my ride in an Ariel Atom! and in the Über-996TT

[stmoritzer]

You surely remember the reviews of TG and 5thGear about the Atom

Tom Ford review JC & STIG for more videos, go here (http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=44858)

some lines from JC and TF:
" this thing is ballistic"

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/stmoritzer/Bild1.jpg

"this is the engine air intake, ....it feels like my brain is sucked out"
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/stmoritzer/Bild2.jpg

I thought cool, but after my ride yesterday (in the medium powered 245hp version), I fully agree with JC

the acceleration and the noise beside your head is f..cking insane



But let's start in the morning...driving to Anneau du Rhin, I got my first ride in the 542hp-788 Nm 996TT
this alone was an amazing experience :shock: :D :lol: :drool:
From the outside, you don't see anything except the "rocketlauncher" brake cooling intake tube on the front :arrow: more pics here (http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=43396). The inside is a combination of everyday car with mobile phone handfree set installed - and pure racecar with rollcage and onboard computer.
Well, the performance is way beyond a standard Porsche, the car accelerates like hell (we reached 270km/h on the german highway and the car still pushed further) - deceleration is impressive too! (GT3 brakes installed in the front)
:arrow: voll geil! - means simply awesome!

I trained my panning-skills on the highway - rarest catch on the way was this new Lotus Europa :wink:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/stmoritzer/DSC03895a800.jpg

http://img121.imagevenue.com/loc492/th_55066_DSC03893a_122_492lo.JPG (http://img121.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=55066_DSC03893a_122_492lo.JPG)http://img19.imagevenue.com/loc491/th_52157_DSC03895a_122_491lo.JPG (http://img19.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52157_DSC03895a_122_491lo.JPG) http://img153.imagevenue.com/loc465/th_55077_DSC03899a_122_465lo.JPG (http://img153.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=55077_DSC03899a_122_465lo.JPG)http://img141.imagevenue.com/loc328/th_52162_DSC03905a_122_328lo.JPG (http://img141.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52162_DSC03905a_122_328lo.JPG)http://img152.imagevenue.com/loc447/th_52168_DSC03913a_122_447lo.JPG (http://img152.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52168_DSC03913a_122_447lo.JPG)


Hamlet, Pierre_ch and I had the opportunity to be passengers in an Atom.
These guys from fob-engineering started to import the Atom to Switzerland. Following their project for a while now, we took the opportunity last saturday when they announced a testday/presentation day.

So at 10am as promised, the rocket arrived
http://img23.imagevenue.com/loc547/th_55915_DSC03914a_122_547lo.JPG (http://img23.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc547&image=55915_DSC03914a_122_547lo.JPG)


here're some pics of the car, the indepth topic will take some more time
http://img5.imagevenue.com/loc340/th_56948_DSC04042a_122_340lo.JPG (http://img5.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc340&image=56948_DSC04042a_122_340lo.JPG)http://img125.imagevenue.com/loc379/th_56313_DSC04007a_122_379lo.JPG (http://img125.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc379&image=56313_DSC04007a_122_379lo.JPG)http://img162.imagevenue.com/loc491/th_56865_DSC04022a_122_491lo.JPG (http://img162.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc491&image=56865_DSC04022a_122_491lo.JPG)
:love: the fullblack design, the frame is also availalbe in different colors (black or a fancy color like yellow/orange).
You can see every detail of the car,you get perfect access to suspension,...,... maintenance and settin gup a car for a track is easy!
while driving, you see the wheels which helps to get closest to the curbs/S-schicane.

the drivers view, simple, racestyle, gearchange indicators on the steering wheel :D
http://img127.imagevenue.com/loc439/th_55921_DSC03975a_122_439lo.JPG (http://img127.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc439&image=55921_DSC03975a_122_439lo.JPG)

Minimum confort, the seating is racestyle, low, but enough space, especially in the length. Helmet is mandatory, otherwise you'll eat flys, small stones and other things. And it's getting loud next to the engine airintake :fuck: - and of course for safety reasons!

me waiting for the second ride (the track was less wet this time)
http://img144.imagevenue.com/loc390/th_56264_DSC03985a_122_390lo.JPG (http://img144.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc390&image=56264_DSC03985a_122_390lo.JPG)

The weather was freezing cold and sometimes wet, hence not the best conditions to drive around a track. We could only imagine, how faster this rocket will be on a warm sunny day with hot slicks :mrgreen:
We were not allowed to drive (no surprise since the track was slippery and plenty of other cars were on the track too, anyway I rather experienced the full capacity of this car than drive myself "slowly" around the circuit :wink:)

flying around the track!
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/stmoritzer/DSC04055a800.jpg

http://img37.imagevenue.com/loc369/th_52179_DSC03993a_122_369lo.JPG (http://img37.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52179_DSC03993a_122_369lo.JPG)http://img151.imagevenue.com/loc560/th_52185_DSC03994a_122_560lo.JPG (http://img151.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52185_DSC03994a_122_560lo.JPG)http://img11.imagevenue.com/loc574/th_52191_DSC04055a_122_574lo.JPG (http://img11.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52191_DSC04055a_122_574lo.JPG)http://img142.imagevenue.com/loc557/th_52279_DSC04056a_122_557lo.JPG (http://img142.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52279_DSC04056a_122_557lo.JPG)
http://img162.imagevenue.com/loc441/th_52284_DSC04057a_122_441lo.JPG (http://img162.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52284_DSC04057a_122_441lo.JPG)http://img144.imagevenue.com/loc341/th_52370_DSC04060a_122_341lo.JPG (http://img144.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52370_DSC04060a_122_341lo.JPG)http://img40.imagevenue.com/loc550/th_52413_DSC04073a_122_550lo.JPG (http://img40.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52413_DSC04073a_122_550lo.JPG)http://img15.imagevenue.com/loc471/th_52420_DSC04077a_122_471lo.JPG (http://img15.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=52420_DSC04077a_122_471lo.JPG)



Impressions after the ride:
pure fun!
kart feeling since you're partially exposed to the wind (on this track vmax was 170km/h, but 260km/h or more is possible)
insane acceleration in combination with the noise next to your ear (for longer distance you need earprotection under the helmet :wink:), the whole brain is vibrating
cornering without any rolling of the car
this car was the medium powered 245hp version, which IMO is plenty enough to have serious fun! The supercharged 300hp version is prolly undrivable :mrgreen:


atm the car is not roadlegal in Switzerland, otherwise it would be an option for a second car - but - after a while, when the adrenaline is gone and the brain is back to normal, you see the Atom within the Clios, Evos, Porsche on the track and you think of an accident :hmm:
on track or worse on the road, the frame is for sure robust and protective, but anything can go thru inbetween or on top of the frame ( hitting your face) ... a part of a car, a broken fence on the road,....
... and I wasn't that happy anymore.

IMO this Atom could be an option to drive on a track, as JC and TF said, the best toy you can have with an extraordinary performance
but on the road, too dangerous.

[TopGearNL]

Congrats!

Awesome and insane at the same time :D :shock:

Don't forget everyone how fast this car is, its up there with the hypercars :!:

Best to wear a helmet I agree!

looking forward to the indepth!

[dingo]

Wonderful!! It looked like a good weekend for JW members with all these drives/rides. :D

Nice motion shots of the Europa on the freeway. :good:

[stmoritzer]

Wonderful!! It looked like a good weekend for JW members with all these drives/rides. :D

Nice motion shots of the Europa on the freeway. :good:

I guess you mean hamlet's Speedster ,
the rearview of the Europa in the traffic isn't that cool :lol:

[chest3r]

I'm pretty sure this would be a great experience for every car fan. This car should feel like any other one. Well, it's not really a car... it's more like a big kart, but.... it has 4 wheels :mrgreen:

Congrats for your experience!!

I love the pic with the speedster on the road

[Schwalbe]

Wow ! What an awesome and exciting activity my Swiss friends' have done recently. http://www.rs6.com/smilies/diggin.gif

You are so lucky to have received a ride onboard this road legal Go-Kart ! http://www.rs6.com/smilies/drive.gif

I love your shots of Hamlet's Speedster, especially those one in action on the road. Glad to know you been a passenger onboard the mighty Pierre' 996 turbo, btw it's great the fact that he uses his 911 turbo as daily car. http://www.rs6.com/smilies/thumbsup.gif

Thanks stmoritzer for the cool report & pictures. http://www.rs6.com/forum/images/smilies/smilejap.gif

[Mattk]

Cool! It must've been fun. Just looking at the pictures is fun.

[yg60m]

Congrats mate :D and thank you for sharing the experience :wink:

[davide]

I'm still waiting for my turn to drive or experience this kind of machinery!

Good for you stmoritzer! That Ariel is just crazy gokarting!
And the pictures are clear and sharp, top notch 8)

[TT]

The traveling shots of the Speedy are pretty good :good:

And to be passenger in such an UFO must be damn cool!!

[hamlet]

Hi everybody,

I think that stmoritzer already said and showed evrything, but I will still add my contribution with the following pics:


http://img168.exs.cx/img168/4623/atom01zf4.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom01zf4.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/8919/atom02ny4.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom02ny4.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/1828/atom03gf1.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom03gf1.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/8143/atom04yt7.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom04yt7.jpg)

http://img168.exs.cx/img168/9706/atom05of8.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom05of8.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/7255/atom06jc6.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom06jc6.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/8838/atom07wu2.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom07wu2.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/7581/atom08mp0.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom08mp0.jpg)

http://img168.exs.cx/img168/6869/atom09bs7.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom09bs7.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/6365/atom10ky3.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom10ky3.jpg)


http://img168.exs.cx/img168/1140/atom11nf1.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom11nf1.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/9003/atom12ns2.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom12ns2.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/3319/atom13kj2.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom13kj2.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/4416/atom14lm7.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom14lm7.jpg)

http://img168.exs.cx/img168/5634/atom15cu3.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom15cu3.jpg) http://img168.exs.cx/img168/5839/atom16oh9.th.jpg (http://img168.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img168&image=atom16oh9.jpg)

I had difficulties to imagine what it could be to drive such a car, especially when looking at TG or 5th Gear and seeing JC and TF screeming and saying that "it is ballistic"...

But now I know exactly what it means and I conform that there is no word to describe what you feel when you seat in this car!! It is just amazing :shock: :shock:

Compared to it, the Speedster looks like a confortable Twingo! This test was really a cool experience! 8)

The problem is that the car is not road legal in switzerland but I know that some companies are working on the subject with good hope to have it legalised by next year. After this test drive, I seriously envisage to get one by beginning of 2008, this would be a perfect second car with the Speedster 8) . I am following carefully what is going on with the homologation with a lot of interest....stay tuned!!

cheers :wink:

[Shinigami]

dani: I've experienced an Exige S and an Atom, and I'd take ALWAYS take the Atom over the Lotus, any day of the week, rain or sun no problem ;)

[DeMoN]

i wish i could get my hands on an ariel! lucky dood.

[Erez]

:twisted: I want one :twisted:
daily, weekend.. i dont care! i want one! :twisted:

[stmoritzer]

^ Exige is for chicken, Tom Ford even went thru the carwash :twisted:


@hamlet: thanks for adding your pics, my indepth pics are in the queue :bah:

@ all the recent replies: thanks for the comments, I´m quite proud of the panning shots myself, lokos like I need the Über-Porsche to make good panning shots :wink:

[martin100]

It has to be fantastic to drive two such fantastic cars in one day :shock: You lucky bastard!

[Schwalbe]

I'm glad to see Hamlet's pictures from your great Ariel Atom experience. :D

Cheers man !