Ariel’s Wild 400-HP Atom 4R Makes Old Atom V8 Feel Slow By Comparison

The Ariel Atom has agelong been 1 of the nuttiest, astir track-focused cars connected the planet, and 18 months ago, the tiny British shaper launched the 4R. This small beast uses the aforesaid motor arsenic a Honda Civic Type R and has proven itself to beryllium quicker than the erstwhile king of each Atoms; the flagship V8 featured successful Top Gear backmost successful 2011.

For the latest clip successful its ongoing Stig Laps bid connected YouTube, the iconic enigma operator got backmost down the instrumentality of the Atom to spot what much than a decade’s worthy of improvement tin do. On paper, the Atom 4R whitethorn not dependable arsenic mighty arsenic the aged Atom V8, but the car’s latest blistery thigh proves conscionable however overmuch of a limb it is.

Read: Ariel Boosts Atom 4R’s Civic Type-R Engine To 400 HP

Found astatine the bosom of the Atom 4R is the aforesaid 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder you’ll find successful a Honda Civic Type R. However, this motor has been fettled to present 400 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque (500 Nm). This powerfulness propels the stripped-out way artifact to 60 mph (96 km/h) successful conscionable 2.7 seconds and 100 mph (160 km/h) successful 6.5 seconds. It tin besides bash 170 mph (274 km/h) level out, a terrifying fig erstwhile you see the 4R doesn’t person a extortion or, much crucially, a due windshield.

A extremist caller aero bundle besides distinguishes the Atom 4R from the V8 that Top Gear tested each those years ago.

With The Stig down the wheel, the feisty small beast was capable to thigh the circuit successful an awesome 1:13.7. That positions it good up of the Atom V8 that acceptable a champion thigh of 1:15.1 backmost successful the time and besides makes the 4R quicker than a Pagani Huayra, Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, and a BAC Mono.