RE: Ariel Atom 4: Driven
Discussion
yonex said:
StottyGTR said:
Seems like a very good price given the residuals of the older Atoms. This thing would be great to smash to track days, it should cost buttons to run and be super duper reliable with that Honda engine running in a much much lighter car.
Let’s see on the price, the actual price list is still being put together. The ‘basic’ car will likely end up another 10-15K for most buyers after some choice extras. It was the same for the previous cars. 
Can nobody make on these small light track cars cheap? There's not too much to an Atom but there's one hell of a price tag, even more so with Caterham. yonex said:
I'd suggest you don't buy one 
If I'm handing over gawd knows how much I do expect a nominal amount of effort to have been put into my survival. As far as I can tell you get a few tubes and that's your lot. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
bloomen said:
If I'm handing over gawd knows how much I do expect a nominal amount of effort to have been put into my survival. As far as I can tell you get a few tubes and that's your lot.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
That thread inspired me to have the SLR cage fitted to my 620R. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
bloomen said:
If I'm handing over gawd knows how much I do expect a nominal amount of effort to have been put into my survival. As far as I can tell you get a few tubes and that's your lot.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
You don't ride motorbikes either do you?https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
bloomen said:
If I'm handing over gawd knows how much I do expect a nominal amount of effort to have been put into my survival. As far as I can tell you get a few tubes and that's your lot.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
Yes, that's what you get.https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
I just cannot understand the mindset. It is what it is, any lightweight car is going to offer minimal protection, you either accept it or you don't. If they encased it in bodywork and filled it with airbags it would kind of defeat the point?
Back in the day a Mercedes S Class was considered one of the safest cars in the world.....
yonex said:
bloomen said:
If I'm handing over gawd knows how much I do expect a nominal amount of effort to have been put into my survival. As far as I can tell you get a few tubes and that's your lot.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
Yes, that's what you get.https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
That's not a reassuring photo.
I just cannot understand the mindset. It is what it is, any lightweight car is going to offer minimal protection, you either accept it or you don't. If they encased it in bodywork and filled it with airbags it would kind of defeat the point?
Back in the day a Mercedes S Class was considered one of the safest cars in the world.....
We obviously need to know the circumstances of that Atom accident. If the driver hit a barrier at 130mph that damage is actually quite mild and I'm very impressed. If it was 60mph, then questions need to be asked. Do we know the circumstances of the accident?
Edited by RobM77 on Friday 5th October 15:47
phil4 said:
You don't ride motorbikes either do you?
Mind if I pose the same question to you that I asked of Yonex? Bike or Ariel for fun? (I don't have an agenda here, and though I haven't driven an Ariel, I have driven Caterhams and find them more fun at 'normal' speeds than most bikes I've ridden). Would you say your Ariel was as quick as your 848? And, I think buying British is awesome but do Street Triple 765s come in a package deal with Atoms these days, considering both you and Yonex each have them? :P
BlackPrince said:
Mind if I pose the same question to you that I asked of Yonex? Bike or Ariel for fun? (I don't have an agenda here, and though I haven't driven an Ariel, I have driven Caterhams and find them more fun at 'normal' speeds than most bikes I've ridden).
Would you say your Ariel was as quick as your 848? And, I think buying British is awesome but do Street Triple 765s come in a package deal with Atoms these days, considering both you and Yonex each have them? :P
Yes, the Triumph’s come free Would you say your Ariel was as quick as your 848? And, I think buying British is awesome but do Street Triple 765s come in a package deal with Atoms these days, considering both you and Yonex each have them? :P
BlackPrince said:
The thread of your previous Atom was brilliant - please continue to do so when you can with your new Atom, as I loved living vicariously through your writing
Thanks for that, I really must update that thread....Oh, and for the safety conscious amongst us;
Ariel CEO Simon Saunders said:
The Atom 4 is the biggest change to the car since we originally released it in 1999. In fact, there are only three parts carried over from the last Atom: the clutch, brake pedals, and the fuel cap With an all-new approach to design formed after closely following the drivers’ and buyers’ reactions to the previous iterations of the Atom, Saunders and his team created a far more usable car. Ok, the Ariel will remain more of a Sunday-drive treat than anything else, but now you will go further, with more comfort, while safer than before. By redesigning the tubular chassis with beefier main and diagonal tubes the stiffness and rigidity of the Atom have been improved by a healthy 15 percent. This change, most notably, positively affected safety as the Atom now can exceed the requirements for a full-frontal crash at 31 mph. Furthermore, the design has been tested for the rear impact as well. It passed. Finally, the third most important safety feature is a roll bar now sitting hidden under the intake cover. This is a rather nice addition which gives a bit of a cleaner and leaner look to the otherwise madly spartan exterior.
So there you go. Get your deposits in 
BlackPrince said:
Mind if I pose the same question to you that I asked of Yonex? Bike or Ariel for fun? (I don't have an agenda here, and though I haven't driven an Ariel, I have driven Caterhams and find them more fun at 'normal' speeds than most bikes I've ridden).
Interesting. I think they're very different, and quite a personal thing. The Atom feels far more special when you sit in belt up and fire it up. From then on I think it depends more on the roads. The Atom when pushed is very quick indeed, and requires much less bravery to push it. The bike conversely deals with traffic so much better than the Atom, both visibility and filtering through/overtaking.Both give much more feel of the handling than normal cars, the bike though is more interactive than the atom. The bike responding to your weight and movement that the Atom doesn't.
I think the difference shows in their use for me. I've mainly used the bike as a commuter bike (yes, a few weekend rides too)... though not living in central london it does manage a reasonable average speed. The Atom instead has been used for sunny weekend blasts round the contryside. Going into work with it just isn't as much fun.
BlackPrince said:
Would you say your Ariel was as quick as your 848? And, I think buying British is awesome but do Street Triple 765s come in a package deal with Atoms these days, considering both you and Yonex each have them? :P
Yes, I'd have said the Ariel was quicker than the 848. It's a lot easier to make it go quicker than the bike. I'm sure if you selected the right pilots for the comparison you could easily swing things one way or another. But for me personally, the Atom is quicker under braking and cornering.I wish the Striple 765 did come as a package, but alas no. Pure coincidence I think aided by the fact the triple is a really good bike.
All of the above is personal and would likely be very different for someone else, with differing preferences, skill and experience and roads.
Bit late to this one.
I’ve owned an Atom 3 245, plus the KTM XBOW, Lotus 2-11 and a couple of caterhams to help put the Atom into context
Re handling on the road, the car is great . Never felt nervous to me even st rapid speeds. In the dry you would have to be an inept driver to get yourself in trouble.
Re need for helmet, I never used one for road use over 4K miles and only once had a stone fly up and catch me on cheek bone, but that was my fault for fallowing a friends Atom too closely.
In terms of comparison to the other cars mentioned:-
- the caterham is the easiest to handle at the limit and beyond,
- the 2-11 was the most precise and required smooth driving
- the XBOW was the best built overall and fastest in the bends on track
I’ve owned an Atom 3 245, plus the KTM XBOW, Lotus 2-11 and a couple of caterhams to help put the Atom into context
Re handling on the road, the car is great . Never felt nervous to me even st rapid speeds. In the dry you would have to be an inept driver to get yourself in trouble.
Re need for helmet, I never used one for road use over 4K miles and only once had a stone fly up and catch me on cheek bone, but that was my fault for fallowing a friends Atom too closely.
In terms of comparison to the other cars mentioned:-
- the caterham is the easiest to handle at the limit and beyond,
- the 2-11 was the most precise and required smooth driving
- the XBOW was the best built overall and fastest in the bends on track
DaveGB said:
Bit late to this one.
I’ve owned an Atom 3 245, plus the KTM XBOW, Lotus 2-11 and a couple of caterhams to help put the Atom into context
Re handling on the road, the car is great . Never felt nervous to me even st rapid speeds. In the dry you would have to be an inept driver to get yourself in trouble.
Re need for helmet, I never used one for road use over 4K miles and only once had a stone fly up and catch me on cheek bone, but that was my fault for fallowing a friends Atom too closely.
In terms of comparison to the other cars mentioned:-
- the caterham is the easiest to handle at the limit and beyond,
- the 2-11 was the most precise and required smooth driving
- the XBOW was the best built overall and fastest in the bends on track
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I see that you're a biker - how would you compare the Atom and the bikes you've owned (along any dimension - performance, comfort, whatever)? I’ve owned an Atom 3 245, plus the KTM XBOW, Lotus 2-11 and a couple of caterhams to help put the Atom into context
Re handling on the road, the car is great . Never felt nervous to me even st rapid speeds. In the dry you would have to be an inept driver to get yourself in trouble.
Re need for helmet, I never used one for road use over 4K miles and only once had a stone fly up and catch me on cheek bone, but that was my fault for fallowing a friends Atom too closely.
In terms of comparison to the other cars mentioned:-
- the caterham is the easiest to handle at the limit and beyond,
- the 2-11 was the most precise and required smooth driving
- the XBOW was the best built overall and fastest in the bends on track
I've not driven an Atom, but I have driven a Caterham and find the negative comparisons to bikes to be utter rubbish (JayEmm on youtube said the harnesses are almost as annoying as getting kitted up in bike kit - this is patently absurd in my view). I'm fairly certain that a Caterham of some kind will be my next car but am now considering an Atom as a left-field option
BlackPrince said:
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I see that you're a biker - how would you compare the Atom and the bikes you've owned (along any dimension - performance, comfort, whatever)?
I've not driven an Atom, but I have driven a Caterham and find the negative comparisons to bikes to be utter rubbish (JayEmm on youtube said the harnesses are almost as annoying as getting kitted up in bike kit - this is patently absurd in my view). I'm fairly certain that a Caterham of some kind will be my next car but am now considering an Atom as a left-field option
I owned a 2-Eleven for a few years and you're quite right. It was freezing cold in winter (I wore two pairs of gloves and sat on one hand alternately when I drove...), a helmet was virtually essential for stones, pigeons etc, and there was no storage space at all. That's all the same as a bike, but you obviously don't need special trousers, jacket etc, so it will always be less hassle. Harnesses, as you say, are a non-event - 10 seconds and they're done.I've not driven an Atom, but I have driven a Caterham and find the negative comparisons to bikes to be utter rubbish (JayEmm on youtube said the harnesses are almost as annoying as getting kitted up in bike kit - this is patently absurd in my view). I'm fairly certain that a Caterham of some kind will be my next car but am now considering an Atom as a left-field option
RobM77 said:
I owned a 2-Eleven for a few years and you're quite right. It was freezing cold in winter (I wore two pairs of gloves and sat on one hand alternately when I drove...), a helmet was virtually essential for stones, pigeons etc, and there was no storage space at all. That's all the same as a bike, but you obviously don't need special trousers, jacket etc, so it will always be less hassle. Harnesses, as you say, are a non-event - 10 seconds and they're done.
Couldn't you have just gotten Gore-Tex gloves? I once rode for an hour in -2 on the motorway in goretex and my hands were fineyonex said:
Harnesses, is take a 5 point harness, shorts and t shirt over a one piece set of leathers, chest and back protector, boots gloves in the summer we’ve just had
That YouTube fellow is obviously a masochist.
Yes there's so much nonsense, misinformation and hyperbole in print reviews and Youtube vids about Caterhams (and perhaps Atoms too) and I don't know whyThat YouTube fellow is obviously a masochist.
BlackPrince said:
RobM77 said:
I owned a 2-Eleven for a few years and you're quite right. It was freezing cold in winter (I wore two pairs of gloves and sat on one hand alternately when I drove...), a helmet was virtually essential for stones, pigeons etc, and there was no storage space at all. That's all the same as a bike, but you obviously don't need special trousers, jacket etc, so it will always be less hassle. Harnesses, as you say, are a non-event - 10 seconds and they're done.
Couldn't you have just gotten Gore-Tex gloves? I once rode for an hour in -2 on the motorway in goretex and my hands were fineThe issue is that cars like this are built for trackdays, and trackdays normally require a very early start, which for much of the year in the UK sees very cold temps.
BlackPrince said:
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I see that you're a biker - how would you compare the Atom and the bikes you've owned (along any dimension - performance, comfort, whatever)?
I've not driven an Atom, but I have driven a Caterham and find the negative comparisons to bikes to be utter rubbish (JayEmm on youtube said the harnesses are almost as annoying as getting kitted up in bike kit - this is patently absurd in my view). I'm fairly certain that a Caterham of some kind will be my next car but am now considering an Atom as a left-field option
Sorry for late reply , only just seen this. I've not driven an Atom, but I have driven a Caterham and find the negative comparisons to bikes to be utter rubbish (JayEmm on youtube said the harnesses are almost as annoying as getting kitted up in bike kit - this is patently absurd in my view). I'm fairly certain that a Caterham of some kind will be my next car but am now considering an Atom as a left-field option
The Atom is the nearest visceral experience to a bike, due to its open nature, the fact you sit so low to the ground, can see the ground whizzing past as you look at the suspension working on the front wheels accentuates the feeling of speed. The fact you can do this on a summers day in shorts,and t shirt with no helmet is the ultimate buzz.
A bike will always be easier to flow through traffic, but on a twisty open road with some tight corners the car will be able to brake later and harder.
You can never replace the thrill of riding a fast bike, leaning over in the corners , balancing the front coming up vs spinning the rear wheel etc. However something like an Atom is close, has the luxury of not needing leathers and helmet plus you can chat to your passenger,
If you ever get chance to try one or even better own one, then do it .
In terms of the other cars, the XBOW is a bit more enclosed in the cockpit, although you need to remove padded seats to sit lower in the car. The caterham feels like luxury with a heater
Hope that helps.
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