Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear seems to think the Ariel Atom is perfect for middle-aged guys with a little extra cash and not enough foolishness for motorcycles. But most of the middle-aged guys we know have all their extra cash tied up not in little cars, but in little kids.
If you, too, are a family man who could never justify spending money on the impractical Ariel Atom, then this could just be the car (kart?) for you. The KG650cc is a 727-pound, two-seat go-kart powered by a 27.6-horsepower 644cc engine. That gives each horse about 26 pounds to carry, compared to the Atom's 3.3 pounds per horse. And at only 9 feet in length and 3-feet wide, even the cramped Atom has this kart beaten in comfort.
But hey, your neighbors don't know an Ariel Atom from a Corbin Sparrow. Just play the famous video of Clarkson making a fool of himself in the Atom, and no one needs to know you only spent about $8,100 on your little race car.
BONUS: Check out video of the Atom-like go kart after the jump.
[Source: Autoblog.nl]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
porschedevotee @ Feb 25th 2008 4:40PM
So who's gonna be the first to stick a Hayabusa engine in it?
John Johnson @ Feb 25th 2008 4:52PM
See my avatar for the reason why the Atom is worth the price.
HpNoTiQ @ Feb 25th 2008 4:55PM
me....maybe not a busa but atleast another 600cc from a cbr600rr or gsx-r
Seoultrain @ Feb 25th 2008 5:33PM
I didn't think 28hp would be able to cut it, but it seems peppy from the video. Still, a 'busa or gixxer mod is the way to go from peppy to insane.
DHG @ Feb 25th 2008 6:26PM
You know you're dealing with a classy outfit when the contact info is a hotmail address.
jordan @ Feb 25th 2008 6:30PM
I wonder if they ever thought of using the 500cc rotary motor? 50HP in a smaller package?
speedball3 @ Feb 25th 2008 7:51PM
If you're looking for speed for cheap, then carting is definitely the way to go...but not in this look-alike model.
fm @ Feb 25th 2008 11:38PM
Yes but you can't drive a cart on roads. This has the prereqs for most states to be road legal.
Personaly I'd be fine with a 600cc from a Ninja ZX-6R. Although with the Hayabusa's 180+hp it'd be pretty crazy...erh... fast.
Dave @ Feb 26th 2008 12:05AM
I wish Factory Five Racing would build an Ariel Atom single donor kit.
Guenther @ Feb 26th 2008 8:00AM
What kind of sorry 650 liquid cooled twin makes under 30hp??? AC thumpers do better than that with piles of torque. An 800 rotax would make this haul.
CraigD @ Feb 26th 2008 8:50AM
From the specs and the sound it must be a lawnmower engine. Get an injected sport bike engine in there FormulaSAE-style.
Fatman @ Feb 26th 2008 4:40PM
A mere shadow of the real thing.
vintage @ Feb 27th 2008 4:57PM
This is a great idea if it had a real engine. Even a cheap, boring 130hp 4 banger from honda or dodge would be great.
johnstoke @ Feb 28th 2008 6:31AM
http://www.superlitecars.com/roadster_images.html
Dave @ Mar 1st 2008 7:22PM
Interesting.
I'd like to see one that uses more donor parts, though.
Dump the Wilwood calipers and the supplied 17" wheels. Give us a kit that uses all 93-97 Corolla parts, for example. An 1150 lb. car doesnt need 12" discs.
CarbonBlack @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:04AM
That is pitiful and nasty looking
bsteimel @ Mar 17th 2008 11:42PM
Why not a mazda 13b engine? 232 hp, about the same size as the 4 piston motor on the real atom. You can pick up a rebuild for pretty reasonable. That would be awesome, but thats just me.
Franz @ Apr 12th 2008 3:59PM
Doesn't seem too interesting...