To mark 25 years of the extraordinary exoskeleton Atom, Ariel has announced the most powerful edition ever.
With 532 hp and 406 lb-ft sent to the rear wheels, the Atom 4RR is more than 100 horses up on the 4R and even more potent than the crazy V-8 that Ariel launched in 2011.
Weighing in at only 1500 lbs, the Atom 4RR should get to 62 mph in a tire-frying 2.5 seconds and achieve a very breezy top speed around 170 mph. As with every Atom built in the last 25 years, there’s no windscreen, just a couple of small deflectors that attempt to channel air away from the driver and passenger. Anyone attempting to drive at more than city speeds definitely needs to wear a full-face crash helmet.
The Atom 4RR gets its go from the two-liter turbo four normally found in Honda’s Civic Type-R. For the anniversary edition, there’s better breathing courtesy of new, bigger intakes behind the rear wheels and a revised air scoop, along with some upgraded internals, and optimized fuel and oil systems.
Ariel says the 4RR is “circuit-focused” which is why it also has updated aero, including a massive front wing that wouldn’t look out of place on a Formula 1 car. Another skinny wing sits high at the rear end.
As the name suggests, this is the fourth generation of the Ariel Atom. When it made its millennial debut, power came from a 1.8-liter Rover K-Series engine that had already been proven in the Lotus Elise and made around 120 hp. That seemed plenty quick enough at the time, but Ariel wasn’t satisfied and, over the years, the car has been fitted with a GM Ecotec engine, a bespoke three-liter V-8, and a variety of Honda four-cylinder motors, culminating in the turbocharged terror that powers the 4RR.
Throughout its lifetime, the Atom has stuck with its signature exposed tubular spaceframe chassis that gives it an almost insect-like appearance—especially in the black and yellow wasp color combo of the 4RR. Warning, this car can sting.
Ariel plans to build 25 examples for “the most serious track drivers”, although, surprisingly it will also be street-legal. Pricing and full specifications are coming soon.
