2006 Ariel Atom Review

Specifications

Like No Other Car

Looking at an Ariel Atom 2, one thing becomes abundantly clear. If you enjoy the climate controlled confines of a Porsche, Aston Martin or Lamborghini, the Atom isnt the car for you. The Atom 2 is a beautiful piece of engineering art that hides a beast that seems to be invisible under the see-through tubular framed exo-skeleton. In a word, the Atom is a devastatingly fast car, with every attribute designed for pure performance. None the less, the most powerful part of the car is the experience of driving one.

Be warned, if you meet someone who owns an Atom, best to keep at a distance and not be lured into action, where your car will likely be embarrassed. As a racer, each time I test a new performance car I think to myself, “This car would be so much better if the electronics, power gadgets, luxury items and safety equipment were stripped out.” It was due time that a maker like Ariel, executed the very concept.

The biggest variable that determines a cars performance is its power to weight ratio, with everything else added to create a great sports car. Today, even the smallest of low production car manufacturers are trying to please a mass market, building cars that go beyond performance. Sports cars are built heavier for prestige and comfort, requiring larger engines and therefore a trade off; a lack of pure driving pleasure.

Unlike the performance cars in its price range, the Ariel Atoms appearance is more like an unfinished work of art than a car. It is simplistic in every way, bringing transportation back down to the basics… performance basics that is. Its a race car confined by no rule book, yet follows the minimal requirements to make it street legal, depending on the local transportation regulations.

The one rule with the Atom 2 is; if it doesnt make it go faster it doesnt need to be part of the car, and what you get is a car thats single most purpose is to go faster than anything else. Nothing comes close to the cars performance, engineering and fun to drive characteristic; it can quickly become an addiction. The more you drive it, the harder it is to get out.

When riding in an Atom 2, be prepared for a face to face battle against the elements. Without goggles, sight is impossible beyond 55 mph. Eye protection is also necessary to protect against small debris, rain and bugs, as without a windshield everything approaches at a dangerous velocity. Owners need be indifferent to swallowing a few bugs. An element more commonly associated with motorbikes, Atom drivers will experience the open air more so than sport convertibles. I would even go as far to say it could be better than a bike, simply because its faster on a twisty track and without a helmet you really do get the wind in your hair.

While rounding a tight corner lined with trees, it suddenly dawned on me that the only thing between me and the scenery were two steel tubes with reinforcement connections. A sudden feeling of vulnerability overcame me, my mind focusing on what might happen if I were to slide off the road. However, the size of the two side tubes, as well as the reinforcement in the chassis quickly eased any ill thoughts. I realized that for the passionate driver the feeling of exposure would only increase the adrenalin rush, making for a more exciting experience.

Studying video reviews of the U.K. version couldnt prepare me enough for the strain of force this car puts on the human body. From a standing start, accelerating from first to fourth gear I was thrust back into my seat, actually feeling as if my face was pushed into the back of my skull. My chest compressed, head snapped back, eyes pulled open, and mouth flapping about like a bloodhounds hanging out the window of a Lear Jet; one glance in the rearview was a sorry sight.

With the supercharger at full screw, a violent low pressure area is created in front of the F1-style air intake located between the seats. The wind blasted me from the front, the engine sucked air from the side and the musical whine of the supercharger created a surreal environment inside the car. Trying to hear a passenger talk is nearly impossible with this kind of buffeting, and if they insist on rambling a quick snap of the throttle ends all recognizable speech.

The handling ability of the car is well adjusted to the extremely powerful acceleration, rewriting the physics of grip. Just when I thought I had the car on the edge of adhesion, Id hit the throttle and it would leap out of the corner with no complaint. Even if traction were to get a little squirrelly, some creative throttle, a little steering input and the L.S.D. would have had me leaving the corner looking like a hero.

The chassis is what makes this car what it is. Unmatched rigidity, light weight, and an overall work of art, it gives all the feedback anyone could ever ask for; not to mention keeping the car absolutely flat in the corners, as well as giving a driver the confidence to do things not normally attempted in anything else.

The two side tubes, which make a three dimensional curve unseen in the automotive world, giving the car its unique look with no body panels to obstruct the view of the driver, makes it possible to actually see the tires. This means there is no guessing of where the car is in relation to the road. I could actually see that the inside tire was hanging 4 inches off the tarmac in the apex of a tight corner. With seemingly quarter-of-an-inch-accurate cornering at any speed, its as though the Atom 2 will do anything you want it to. This only gave me more confidence, and exploring the limits of its capabilities became an adventure in itself.

The Atom 2 is a car that needs to be driven hard. Fly-by wire throttle, Tilton pedal box with race actuation and a good stiff shifter means if you baby it, youll look like an amateur as it jerks and sputters. The harder you hit it, the more it loves you, and might reward you with the rawest driving experience youve ever had. While it isnt a token commuter, the Atom is simply the most fun Ive ever had in a car. Cruising along at 30 mph was as much fun as shredding the tires off moms civic. I had the wind in my face and the ability to enjoy that “being at one” feeling; something I initially got simply sitting in the cockpit. And I also started to notice that everyone was staring at me, since I was driving something that seemed to look more like it came from another dimension than a regular commuter car.

A heavy downpour later in the ride made the experience that much more interesting. Soaking wet with a numb forehead from exploding droplets, like playing in a mud puddle when I was a kid, it was still worth every second of weathering the elements. Thats what this car does to a person; it turned me into a 10 year-old. As soon as I saw it, I started giggling and the silliness didnt stop. No doubt, the only thing that could wipe away the grin would be an expensive speeding ticket, but then again Id probably even forget about that and then, when home frame it as a memento of the experience.

Incidentally, the name Ariel comes from a previously dormant British car company recently revived to market the Atom, the brainchild of Simon Saunders. The car became an instant success in Britain, weighing in at a scant 1,005 lbs and sporting a Honda Civic Type-R 2.0 power plant. With 300-hp coming from the supercharger-equipped engine, the Atom went about annihilating performance records. Everything from acceleration to track lap times, the Atom was taking out all the big names in the supercar market.

Oregon based Brammo Motorsports saw the cars potential in North America, and acquired the rights to build and distribute a left hand drive version. Brammo took the U.K. Atom, stripped it down and re-engineered the car from the ground up for the North American market. Everything from suspension to seating was analyzed and modified. Many of the British versions imperfections were ironed out, while additional modifications were made to improve the production process, with adjustments made so the car was easier and less complicated to build. The Brammo work shop is one of the best Ive ever seen, and is well suited to fabricate anything the designers or customers can throw at it. The result is a car that is constantly improving beyond an already top-level base.

Brammo has opted to use the supercharged 2.0L Ecotec engine lifted from the Chevy Cobalt SS and Saturn ION Red Line, while leaving the high revving Honda Type-R as an option. Use of the GM power plant came about when Jay Leno purchased an Atom, but wanted an American engine to power his car. GM stepped forward with the Ecotec which is capable of putting out identical horsepower numbers, but increases torque from the Hondas 163 lb-ft to 250 lb-ft. The extra torque comes at a cost, however, as the American version weighs 1,349 lbs, a full 344 lbs more than the U.K. variant. Brammo is working hard on rectifying this problem, and reportedly is consistently lowering this number.

The beautiful thing is that a base Atom can be had for only $37,000, or tick off all the option boxes and a race spec version can be had for $80,000. Not bad if you figure a Porsche 911 starts at $71,300 and cant compete with the Atom performance wise. Then what would you expect from a car that doesnt have anything but the absolute essentials for transportation? Those essentials just happen to be the best a person can buy. Material costs are kept low, therefore production costs are low, and the car can be sold for the extremely accessible price it is. If you take a top-spec Atom and compare it with the half million dollar cars in its performance class, then it comes close to robbery.

When adding options to an Atom, dont expect to find GPS navigation, power windows or special edition floor mats. Brammo adds about one option per week and none are luxury oriented. No, each additional feature only makes the Atom faster. Carbon fiber panels, ceramic coated exhaust, Alcon brakes, fully adjustable Koni dampers; every option ticked off makes you that much more of a threat.

Options that will have the most dramatic effect on performance, however, are the engine packages. A base Atom comes with a big 2.2L 160-horsepower GM Ecotec four-cylinder, while 205-, 230-, 245- and 300-horsepower versions of the supercharged 2.0L Ecotec raise the price. For those who want to keep the import image of the car, the Honda 2.0L is an option with 220 and 300 supercharged horsepower available. If youre not happy with either of these, Brammo is always thinking of ways to make the car better. The car I tested was a 205-hp version with 200 lb-ft of torque that took my breath away. I can only imagine what the top spec car is capable of; it will no doubt require a skilled operator.

Brammo plans to sell nearly 100 cars per year, and is currently looking to be the sole manufacturer of the Atom 2. Taking over as the only supplier of both right and left drive versions will allow the British-based Ariel to move on to more ambitious projects. To handle the expected increase in demand for the car in an international market, Brammo is currently moving into a substantially larger factory across town in Ashland, Oregon.

Brammo is also in talks with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) about creating a one-make series featuring the Atom 2. By 2007 a herd of fully winged Atoms could be seen battling it out on national race tracks around North America; a sight that may even be as entertaining as the main events they would be playing for.

If youre thinking of purchasing an Atom 2, be warned. Brammo only sells the cars as track day vehicles with standard street legal equipment here in North America, while in the U.K. Atoms are legal for the roads from the factory. Several U.S. States have legalized the Atom 2, but getting your car through inspection depends heavily on local regulations. With the cars minimalist attitude towards street equipment, however, the decision of whether your car passes or fails could come down to the mood of the inspector on a given day.

To be an owner of an Atom requires many traits not found in most car
buyers. Some may think the car is impractical, or even dangerous. To be
an owner of an Atom requires many traits not found in most car buyers. Some may think the car is impractical, or even dangerous. However, for someone like me, its simplistic raw character as a no-nonsense single minded performer is especially attractive. If youre the type of person who wants a performance car to show off, or simply to get you from business meetings, to the office and then home again, the Atom 2 may not be for you. Those looking for the purest driving experience available, mind you, shouldnt look anywhere else, as it doesnt get any better than the Atom 2.