S (US), the Spec:Race Atom (US), and the limited production Ariel Atom 500 V8 with a 500 bhp (373 kW; 507 PS) V8 engine.
The Ariel Atom features a prominently visible chassis (i.e., an exoskeleton, no roof or windows, a small optional windscreen) and a drag coefficient of 0.40.
Known then as the LSC (Lightweight Sports Car), it was developed at the university in 1996 with input and funding from various automotive industry members, including British Steel and TWR. Ariel Motor Company boss Simon Saunders was a senior lecturer whose responsibility for the project was primarily as financial manager and design critic for Smart, whom he described as "The best all-round design student I've ever seen." The car was first shown publicly at the British International Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham in October 1996.
The Atom suspension setup was tuned by the engineers at Lotus. Edmunds "Inside Line" noted that "anyone who has driven a selection of Lotus-tuned cars, such as the Lotus Elise, the Aston Martin Vanquish and the Opel Speedster, will notice a common feel or signature, and it's replicated in the Atom."
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