Oh No What Car - Ariel Atom, GTR, Caterham R500, KTM X-BOW

[Ej74]

Time for a change and some advice :

Current Fleet :
09 GTR, 04 Alfa GT, 90 MR2 N/A Track Day Car

Plan to sell GTR and MR2 and replace with :
Ariel Atom or Caterham R500 or KTM X-BOW and keep the Alfa for day to day duties

Any opinions if this is the best route or i should i split the budget of around 40k between a track car and a nicer every day car ?

Opinions welcome

[chryslerben]

Ktm x bow

[HustleRussell]

Watch the TopGear episode with the Caterham and X-bos featured, then buy the Caterham. Yes I'm biassed, but I do think it's the pick of the bunch. You see far more Caterhams at trackdays than you do anything of the others, I've never seen an X-bow and I've only ever seen atoms going slowly or crashing. I reckon this is because they're mid-engined and more snappy.

[Krikkit]

I think that's a what car that can only be settled by driving the contenders!

If I had to say or be shot, the R500.

[HustleRussell]

P.S. with the Caterham you'd have some money left to upgrade the Alfa if you wanted. X-bow more expensive to buy and run, and slower

[ewenm]

At least in the R500 you have the option of weather protection if the nice sunny summer drive/track day turns out to be wetter than expected...

I'm biased too but I'd go Caterham every time. Similar levels of fun to the Atom/X-Bow but with added practicality for the UK weather or Alpine tours (for example)

Edited by ewenm on Wednesday 24th April 11:14

[Ej74]

All seem to similar in price

Atom 3 SC, 39k
X-BOW, 35 - 39k
R500, 42k

Test drive booked for a Atom in a couple of weeks time will also get out in a R500, as i think the X-bow is too specialised ?

Alfa with get a remap if i keep it !

Anyone want a GTR ?

[peter pan]

Not that there is much room in any of the above, but My brother and I drove across the United States in his Caterham Seven, and with a bit of careful packing, found that was reasonably comfortable and practical. Not sure it would be the same in an Atom or Xbow.
So for a very good all rounder which is very quick the Caterham would seem to be the best general option.
But who could be disappointed with any of these cars. I would suspect that all three would hold onto their resale values pretty well. Caterhams certainly do.

[Tuvra]

How about an Ultima GTR?

[TheJimi]

R500 or Atom for me - would be a bloody hard choice to make, but a nice dilemma to have!

R500 I think, but in ten mins time, I could just as easily say Atom

[greggy50]

With 45k in total of cars personally I would want more than £5k spent on the car I was spending the most time in...

Just get say a cheaper R400 catherham still silly quick and can then spend £15/20k a nice daily drive

[Fantuzzi]

Evo did a group test of all three, plus the Lotus 2 Eleven.

Id go witht the lotus, about 27-30k, 240bhp, 670kg. And handles really sweetly.

Yummy

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/2277...

[TheJimi]

Ooh good point re the 2 Eleven

I'm stating the obvious here but the Atom, X-Bow and 2 Eleven all come with the downsides of a bike but none of the benefits. So if practicality is even slightly an issue, the Caterham wins easily.

[JDMDrifter]

How about an R300 still stupid fast and you have some cash to play with ?

[Fantuzzi]

TheJimi said:

Ooh good point re the 2 Eleven

I'm stating the obvious here but the Atom, X-Bow and 2 Eleven all come with the downsides of a bike but none of the benefits. So if practicality is even slightly an issue, the Caterham wins easily.

Ok, dick moment now, but ok ill do it.

Why not buy a 2nd hand 360 Challenge car?

They seem to b3 50000-70000 euros, so around 40k its heavier, 1169 dry, but its within budget, Im pretty sure theyre easily made road legal, and its a rather awsome bit of kit, that might be a bit more special given its an actaul racer.

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-pa...

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100_results....

Just a thought, plus 50 years on it might be worth a load at RM auctions...

[McWigglebum4th]

If you are thinking of a trackday car then you are thinking of tracking it

Not a big step onto sprints and hills

The caterham will be the cheapest to crash and has the largest knowledge base out there

Also if you are really into your trackdays it is not much extra cash with a caterham to replace the rather expensive carbonfibre bits nice cheap fibreglass bits

[Disco You]

Unless you do track days very frequently (couple of times a month) I can't help but think that you'll get more pleasure from spending most of the money on your daily drive.

[stew-S160]

Fantuzzi said:

Evo did a group test of all three, plus the Lotus 2 Eleven.

Id go witht the lotus, about 27-30k, 240bhp, 670kg. And handles really sweetly.

Yummy

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/2277...

I was going to suggest this also.

2-11
Caterham
Atom
KTM motorbike rather than Xbow

[Fantuzzi]

stew-S160 said:

Fantuzzi said:

Evo did a group test of all three, plus the Lotus 2 Eleven.

Id go witht the lotus, about 27-30k, 240bhp, 670kg. And handles really sweetly.

Yummy

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/2277...

I was going to suggest this also.

2-11
Caterham
Atom
KTM motorbike rather than Xbow

11k buys you a Triumph 675 R new,

Then spend 30k on a second hand maserati gransport.

[stew-S160]

Fantuzzi said:

stew-S160 said:

Fantuzzi said:

Evo did a group test of all three, plus the Lotus 2 Eleven.

Id go witht the lotus, about 27-30k, 240bhp, 670kg. And handles really sweetly.

Yummy

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/2277...

I was going to suggest this also.

2-11
Caterham
Atom
KTM motorbike rather than Xbow

11k buys you a Triumph 675 R new,

Then spend 30k on a second hand maserati gransport.

Funny that, I WANT a 675R as my next bike.