Ariel Atom 4R: 400 hp, 274 km/h and for the first time with ABS!

The British Ariel seized the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which took place last weekend, to hoist the R version of its Ariel Atom 4 presented in 2018 on stage. This is an extra hot variant in almost all relevant and less relevant areas, with which you can chase even faster over the circuit and in a straight line. The Atom 4R is equipped with the blown 2-liter 4-cylinder engine from the still fairly fresh Honda Civic Type R, which has been pumped up to 400 hp and 500 Nm of torque for the Atom. This sprints the track toy to 100 km / h in 2.7 seconds, to sprint from 0 to 160 km / h (100 mph) in ‘less than 6.5 seconds’. The top is no less than 270 km / h.

Fortunately, everything has been changed on the braking system to calm down the lightweight Briton. The Ariel Atom 4R – unlike the variant without R – is fitted with ceramic brakes, which, together with carbon fiber wheels available for the first time, ensure that the Atom 4R carries 26 kg less unsprung weight (!). A weight saving of 26 kg is already a lot for such a car, but such a saving with purely and only the parts that are attached to the bottom of the strut is gigantic.

Powerful, lightweight brakes to stop lightweight wheels on a lightweight car: then ABS is not an unnecessary luxury.

Ariel Atom 4R: less than 1.5 kg per horsepower

To force those lightweight wheels with extra powerful brakes to stop properly, the Ariel Atom 4R also has ABS. It is the first Ariel ever with an anti-lock braking system. It also has adjustable traction control and – if you go for the sequential gearbox – a launch control. That box is new and works with paddles behind the wheel and a clutch pedal, but you can ignore the latter when upshifting. Downshifting from sixth to first gear can – in theory – be done within a second. The standard gearbox of the Atom 4R is a ‘regular’ six-speed manual gearbox.

Apart from the powertrain and brakes, virtually every other part of the Atom 4 has been scrutinized to make it more potent. Chassis, aerodynamics and cooling were adjusted, with the 4R also easily recognizable by its new side pods with inlet channels that provide additional cooling. The spoiler work on the car pictured is part of an optional aerodynamics package, also new to the 4R. Finally: the weight of the car? Less than 600 kg!

The Ariel Atom 4R costs from £65,000 (+/- €75,000) excluding taxes in the UK.

To the side pods with radiators in it you will recognize the Atom 4R.