Ariel Atom

The Ariel Atom reviews are quite hilarious, it’s clear that every journalist who’s ever driven one loves it! The Atom is one of, if not the most, entertaining and exciting cars you can buy.

The Ariel Atom is a bonkers track car that can, in theory, be used on the road. If you think of it as a motorbike instead of a car then you’ll be able to get your head round the concept much more easily.

Every motoring journalist in the world loves ‘em, and there are four to choose from: a 245bhp version, a 270bhp Mugen-tuned model, a 300bhp option, or the utterly insane V8 475bhp limited edition. No matter which one you choose, you’ll be grinning like a fool for weeks afterwards!

Interior

The interior is, er, basic. There is no air-con, heated seats, and certainly no cup holders. So what do you get for your money?

Well, the two seats are comfortable and supportive and provide plenty of grip through the corners, which you’ll appreciate given the high G-force that this car can generate. The driving position is good and you can watch the road rushing by underneath you, which adds to the fun and sense of speed. If truth be told, you don’t buy an Atom for the interior.

Driving

You buy an Atom for the driving experience! It’s bonkers, insane and many, many other adjectives, none of which are derogatory. A typical quote is: “it's just such an intoxicating experience on the road: raw, visceral, and above all involving in a way that even its supposed closest rivals can't match.”

The steering feel is full of immediacy, and the suspension gives “it brilliant body control, and allows terrific feedback and adjustability.”

Some testers warn that the track-focused suspension “doesn't take to poorly surfaced roads too well” and “it’s still a car you’d get very tired of driving anywhere other than a circuit, for any longer than an hour or so, and in anything other than perfect conditions.”

Engines

The four engine options just mean that the more that you pay, the faster you go and the wider your grin!

The basic 245bhp-engine still “delivers crushing performance and nimble handling closer to a superbike than any other road car”, while the Mugen-tuned version is surprisingly civilised and easy to drive at city speeds.

The insanely-fast V8 sounds like it would be an intractable, track-only exercise in engineering compromise but it’s not. Testers praise the car, saying that it has “real feel, finesse, communication and subtlety to it, too.” And speed, of course: “the acceleration is much for your brain to compute”.

If you’ve got the money – and can find one for sale – the V8-version is the one to buy as it will deliver a driving experience that is unavailable anyway, at any price.

Worth noting

Well, there are few cars, if any that combine such an open experience with such performance – and everyone who gets into one remarks on the exquisite engineering, which doesn’t come cheap. This is a hand-crafted race car, designed, built, and tuned by British craftsmen.

Worth noting

You can buy it with an optional windscreen that keeps you (a bit) warmer and, in the opinion of most motoring journos, looks better too.

Conclusion

It is an immensely impressive car that is flexible enough to be used on the road as well as for track use. It’s beautifully designed and built and is unlikely to depreciate to any great extent.