nderwater
nderwater HalfDork
12/14/10 1:42 p.m.

If you've been putting off buying an Atom, now is time to pull the trigger. 32 grand gets you the most bang for the buck car this side of a shifter kart and membership to VIR. Time for that second mortgage!

http://jalopnik.com/5713443/who-wants-to-race-an-ariel-atom http://www.arielatom.com/spec-racer-atom/

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork
12/14/10 1:53 p.m.

How much can I sell a 911, E30, E36, a pile of parts, a enclosed 20' trailer and a 2500HD diesel for again?

ZOO
ZOO GRM+ Memberand Dork
12/14/10 2:45 p.m.

Deal seems to good to be true. I suppose it's not a "street legal" Atom. And I notice it doesn't say what engine -- all that is listed is a target power-to-weight ratio.

The website doesn't have the answers . . . anyone else know?

T.J.
T.J. SuperDork
12/14/10 3:43 p.m.

I'm guessing their sales are hurting due to the economy, the high price of the cars, and their silly marleting/legal/advertising practices where they find imitation to be an insincere form of flatery.

I guess if you have a boatload of money to burn and live reasonably close to VIR it would be fun.

neon4891
neon4891 SuperDork
12/14/10 3:58 p.m.

IIRC, Atoms are not US street legal. Sounds fun.

DaveEstey
DaveEstey Reader
12/14/10 4:29 p.m.

It's a Cheby ecotech 2.0.

JoeyM
JoeyM GRM+ Memberand Dork
12/14/10 6:08 p.m.
neon4891 wrote: IIRC, Atoms are not US street legal. Sounds fun.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ariel-atom.htm

To be street-legal, an Atom must be built as a kit car. That means everything, including the engine, is shipped to the owner in pieces. An optional road pack, which includes turn signals, a horn, rear tail lights and headlamps, is also available. The owner assembles the car in his own garage, being sure to follow all appropriate, state-mandated vehicle safety guidelines. Otherwise, the Atom is sold as an off-the-road-only vehicle -- not legal on the highway, but perfectly comfortable at the local track.
turboswede
turboswede GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
12/14/10 6:54 p.m.

Have they fixed the poor engineering in the uprights and suspension yet?

For the casual person, those issues aren't a big deal, but for those who intend to track the car, well:

http://www.palatov.com/products/atom.html

His engineering and experiences are detailed on dpcars.net.

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