ARIEL ATOM MUGEN
Now we are ten
Celebrating 10 years of Ariel Atom production, a new 10 car limited edition of the Ariel Atom is to be released at the Autosport Show in January - the Ariel Atom Mugen. Following on from the launch of the Atom V8 the Ariel Mugen is the result of a collaboration between the two companies to produce alimited edition, track focussed car aimed at the enthusiast who wants the ultimate trackday car.
Ariel celebrated the tenth anniversary of Atom production in 2010 and the Atom Mugen is the latest addition to the original 'No Screen, No Roof, No Doors' bare essentials sports car. The first Atoms produced in 2000 used the Rover K Series engine, with the Atom 2 taking over in 2003 featuring a Honda K20A Type R engine. The car quickly became known for outstanding performance and reliability, with the supercharged car taking various records on a yearly basis. The Atom 3, released in 2007, used the latest Honda K20Z Type R engine, in a higher state of tune, with numerous detail changes to the rest of the car and is in current production as the Atom 3. Said Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel, "Our philosophy has always been to strive for constant improvements in every area, but to do so through an evolution rather than sudden change. We really are proud of the achievements we've made over the last decade and the customers we have who are all part of the Ariel family.'
Mugen engines have famously powered hundreds of race and championship winners, including Formula 1, since the company's foundation in 1973. Basing their work almost exclusively around Honda powerplants Mugen was an obvious partner for Ariel who have used the Honda Type R engine for over 7 years. The union of Ariel, Honda and Mugen has resulted in a very special car that takes the trackday car to another level.
The Atom Mugen features a special livery to be used on the Limited Edition 10 cars to be made, each one numbered and with a plate signed by the Mugen and Ariel technicians responsible for the build of the car. Standard specification will be focussed at the track nature of the Atom and using the normally aspirated engine to its full potential.
Heart of the Atom Mugen is a normally aspirated Honda K20Z Type R engine, which is prepared and tuned by Mugen Euro in the UK. Said Mr Hiroki Toyoda, Vice President of Mugen Euro, "The Type R Honda is the best 2.0 litre normally aspirated engine available. We have put our experience and know how to release even more power from the engine and we're delighted to see our engine in the Ariel Atom." Working together on the specification and mapping of the engine Ariel fulfilled their target of 270bhp in normally aspirated form while retaining driveability and reliability, key features of the Atom. "We found that both ourselves and Mugen had the same meticulous attention to detail in the build of our cars and their engines." said Simon Saunders, "One Ariel technician makes a car, one Mugen technician builds an engine. The result is a truly hand made car with a hand made engine."
For further details please contact Simon Saunders or Tom Siebert on 01460 78817
Visit Ariel Motor Company at stand 19850