Atom Smasher: UK-bound Ariel V8 to command $200,000?
Ariel Atom - click above image for hi-res gallery
Two hundred thousand bucks is a house in most places. Well, that's £120,000 to our British friends. Still, that's an awful lot of scratch. How much is it compared to other cars? If say you wanted a Porsche Cayman S -- a car many consider the finest sports car in the world -- the mini-Porker costs just £44,000. How about an Aston Martin V8 Vantage -- which many consider to be the best sounding sports car in the world? A mere £83,000, or £91,000 if you want the drop top so as to better hear the wikkid engine.
Okay, but what about a serious performer -- like a 550 hp Porsche Panamera Turbo? Just £95,000. Or a 525 hp Audi R8 V10? "Only" £100,000. Even a Porche Turbo Cabriolet is priced to sell at £110,000. No, if you want a vehicle that costs as much as the roofless, doorless, bodyless Ariel Atom V8 is going to cost in Great Britain you're going to probably be cross shopping it with... a Caterham Se7en RST-V8 Levante that also has a V8 but lacks doors and retails for about £120,000 pounds sterling. Ironic, no? Sure, there are always more expensive cars (hello Lambo, Ferrari) but at this lofty price point not too many.
Is it worth that much cash? Very hard to say, as the craziest ever Atom (which is saying something) is as track-only as it gets. For instance, even the manic Se7en RST-V8 Levante has something resembling a windshield. On the pro side, Ariel will only be shipping 25 cars to the UK (19 of which have already sold) and the V8 engine is actually two Hayabusa motors joined to a common crank. With that in mind, the Atom V8 can hit 60 mph in a Veyron like 2.5 seconds. So... yes, totally worth the money.
Gallery: Ariel Atom
[Source: AutoCar]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vetmstr 1:38PM (11/10/2009)
Wow 200k for a four wheeled motorcycle. Though I've read its a great drive.
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Vetmstr 1:39PM (11/10/2009)
Lmao Im first again. Im on a roll or have way to much time on my hands. lol lol
zamafir 1:56PM (11/10/2009)
You could always buy the development car for a lot less :)
nigel wicks 1:39PM (11/10/2009)
i will definitely rob my local bank ,i dont care if i go to jail,this car is well worth it
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Sean Flanagan 1:40PM (11/10/2009)
Honestly, that engine is worth the money. A 2.6l V8 that revs to 13k just sounds delicious. For the price, I'd much rather have the Atom over the Caterham.
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Dummie 3:29PM (11/10/2009)
Im pretty sure you can have one for quite a bit less:
http://dpcars.net/home/forsale.htm#Atom
Like this one... it pumps out roughly 400hp.
Dummie 3:31PM (11/10/2009)
Oh, and I recommend checking out a few other of this guys cars:
http://dpcars.net/
He is a proper nutter.
IOMTT 1:42PM (11/10/2009)
Wow, that is a lot of money for what you get. Wonder what the profit margin is like. Maybe a forcefed Hayabusa engine would have been a better way to go than mating two NA engines as a V8?
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zamafir 1:55PM (11/10/2009)
nope.
Venom 1:48PM (11/10/2009)
Normally I would think that the price for this car is crazy, but call me crazy, I actually do think it may be worth it.
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jonnybimmer 1:49PM (11/10/2009)
Soon appearing in video games everywhere.
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nardi 1:50PM (11/10/2009)
Good to give the price of other cars in this post, stops everybody getting confused about the car price roulette between the UK and US. Should do this more when quoting UK price conversions, i.e. M3 GTS
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JSams4131 1:52PM (11/10/2009)
This Version of the atom is literally a formula 1 car, am I right? I remember seeing a picture of a ariel with a front/rear wing combo, and the engines description sounds familiar to one in the photo i refer to. This car is pretty much everything i would have ever wanted so 200k for a budget formula 1 car isn't so bad
http://www.arielatom.com/specs/atom-500-v8
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Erik 1:53PM (11/10/2009)
I would like to know who considers the Porsche Cayman S one of the finest sports cars in the world?
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kanyeofthebay 2:16PM (11/10/2009)
I personally would much rather have the Hayabusa. A hell of a lot cheaper and just as fast, but most importantly a whole lot more fun. I actually plan on getting one day probably my next bike.
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Cameron 2:32PM (11/10/2009)
Imagine what it would do to Clarkson's face.
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ToniCipriani 2:34PM (11/10/2009)
"Even a Porche Turbo Cabriolet is priced to sell at £110,000."
.. sign me up please. Can I get that at Rona?
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spoonraker 2:45PM (11/10/2009)
Didn't the Ariel Atom's used to cost something like $50,000-$60,000?
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Phil Perman 2:57PM (11/10/2009)
By "shipping 25 cars to the UK" I assume you mean "keeping 25 of the cars they're building in the UK" as the company is based here.
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inline6 4:09PM (11/10/2009)
I was just about to say this.
C'mon AB, check your facts!