Ariel Motor Company have officially announced their Ariel Atom 4 which will soon enter production. The British purveyors of lightweight motor vehicles have not strayed far from the formula that made the Ariel Atom such a sensational track-biased road car.
The Ariel Atom 4 gets the latest generation Honda Type R engine, a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit which produces 320 bhp as standard and 310 lb-ft of torque. The ECU is custom designed for the Atom and Ariel have fitted a larger fuel tank than before, giving a road range of 300 miles. Performance figures include 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in 6.8 seconds.
The engine sits on an all-new chassis, suspension, steering and braking system. The bodywork is also new. The seats and instrumentation also take dramatic steps forward.
The suspension system uses an inboard, pushrod-operated damper system with revised inboard and outboard points. Optional carbon fibre wheels will join the standard alloy units which measure 16 inches at the front and 17 inches at the rear.
The Atom 4 will continue to be made at a rate of 100 cars per year at Ariel’s factory near Crewkerne, Somerset. Each car will be built by one technician and to order for each individual customer. The Atom 4 will also be made, under licence, by Ariel North America based in South Boston, Virginia.
The Ariel Atom 4 will also undergo full European Small Series Type Approval (ESSTA) and ADR (Australian Design Rules) testing, to enable Atom 4 to be sold throughout Europe and Australasia with a Certificate of Conformity from 2019.
The Atom 4 will debut tomorrow at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018. It will be priced from £39,975 in the UK.
