Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Atom Smasher: UK-bound Ariel V8 to command $200,000?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/10/atom-smasher-uk-bound-ariel-v8-to-command-200-000/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/10/atom-smasher-uk-bound-ariel-v8-to-command-200-000/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/10/atom-smasher-uk-bound-ariel-v8-to-command-200-000/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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]

Atom Smasher: UK-bound Ariel V8 to command $200,000? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArielAriel AtomAriel Atom 500Ariel Atom V8ArielAtomArielAtom500ArielAtomV8AtomBritainHayabusaSuzuki HayabusaSuzukiHayabusaUKTue, 10 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Hayabusa-powered smart , or... a rolling death-wish on skinny tires]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/21/video-hayabusa-powered-smart-or-a-rolling-death-wish-on-sk/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/21/video-hayabusa-powered-smart-or-a-rolling-death-wish-on-sk/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/21/video-hayabusa-powered-smart-or-a-rolling-death-wish-on-sk/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click above to watch the video of a stunting smartabusa

Stunting on a Suzuki Hayabusa is crazy in its own right, but stunting in a smart fortwo? Now that takes some real effort. While the bike's got the power to wheelie all day long and its dual front discs are more than powerful enough to raise the rear tire just as far as your guts allow, that's not really the bike's intent. Still, it's much more suitable for the activity than the smart fortwo with its lazy 70-hp three-cylinder and skinny tires, right? Well, maybe not. Take a good look at the video after the break for visual proof that the smart, when properly equipped, makes a fine stunt ride. Of course, in this situation, properly equipped equals a major horsepower infusion via the aforementioned Suzuki Hayabusa, along with some major front brake modifications. Seriously, ever see a smart fortwo perform a tail-whip? Neither had we, until today.

[Source: Autofiends]

Continue reading VIDEO: Hayabusa-powered smart , or... a rolling death-wish on skinny tires

VIDEO: Hayabusa-powered smart , or... a rolling death-wish on skinny tires originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hayabusahayabusa engineHayabusaEnginesmart fortwosmart fortwo hayabusasmart hayabusaSmartFortwoSmartFortwoHayabusaSmartHayabusasuzuki hayabusaSuzukiHayabusaFri, 21 Nov 2008 19:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Hayabusa-powered go kart redefines the term overpowered]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/10/hayabusa-powered-go-kart-redefines-the-term-overpowered/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/10/hayabusa-powered-go-kart-redefines-the-term-overpowered/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/10/hayabusa-powered-go-kart-redefines-the-term-overpowered/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Anybody who's ever strapped themselves into a shifter-kart can attest to the fact that they are one of the most exhilarating rides available, and their capabilities are much higher than first expected. That being the case, when swapping the 125cc engine from the go kart with a 1300cc engine from a Suzuki Hayabusa, the resulting machine is nothing if not overpowered. A small blip of the throttle induces massive tire spin and power-slides are available at a moment's notice, possibly less. To handle the power-infusion, the frame was suitably strengthened and elongated with plenty of square-section tubing. We're not so sure that we'd have built this machine in the first place, but now that it's done, we really wish we could get a chance in the drivers seat. Follow along after the break for a video of the machine in action.

[Source: Kart Hayabusa via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Hayabusa-powered go kart redefines the term overpowered

Hayabusa-powered go kart redefines the term overpowered originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>go kartgo-kartGoKarthayabusahayabusa karthayabusa-kartHayabusaKartshifter kartshifter-kartShifterKartsuzuki hayabusaSuzukiHayabusaMon, 10 Mar 2008 18:31:00 EST<![CDATA[BFO Motorcycles plans to offer a streetfighter kit for the Hayabusa]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/27/bfo-motorcycles-plans-to-offer-a-streetfighter-kit-for-the-hayab/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/27/bfo-motorcycles-plans-to-offer-a-streetfighter-kit-for-the-hayab/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/27/bfo-motorcycles-plans-to-offer-a-streetfighter-kit-for-the-hayab/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click on the image above to enlarge

There are few thrills in motorcycling that compare with the sensation of pinning the throttle wide-open on a liter-class sportbike and hanging on for dear life. Of course, there are also a few inherent problems with this operation, though, and one of them is losing control. Another is the cost of replacement body parts (those of the bike, not yours!). And so the streetfighter was born, with owners of sportbikes choosing to remove their damaged plastic bodywork instead of replacing it. As with many trends, a small but fanatical industry has sprouted up to offer ready-made bikes which mimic the streetfighter look. The Suzuki Hayabusa is a prime candidate to get the streetfighter treatment, and BFO Motorcycles has decided to offer a limited run of 100 frame kits for the Japanese falcon-bike. Oddly, the kit also will include a carbon-fiber fairing, making it a true streetfighter in name only. Regardless of what BFO considers this bike, we think that the rendering looks awesome and we can't wait to see one of these in the real world.

[Source: BFO Motorcycles via Motorcycle News]

BFO Motorcycles plans to offer a streetfighter kit for the Hayabusa originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hayabusanaked bikenaked-bikeNakedBikestreetfightersuzuki hayabusasuzuki-hayabusasuzuki-hayabusa-streetfighterSuzukiHayabusaWed, 27 Feb 2008 19:01:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: VW Golf + Hayabusa engine = Holy Crap!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/16/video-vw-golf-hayabusa-engine-holy-crap/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/16/video-vw-golf-hayabusa-engine-holy-crap/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/16/video-vw-golf-hayabusa-engine-holy-crap/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the fastest things I have ever seen in motion. A friend riding his was in front of me once at a stop, and the road ahead of him was long, straight, and wide open. The only way to describe how it looked from my car was "Millenium Falcon makes the jump to hyperspace." And to think, his was only mildly tuned.

The 'Busa's 1300cc engine is strong enough to see duty in cars, too. The Westfield Megabusa immediately leaps to mind, and the German Car Blog has tipped us off to another example of Hayabusa-powered four-wheeled fun courtesy of the madmen at H.R. Engineering in Essex.

These guys have taken a Mk1 VW Golf, converted it to rear-wheel-drive, and dropped a turbocharged, 350-horsepower Hayabusa mill under the hood. It looks like a ton of fun, sounds completely evil, and its acceleration is, well... rather brisk, as you'll see in the pair of vids embedded after the jump.

Chewy... PUNCH IT!

[Source: H.R. Engineering, YouTube via German Car Blog]

Continue reading VIDEO: VW Golf + Hayabusa engine = Holy Crap!

VIDEO: VW Golf + Hayabusa engine = Holy Crap! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2007 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>golfgt1hayabusahr engineeringHrEngineeringmk1 gtiMk1Gtisuzuki hayabusaSuzukiHayabusaWed, 16 May 2007 12:36:00 EST