OT: My Ariel Atom Experience
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From: Kelowna Canada
OT: My Ariel Atom Experience
Last month I had the chance to drive the Ariel Atom 2. I first found out about the opportunity about this 'arrive and drive' event at the shop that does most of the work on my Type R - Driver's Edge Autosport.
The Ariel Atom Experience http://www.arielatomexperience.com is a Canadian company that will be touring the US for the rest of this year with Ariel Atom 2s from Brammo Motors who are the official dealers of the AA in North America.
The cars we got to drive are the 245 hp supercharged versions - not the uber 300 hp version that Jeremy Clarkson drives on the famous Top Gear/YouTube video.
I took one of my best referring dentists to the track as a gift - as he is a total car nut and I thought he would enjoy the trip.
I had the whole day to drive the car and here are my feelings:
1) FAST but not faster than say a Z06 in terms of intensity of acceleration. I was expecting more -- but I guess you have to get the 300 hp version to get that.
2) Brakes are **** until they warm up. No ABS or powerboosting here. Once warm - your eyeballs get sucked out.
3) Car is tire limited. They have 17" A048Rs on them - but because the cars are so light it's tough to get a lot of heat into them.
4) Steering wheel position is too low and non-adjustable
5) Handles like no other car I've ever been in. Neck snapping cornering and braking.
Some pics:
Signing up for the morning. AAE supplies suits, helmets with intercom, gloves, gourmet food, driving instructors and full pit crew.
Identically prepared Atoms....
On the track pics:
The best part of the day is that they take in car video with telemetry. They send it to you on a DVD in the mail (which I just got today)
Here it is:
http://www.racedv.com/u/1087/187/
Overall - I can say I was very impressed with the Ariel Atom - but I wouldn't buy one. I would much rather have say a Z06 with minor mods and R compounds. Just as much fun, no bugs in your teeth and room for golf clubs.
The Ariel Atom Experience http://www.arielatomexperience.com is a Canadian company that will be touring the US for the rest of this year with Ariel Atom 2s from Brammo Motors who are the official dealers of the AA in North America.
The cars we got to drive are the 245 hp supercharged versions - not the uber 300 hp version that Jeremy Clarkson drives on the famous Top Gear/YouTube video.
I took one of my best referring dentists to the track as a gift - as he is a total car nut and I thought he would enjoy the trip.
I had the whole day to drive the car and here are my feelings:
1) FAST but not faster than say a Z06 in terms of intensity of acceleration. I was expecting more -- but I guess you have to get the 300 hp version to get that.
2) Brakes are **** until they warm up. No ABS or powerboosting here. Once warm - your eyeballs get sucked out.
3) Car is tire limited. They have 17" A048Rs on them - but because the cars are so light it's tough to get a lot of heat into them.
4) Steering wheel position is too low and non-adjustable
5) Handles like no other car I've ever been in. Neck snapping cornering and braking.
Some pics:
Signing up for the morning. AAE supplies suits, helmets with intercom, gloves, gourmet food, driving instructors and full pit crew.
Identically prepared Atoms....
On the track pics:
The best part of the day is that they take in car video with telemetry. They send it to you on a DVD in the mail (which I just got today)
Here it is:
http://www.racedv.com/u/1087/187/
Overall - I can say I was very impressed with the Ariel Atom - but I wouldn't buy one. I would much rather have say a Z06 with minor mods and R compounds. Just as much fun, no bugs in your teeth and room for golf clubs.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Canada
Looks like an amazing experience!
However, if you had driven the 300HP UK version of the Atom, you would have had a very different outlook on the situation. A C6 Z06 and the 300HP version of the Atom are like apples and oranges. 0-60 in the Vette in 3.7 compared to 2.9 in an open cockpit Atom would give anybody the true definition of "intense acceleration" ... all without the school-bus like road feel.
But whatever, that's just smack talk
You've been in a version of the Atom ... I haven't.
<------ Truly jealous.
However, if you had driven the 300HP UK version of the Atom, you would have had a very different outlook on the situation. A C6 Z06 and the 300HP version of the Atom are like apples and oranges. 0-60 in the Vette in 3.7 compared to 2.9 in an open cockpit Atom would give anybody the true definition of "intense acceleration" ... all without the school-bus like road feel.
But whatever, that's just smack talk
You've been in a version of the Atom ... I haven't.<------ Truly jealous.
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From: Kelowna Canada
Re: (ITR640)
Didn't hit any cones - but I did spin off the track once into the grass (that's not a nice feeling particularly when you are approaching a dirt berm backwards at a high rate of speed). My car was diagnosed with a bad CV joint that may have contributed to me spinning mid corner when there was no other reason why that should have happened. Suffice it to say I backed off on the cars for the rest of the day - the car I was driving was retired after my incident (no damage done thank goodness).
I was thinking 50 more hp would make it faster in the straights - but not much faster in the corners.
The track day cost ~$1750.00 CDN for the day. With airfare (to Calgary) and hotel it was a little over 2 grand.
I see it as a weeks vacation in one day.
It's just one of those things that come along and you say "f^ck it - I'm going". At least I can write it off as a promotional expense for my business.
Next year - I might do the Radical school in Cali. We'll see.
I was thinking 50 more hp would make it faster in the straights - but not much faster in the corners.
The track day cost ~$1750.00 CDN for the day. With airfare (to Calgary) and hotel it was a little over 2 grand.
I see it as a weeks vacation in one day.
It's just one of those things that come along and you say "f^ck it - I'm going". At least I can write it off as a promotional expense for my business.
Next year - I might do the Radical school in Cali. We'll see.
Re: (jdm_dc_fan)
seems like the whole thing is a similar experience to the Noble M12 GTO 3R trackday i did a couple of years ago. got tutored by an ex rallycross champion, and then given a DVD of video and telemetry data for me to take home
well worth it 
well worth it
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Joined: May 2001
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From: Lynchvegas, Va, USA
Re: (tartje)
There was a couple at the ITR Expo. (I still haven't uploaded my vids yet)
I got stuck behind one and he was fast as crap out of the corners and would pull 5-6 lengths on me. I'd catch him at the end of the straight, but then he seemed a little timid through the turns, especially the uphill S's. You could tell the car was pretty twitchy (maybe me riding his *** didn't help).
I got stuck behind one and he was fast as crap out of the corners and would pull 5-6 lengths on me. I'd catch him at the end of the straight, but then he seemed a little timid through the turns, especially the uphill S's. You could tell the car was pretty twitchy (maybe me riding his *** didn't help).
Re: OT: My Ariel Atom Experience (Big Phat R)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big Phat R »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">..... no bugs in your teeth and room for golf clubs.</TD></TR></TABLE>What wre you expected? Ariel Atom=Moving Roll-cage
Modified by CW-ITR at 1:32 PM 8/29/2007
Modified by CW-ITR at 1:32 PM 8/29/2007
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