Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Ariel Atom V8 500bhp, still the best car ever - part 2

Yesterday I got pretty mad traffic on this post I did back in 2008
Ariel Atom 500 - Double Power to weight of Bugatti...

Almost 4 years later, I still love the car and yes, still want to get my face destroyed. However, I'm still not sure why the sudden the traffic on someone searching for it, and I couldn't find any super interesting news about it (yes, I know Google exist)... but whatever, this is the best video of this awesome beast

Top Gear Ariel Atom V8, 500bhp on Top Gear



The Ariel Atom V8 is bonkers. 500bhp in a car that weighs 550kg, giving a power to weight ratio of over 900bhp per ton and 0-60mph in a claimed 2.3sec. According to Ariel boss Simon Saunders, ‘in 10 years time you might not be able to do this sort of thing any more’. We’d go slightly further; it’s hard to believe the Ariel Atom V8 is permitted to exist right now.


Let’s dwell on the statistics for a moment, because they will be this car’s major talking point. The bespoke 3.0-litre flat-plane crank 32-valve V8 is developed in America by Hartley and produces 500bhp and 284lb ft. It’s derived from a pair of Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle engines, which explains why peak torque arrives at 7750rpm and power at a scarcely credible 10,600rpm. ‘We haven’t verified the performance yet’, Saunders told us, ‘but with the Veyron laying down performance benchmarks we wanted to put our own line in the sand. If the Atom can get within a few tenths of its claimed figures, it should ease its way into the title of world’s most accelerative production car. The claims are 0-60mph in 2.3secs and 100mph in 5.4secs – quicker than a Veyron.
(source: evo.co.uk)



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