Thread: Ariel Atom - Opinions needed

The 211 isn't as bad as it doesn't use as larger clamshells as the elise/exige. The manual even leads on to say that it's expected to have panels replaced and as such they are much quicker and easier to remove than normal. That being said if you bend the chassis then instance write off. It's one reason it's taken so long for a lotus elise based race series to get off the ground but now theres a plentiful supply (well...

Quote: Originally Posted by ads_green The only thing the Atom and 211 have over the caterham is that they always look special. Caterhams have been around for decades now largely unchanged on the the outside and whilst looking seriously cool they do suffer from what I like to call the 911 effect. That may be true in tiny England where everyone that has one lives close together, but here they are unusual. I live in a place where...

Quote: Originally Posted by ads_green Depends what you want really... I just wouldn't pick the Atom over the other two (I picked the 211). Bad handling doesn't make a fun car it makes for a scary car thats an awful lot of hard work to drive and after alls said and done you're actually going slower. In the UK many track day companies are noise restricted and too much sliding will get you black flagged and in the Atom you've...

I have an Atom and have tracked it. Yes, it can be a handful but it delivers gobs of fun. It is a different car than a Lotus. I would not hesitate to buy one again as it never fails to make me smile each and every time I drive it. Yes, it can be scary and does take work to drive fast. There appears to be a lot of negative comments here from folks who have NOT owned one. This is a Lotus forum afterall.... Though I agree the car is more on edge...

I lapped an Ariel Atom (not sure how much hp it had) in my Katana Elise with Reverie wings. The car was driven by a Porsche Club instructor. Car is fast in a straight line but I would kill it in braking and cornering. So I guess a 2-11 with better wings will be significantly faster. I owned a Caterham Hayabusa (400hp/ton) this car was an absolute blast to drive. But in the end sold it because you can barely call this a car. Very loud, as in...

Quote: Originally Posted by Ravenbk are you looking for a track car only? or you need to drive it on roads? If its for track cars only, there are much better choices, like WEST, or Stohr. For road use... the Atom looks kinda silly IMO. but beauty is in the eye of the beholder! but there are much better choices for road / track use. my 2c Yes, I failed to mention that I live relatively close to Barber Motosports and do not plan on getting a...

Shinoo... you are right.. dont knock it till you try it, i agree. What i was directing to is that the atom is more track car than road car...... looks like tons of fun. But for me, if i was going to track only, i would look at something like the WEST or Stohr. if more on the road.. then the lotus is my choice. for both road and track...... at this stage, i would still take a lotus.. but maybe with some S111 bits

I'd suggest looking at Seven replicas. They can be just as fast as an Atom and there are bunch of used ones available in this economy.

This is a good deal at the buy it now price. Pretty much all options you could get. The Carbon fiber tub alone was a 5500 upgrade not to mention the other cf parts. It has the 300 hp engine and the individual seats. Its a good deal to me and the Atom is an amazing car. Registering it is not easy or possible in certain states. PM me if you have any more questions. I bought an Atom a few months ago and absolutely love it!

I test drove an Atom for three laps at my track last month (after going for 8 hot laps with a very experienced driver).......that car is amazing! Made my Lotus Exige S seem very very slow and unresponsive. It is not a vehicle for the inexperienced driver.......you will get into a lot of trouble. But in the right hands......man does it perform.