Friday, April 24, 2009

The COOLEST FREAKING NEW CAR I've ever seen: the Ariel Atom

Watching TV tonight I saw the "Ariel Atom" being demo'd on Top Gear TV show.

SERIOUSLY THE COOLEST NEW CAR DESIGN I've ever seen! The guy's face had G-forces rippling over it and his mouth was doing the Hail Mary wiggle from air pressure and Gs he was pulling as he drives around a test track.

3:10 seconds into the youtube video--AWESOME!!!!

To give you an idea of how fast this car is Wikipedia entry says, "The following year, the Atom won Autocar's 0-100 mph challenge as the new Ariel Atom 2 300 bhp supercharged edition achieved a time of 6.86 seconds, and then stopped from 100 in 3.8 seconds."

Watch the vid on youtube to see what that kind of speed does to your face! Awesome.

From youtube,

Jeremy Clarkson challenges the Ariel Atom to prove more fun than a motorbike - with astounding results. The speed is unlike any car or motorcycle on the road today, Top Gear investigates!


The youtube video link is here (embedding options are disabled).

And what is the price of this ultimate fantasy toy? Wikipedia has the specs too . . .

Specifications

  • 0-60 mph : 2.7 seconds (manufacturer's claim)
  • Top Speed: 140 mph, 225 km/h (155 mph, 249 km/h supercharged)
  • Power: 245 bhp (183 kW; 248 PS) @ 8200 rpm (300 bhp supercharged)
  • Torque: 210 N·m (150 ft·lbf) @ 6100 rpm
  • Weight: 456 kg (1,005 lb)
  • Transmission: Honda six-speed with reverse
  • Price: £20,000/£29,000 supercharged (cost in the US is over $65,000)
  • Engine: 2.0L Honda K20Z, 4 Cylinder, i-VTEC
  • Manufacturer: Ariel Motor Company Ltd
  • Length: 3,410 mm (134 in)
  • Width: 1,798 mm (70.8 in) / 1,828 mm (72.0 in) with 225 Tyres
  • Height: 1,195 mm (47.0 in)
  • Track: 1,600 mm (63 in) front and rear
  • Wheelbase: 2,345 mm (92.3 in)
  • Designer: Nik Smart
Only $65, 000 US? Hmmmm . . . if I teach in Korea for another . . . years . . . I could buy one in . . . . . . years . . . ohhhhh.

It's highly likely that this is what I'd actually be able to buy . . .

Watch the video on youtube--seriously awesome.

J

1 comment:

John from Daejeon said...

It looks uber cool, but is it a gas guzzler or a sipper? And does it come in a solar or hybrid version?