The Atom began life as a Coventry University student project, not a factory brief.
Lead trim: Atom Rover K-Series 1.8 (190 hp) · up to 500 hp
Ariel Atom2000–present
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Ariel Atom yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Atom began life as a Coventry University student project, not a factory brief.
A road-legal open-wheel high-performance car from the Ariel Motor Company of Crewkerne, Somerset, that began as a Coventry University student project by Niki Smart and was first shown at the NEC in October 1996 as the LSC (Lightweight Sports Car). It has a prominent exoskeleton chassis, no roof or windows and a Lotus-tuned suspension with adjustable Bilstein dampers, and a drag coefficient of 0.40. There have been eight Atom generations to date, from the K-Series original to the turbocharged Atom 4, and the Atom 500 V8 limited to 25 cars.
Collectors Spotted in the Ariel Atom Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Ariel Atom yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atom 4 Honda K20C1 2.0 turbo (direct injection) | 2000–present | 2.0 L | 321 hp | — | — | — | manual | — |
| Atom 500 V8 (Ariel H1, limited to 25) | 2000–present | 3.0 L V8 | 500 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Atom Honda K20Z4 2.0 naturally aspirated | 2000–present | 2.0 L | 245 hp | — | — | — | manual | — |
| Atom Honda K20Z4 2.0 supercharged | 2000–present | 2.0 L | 310 hp | — | — | — | manual | — |
| Atom Rover K-Series 1.8 (190 hp) | 2000–present | 1.8 L | 190 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Hear it
Edvvc (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ariel capped the Atom 500 at 25 cars and still watched it set the Top Gear test track's road-legal lap record.
The Atom began life as a Coventry University student project, not a factory brief.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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