RE: Driven: Ariel Atom 3.5 supercharged

RE: Driven: Ariel Atom 3.5 supercharged

Tuesday 5th February 2013

Driven: Ariel Atom 3.5 supercharged

PH samples Ariel's updated Atom 3.5 - it's more awesome than ever



We’ll set the record straight at the start. 3.5 doesn’t refer to another ridiculously over-engined Atom akin to the firm’s scary V8 - but rather a package of updates that sees the Atom 3 evolve into a fitter and more useable sports car. No, seriously…

LCD dash is new and will log data
LCD dash is new and will log data
That means the looks are tweaked, there’s a new LCD dash that will log your data on track and show what gear you’re in, some geometry changes that alter the steering – making it more forgiving on-road, without losing any of that track focus – and more bracing around the new engine and rear suspension mounts, meaning the ‘point-five’ is 15 per cent stiffer torsionally than the 3.

Don’t be soft
As I cruise along the A303 from Ariel’s Somerset base to meet snapper Tom near Stonehenge I’m watching the Atom’s nearside front wheel track the surface through the chassis’ exposed lattice work – the car’s reaction to the image I’m seeing doesn’t compute.

The wheel spikes up and down but the compliance in the dampers filters out any harshness. Granted, cat’s eyes can still give a clonk and grids can initiate a minute waggle from the rear (most likely to do with setup), but the plush feeling from each corner of the car on normal roads at normal speeds is accomplished to the point of being incongruous given the Atom’s hardcore focus.

Don’t think this has made the car soft though – it’s still bristling with all the pent up aggression of a caged ferret.

Supercharged VTEC gains 10hp
Supercharged VTEC gains 10hp
Atom-ised
The 3.5 uses the same supercharged 2.0-litre Honda VTEC motor as before, but the new car gets a 10hp boost to 310hp, courtesy of alterations to the mapping, plumping up the mid-range. It didn’t need it, but it’s got it. The engine’s ferocious, and the 229lb ft of forced induction torque means instant acceleration in any gear that’d embarrass a 911 owner. It’s here the gear display comes into its own too, as in third, fourth and fifth the motor produces a seemingly similar horizon-smashing bout of acceleration.

Throttle response is immediate, despite being fly-by-wire; what you ask for is exactly what you get. The engine has a massive appetite for revs and it’s easy to run into the staccato pap-pap of the 8,600rpm limiter. The six-speed manual Honda ‘box just adds to the feeling of relentless pace, too – each manual change snicked punctuates the onslaught and involves more than a paddle shift transmission ever could.

If you’re after the stats 0-60mph comes up in 2.7 seconds, 100mph in a superbike troubling 6.8 and top speed stands at 155mph. Believe those numbers – it simply atomises the road.

Atom retains customary agility
Atom retains customary agility
Accuracy assured
The steering changes haven’t stripped the 520kg Atom of any of its agility. The 3.5 gets more toe out to help turn-in, and combined with 1.7 turns from lock-to-lock it means the steering is fast, accurate and stable.

There’s understeer on turn-in and you can feel the comparatively light front end smudge the tyres across the Tarmac. Trail the brake on corner entry to keep weight over the front and you can coax the nose, then pick the throttle up and reverse the balance – making the Atom’s natural weight distribution key the rear rubber into the road – and you’ll be fired out the other side.

It sounds technical but it’s intuitive; you just do it. The 290mm four-pot Alcon brakes all-round give a reassuringly solid feel and inspire confidence to brake late and deep despite lacking ABS.

Slides are manageable, but rare
Slides are manageable, but rare
If it does slip into a slide it’s manageable, but even on slick, greasy roads and lightly treaded Yokohamas there’s plenty of grip. Get them hot on a dry track and not much this side of a slick-shod and wing-wearing racer will come past you all day.

Road and/or track
I played around with the suspension damping all day but returned to Ariel General Manager Tom Siebert’s settings. For the road they’re spot on and tread the perfect line between tautness, control and compliance.

You can’t exactly call it practical but the Atom 3.5 is a better road car for the changes, without losing any of its single-minded focus to go faster and harder than whatever it’s placed against.

Obedient on the cruise and with a motor that’s happy to pootle around at low revs the Atom 3.5 is as docile as you like, making a great car even greater – that’s because it hasn’t lost its rabid character at the other end of the spectrum. Stoke it and it turns into the same unhinged piece of weaponry it’s always been.


ARIEL ATOM 3.5 SUPERCHARGED
Engine:
1,998cc 4-cyl, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Power (hp): 310 @ 8,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 229 @ 7,200rpm
0-60mph: 2.7 sec
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 520kg
MPG: 25mpg (estimated)
CO2: N/A
Price: £40,000







Author
Discussion

Varsity

Original Poster:

90 posts

182 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Is this the TTS Supercharger kit?

GTiFrank

625 posts

183 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
thumbup

Top write up. Enjoyed that. I am a big atom fanboy and this is not helping my levels of want! bandit

Carnnoisseur

531 posts

153 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Atom stats never fail to amaze me. I seriously need to have a drive of one of these cars. However, something tells me, that once personally experienced, nothing will ever come close again......(which isnt a bad thing)

GroundEffect

13,819 posts

155 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
I couldn't own one to drive every day...but god I need to drive one.


George29

14,706 posts

163 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Want!

This article has just got me looking at how relatively good value the Atom 160s look.

Chicane-UK

3,861 posts

184 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
I drove a standard supercharged one on a track last year. It was the most awesome, terrifying, visceral, amazing motoring experience I'd ever had. Got to do it again!

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Wow is about the only sufficient thing I can think of to describe it.

ant leigh

714 posts

142 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Carnnoisseur said:
Atom stats never fail to amaze me. I seriously need to have a drive of one of these cars. However, something tells me, that once personally experienced, nothing will ever come close again......(which isnt a bad thing)
Yes and No
Quite a blast biggrin
Palmersport has the Ariel Atom on a trackday at Bedford
But as you can follow it with one of their two seat racecars it takes a little bit of the 'waw' factor away from the Atom

b14

1,060 posts

187 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Does a caged ferret really have much "pent-up aggression"?!

Carnnoisseur

531 posts

153 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
ant leigh said:
Yes and No
Quite a blast biggrin
Palmersport has the Ariel Atom on a trackday at Bedford
But as you can follow it with one of their two seat racecars it takes a little bit of the 'waw' factor away from the Atom
Cheers for the tip, searching now......

993RSGT3

84 posts

173 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
rented one from James at Atomhire for a track day at Castle Combe 2 years ago. Initial convo with James - you can have the 260bhp normally aspirated or the 300bhp supercharged....Guess which we went with!

Absolute wall of torque means driving is really easy. Brilliant throttle response and handling. Downsides - gear change lacks precision and it needs some downforce - it feels a bit floatey going through Folly into Avon Rise, pulling 125mph ish (my GT3 feels completely planted here and carries about 15 mph more into the braking zone for Quarry).

can't speak highly enough of James and colleagues - they did everything on the car for us all day.

Driller

8,310 posts

277 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Dammit if this was legal in France it would be my main car.

GroundEffect

13,819 posts

155 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
993RSGT3 said:
rented one from James at Atomhire for a track day at Castle Combe 2 years ago. Initial convo with James - you can have the 260bhp normally aspirated or the 300bhp supercharged....Guess which we went with!

Absolute wall of torque means driving is really easy. Brilliant throttle response and handling. Downsides - gear change lacks precision and it needs some downforce - it feels a bit floatey going through Folly into Avon Rise, pulling 125mph ish (my GT3 feels completely planted here and carries about 15 mph more into the braking zone for Quarry).

can't speak highly enough of James and colleagues - they did everything on the car for us all day.
It probably needs a lot of aero work done...it will be horribly unstable at speed...

But that would defeat the point biggrin


993RSGT3

84 posts

173 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
GroundEffect said:
It probably needs a lot of aero work done...it will be horribly unstable at speed...

But that would defeat the point biggrin
Spoke to one of the factory engineers at FoS regarding the aero. He said that the wing package on the V8 was essentially for show. The front wing isn't low enough to create any real downforce, whilst the rear isn't high enough to be in clean air.

I see that PalmerSport have paddle shift on their Atoms, which probably suits the car. Can't see how they'll ever get the cable change on the standard car to work properly, as the change is on the wrong side (rear) of the engine, so the linkage is too convoluted.

SimonV8ster

12,543 posts

227 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
b14 said:
Does a caged ferret really have much "pent-up aggression"?!
It can't have as people wouldn't put them down their trousers.

fireturk

287 posts

236 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
b14 said:
Does a caged ferret really have much "pent-up aggression"?!
owning a couple of ferrets myself I would say no!!

jontysafe

2,351 posts

177 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
I`d love to have a play with one of these come Summer.

356Speedster

2,293 posts

230 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
993RSGT3 said:
Can't see how they'll ever get the cable change on the standard car to work properly, as the change is on the wrong side (rear) of the engine, so the linkage is too convoluted.
The std Atom gearchange mech is absolutely fantastic, one of the best manual shifters I've ever used. I still miss my Atom 3.... it doesn't help that the current owner has put it up for sale and I've no room to buy it back.... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/a...

Edited by 356Speedster on Tuesday 5th February 18:02

KMF

525 posts

147 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Crackin cars, even the 160 goes like stink and good value for money

BlackPrince

1,271 posts

168 months

Tuesday 5th February 2013
quotequote all
Cracking car. Next time Im in the UK, have promised myself a 300 hire, even at a relatively exorbitant £500 but 6.8secs to 100mph is in no way superbike-troubling (they've been doing mid-5s to 100mph for at least a decade now). Its not even 911 Turbo S troubling! (6.5).

That being said, if I lived somewhere with roads that were beyond ruler-straight, I'd have one as a second car in a minute. Dont think there is a more pure driving experience, maybe the BAC Mono or Caterham but thats it really