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Ariel’s Forthcoming V8-Engined Atom will cost “at least £100,000”, according to the firm’s boss, Simon Saunders.

The most extreme Atom ever, the new car will be built in very limited numbers to begin with. Saunders says that it will go on sale within a few months.

The engine is Ariel’s own design and not, as was rumoured, a variant of the Russel Savory designed 2.4 litre unit used in the Caterham Levante.

Ariel’s unit has been developed by American engine designer John Hartl...Read the full article

I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be worth every penny though.

Great British engineering at its best!

No real surprise here as the Caterham Levante also costs around £100,000.

The real surpise was Autocar's £50,000 original estimate of the price (in the mag 3 June page 15). 

.... but when did Autocar ever over-estimate the price of a new car ? If my memory serves me correctly they claimed the Boxster would be £20k !

100k for a bunch of tubes and an oversized v8 behind an ugly car? Youve got to laugh. Porche turbo with kudoes for me mate or my new GTR and a lot of change- you've got to laugh

Great car no doubt, and I'd love to have a go!

Can't help feeling though, that with cars like these, we're (the UK) starting to look a little old-fashioned. By contrast, the small US niche auto companies look are looking far more progressive with their Apteras and Teslas and Fiskers...Surely this car would be perfect for an alternative power source? A screaming V8 is great for bragging rights but it feels more akin to tuning a dinosaur than making any real progress...

Are you mad!,great British engineering!

In this current climate of uncertainty,who is going to say "£100K+,OK!".Mr Saunders says the reason for the price is the engine (£30,000) and the gearbox(£11,000),now assuming the car is a £100K,where's the other £59,000 in the rest of the car?,this almost makes tthe parts as pricy as a Veyron's!.These kind of companys are only marketing racing cars with a number plate,nobody in there right mind is going to just go on road trips with it their going to race it on a track,maybe join an Ariel Artom club or something,nope,i think its a triumph of money over sense, if your daft enough to pay this silly price for expensive thrills when there are plenty of other sensible choices then good luck to you!      

Peter Cavellini:

i think its a triumph of money over sense, if your daft enough to pay this silly price for expensive thrills when there are plenty of other sensible choices then good luck to you!  

 

An Atom isn't exactly meant to be a 'sensible' purchase anyway and will be probably end up being part of a stable of half a dozen cars owned by a millionaire. This is just an extension of an already mad machine, why bother to try and rationalise or justify it?!

BTW, you wouldn't be able £59,000 in the rest of the car unless Simon Saunders runs a not-for-profit organisation..

Will it set you on fire like the Caparo? It’s a limited production track day car and they are really going to build it unlike most of the super-kit-cars you see hyped. There’s room in the world for these cars in limited numbers and I bet they will sell everyone.

As far as the electrification of the Atom (where’s my lab coat), Wrightspeed has that covered.

 

lambo1:

100k for a bunch of tubes and an oversized v8 behind an ugly car? Youve got to laugh. Porche turbo with kudoes for me mate or my new GTR and a lot of change- you've got to laugh

I'd bet that everyone who buys one of these will already have a porsche turbo, a GTR, or both - plus a handful of other cars of varying shapes and sizes. I don't think Ariel would ever even try to justify this as a rational purchase, and good on them.

I wonder what gearbox £11000 buys you. With a 2.5sec 0-60 time you'd need a duel clutch to change gear fast enough for this thing.

A lot of dosh for what is effectively an engine, a seat and a steering wheel sitting over a chassis. But hey, if some people are prepared to pay for it, then why not? I say good on Atom. Let them charge what they want. If they've got their supply and demand balance right, they should make some decent money. If not, then................

 Sorry , I love the Atom , but at this price it makes no sense at all. Far better to use an off the shelf engine and tune it. If it is heavier , spend a bit of money on ultra lightweight construction techniques to compensate.Surely really rich people will not want anything as hardcore as an Atom .