I just got my new Ariel Atom. It’s AMAZING!!! I highly recommend the Atom to anyone who enjoys speed and handling. Zero to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds!
PART I – FINDING THE ARIEL ATOM The British TV show, TOP GEAR is a mixture of the hosts making fun of really crap cars and thrashing the life out of really good ones. As it says on the BBC website the show is like a combination of “Monster Garage” with “Lost’s” budget. I sat down with a beer in hand to watch my favorite show about cars, expecting to see many that I would drool over: Lamborghinis, Ferraris… cars well out of my league financially. This particular segment featured a sports bike racing an Ariel Atom — a car at that time unbeknownst to me. This peaked my interest because I’ve been into sports bikes all my life. So, seeing a car compared to a sports bike seemed like a pretty cool thing. The Ariel Atom blew away the sports bike and within a minute of watching the car, I too was blown away and knew I had to have one. The Presenter, Jeremy Clarkson (who has driven about every four-wheeled vehicle imaginable) called the Atom, “driving Nirvana”; “the most exciting car I’ve driven”; and “fast on a new level.” The video is 9 minutes long and you can click the YouTube link below to watch it.
It definitely was a life changing moment for me and I knew I had to own one. The Ariel Atom, which was about the same price as a BMW M-3 was quicker than all bar one Supercar. It beat a $1million Porsche Carrera. Watching that video started a burn in me to own one. However, I live in Southern California and the company that makes the Atom is in Somerset, England. Nonetheless, I started visiting sites that had information on the Ariel Atom. It transpired that there was a company in Oregon called Brammo Motor Sports. Because of their skills in building race cars, they had been commissioned by Ariel to build the Atom for sale in the USA. Obviously this grabbed me massively! I looked on the Brammo Ariel site and they had what they’d call a configurator. So I played around fiddling with the configurator deciding what I would like. I picked the chassis, the color, and the engine configuration.
I ended up picking the biggest one: the 300 horse power Ecotec. I also chose the big brakes and the race shocks. However, even though the Atom was priced equivalent to the BMW M3, it wasn’t something I could not throw money away on as a toy. I was in a transitional point in my business life and didn’t think I was in a position to purchase an Atom. So it went on the backburner for about a year.
Over the course of that year I kept in touch with the Atom by visiting various forums and websites. The burn never went away. During that year I was very lucky to come across a business called Vetraceuticals. That business really changed my life. That business has exploded and it afforded me the ability to seriously look at buying the Atom. So, around Father’s Day, 2007, I kept receiving emails from Ariel that if I was going to buy the Atom, I should do so before that weekend, as prices were going to greatly increase. Fortunately through Vetraceuticals and their sponsorship (more on that later) I was able to commit to buy the car. Lo and behold, Father’s Day weekend, I wired a 25% deposit on a car I’d never seen in the flesh (only on TV and You Tube). Needless to say, buyer’s remorse set in, but I got over it as soon as I saw the Ariel Atom racing around race tracks again.
Now that I’d ordered it, the only question was, how long was the wait? Brammo was a small company and I realized I was in for a bit of a wait — estimated about 4 months. The payments were to be staged in installments of four 25% chunks. I sent my second 25% and then my third 25%, again, all on a car that I’d never laid eyes on. Then, 6 months after I’d ordered it, the day came when I could go pick up my Atom. Because Brammo were two months later than expected, they threw in some nice upgrades: a custom color-scheme that I absolutely loved, a full fire-suppression system; a master kill-switch; an updated chassis with more elbow room which is good for me since I’m a big bloke. Finally the day came. The 21st of December. Could I make it up to Oregon? My heart skipped a beat. You bet I could make it up there. Wow, what a feeling!
To be continued…
TOP GEAR VIDEO ON YOU TUBE VETRACEUTICALS BRAMMO ANDYS ATOM
Hi Andy S,
I was running a search in google for vetraceuticals and came across you mentioning it on your blog. I have my dogs on the product as well (they’re doing fantastic on it!) and was curious what your connection with Vetraceuticals is?
Hi and thanks for the post.
About a year ago, I looked for something for my dogs to improve their nutrition. I researched hard nd found Vetraceuticals to be miles better than any other supplement. I put my two (12 yr old dobie rott mix) on the formula and the positive changes in them has been remarkable.
At that time I had two other businesses and wasn’t looking for a change or an additional business. However the more I looked into Vetraceuticals, the better it got. It’s the best business model I’ve ever seen. Stress free, honest and lucrative if you’re willing to make an effort. It is based on helping dogs and cats so win win win!
Anyhow, the upshot is that I sold my two other businesses to solely focus on Vetraceuticals. Andrew, the CEO added the graphics to my truck. The income from the business paid for the Atom (I couldn’t have done it without Vetraceuticals). The car is such a head turner that I thought of adding graphics to the car and typical of his nature, Andrew has agreed to sponsor that too!!
That’s basically it. The product is fantastic, the Company is amazing and I’m now in the business model that makes total sense after 20+ years of looking!
This atom thing………looks like it could give my RSVR a bit of a run for it’s money….& this must be one of the first cars I’ve seen that could do that!
It looks a stunning english……not scottish, car & I am very envious. Get some company graphics on it Andy – it certainly will turn heads.
All that’s really missing is a St George’s cross on the front!!!!
Ha Ha!
Your RSVR is also stunning! Still can’t believe you wouldn’t have bought a Triumph! Surely Triumph and Ariel are the only worthwhile things coming out of England right now!
Definitely will get the graphics on it, but your comments have made me see a massive Saltire Cross that will have to go somewhere now too!!
Oh Dave,
News is hard to come by over here. What was the result in the Calcutta Cup?
(:>)
Andy,
I saw the same Top Gear episode and will pursue an Atom in the future. Very cool, possibly the coolest car I have seen, when it comes to purity in design. Great jog on the site, and keep posting! Some of us need to live vicariously through you for the time being…..
Thanks.
Hi Joel,
Thank you for the kind words. I’m new to this blogging thing so much appreciated.
I’m having a blast with the car now she’s street legal. I’ll add to the blog about some mechanical “foibles” (well she is British at the end of the day!) and about a gathering of Atoms.
Cheers,
Andy
Andy,
What are the ‘weather’ specifications that you stick to? I used to run a ZX11 and rarely, if ever, rode with out leather and helmet, gloves and boots (very cool at 100mph!). I live in Michigan, so we are a little cold most of the year until you get into the summer months, so knowing a ‘window of comfort’ would be helpful when calculating the fun quotient.
Regards,
Joel
You are so f’ing lucky! Outside of a KTM X-Bow this is the car I would pick out of any other on earth. And street legal in Cali? This is almost reason enough to leave my beloved Chicago for SoCal.
Joel,
Weather specs right now are factor 45 sunscreen and shades! In the winter I have a sheepskin that I wear on my bikes. When I drove her around Sequoia on the way back down from Oregon I just about froze my tabs off!
I wear a helmet on the freeways here as there’s just so much crap on the roads that gets lifted up. I usually don’t on the Canyons, with the result that my hair ends up like Woody Woodpecker!
I’m getting proper driving boots as it will make it a lot easier to control my feet. I don’t wear gloves, but will on the track.
She has a LOT more power in the cold though!
Hi Justin,
Thank you for the post. I like what I’ve seen of the X-Bow, but it’s still ethereal right?
I have to tell you that the Atom has truly cured me of desire for any other auto. I’ve honestly lost the burn for a ‘Cuda that I’ve had for years and the “Supercars” just aren’t “raw” enough. I plainly wouldn’t kick a Veyron out of the garage mind you!
At the prices of parking in Chicago you’d be better with a bike right? :>)
Forayer says : I absolutely agree with this !
Andy,
Ran across your blog after looking for who had taken over the production of the Atom. Like you I am a huge Top Gear fan (James is a proper wanker) and saw the segment with Jeremy about the atom. I was recently injured in a motorcycle accident (t-boned a pick-up truck after he pulled out in front of me) this got me thinking about looking into the Atom once again as I will not be getting back on the bike. I have had many years of track days and look forward to getting this amazing car out on the track very soon. As soon as my liability case is settled I will be paying cash for an all black Atom 3, it is very hard sitting in a wheel chair waiting for that day. Till then I will have to keep watching videos and dreaming.
Cheers,
Mark
“what if the Hokey Pokey really is what it’s all about?”
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment. I recommend a Vetraceuticals business over T-Boning a truck any day for getting the funds for an Atom!
Seriously, good luck getting fit. Keep us posted on your Atom. Cap’n Slow may be a wanker but he’s driven faster than Schumacher!!!
All the best,
Andy
i just saw that episode of topgear it was so funny because the atom ‘is so fast it can destroy your face!!!!!’ i personly wanted to buy one to what would be the price for one with the back up brakes package,i would love one ,cars are my life my first car was a vw camper with no bed and i lived in it for two weeks because my mom through me out of the house any way could you @mail (email) me the prices of the car and where you got it?
Hi Benjamin,
No worries, I’ve emailed you. As far as price goes, I’m really not sure as I got mine from Brammo and now they’re made at TMI. TMI’s site is at http://www.arielatom.com/
The Ariel UK site is at:
http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/
I suspect mine’s worth more than I paid for it, especially as I got her street legal, but I’ll keep what I paid for her between me and the IRS! (it was less than a BMW M5). I’m sure that TMI are higher than Brammo, but they’re using Honda engines, it’s the Atom 3 (although so is mine kind of) and they’re producing at a different level. It’s impossible to beat the exhilaration per Dollar ratio on 4 wheels though!
YOU LUCKY DOG!. Enjoy the Ariel Atom it is truly a love of the art, for motorsports. One question do you drive it to work?
Hi Marcus,
Many thanks! She is a blast and a treat. I drive her all the time. I work from home and use her for business as she is a perfect billboard for my websites.
Driving her for business means I get to claim the expenses too! Does it get any better? :>)
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy
I’m looking into buying an Atom in the new year and was just wondering if you have any advice for a new buyer with regards to packages and extras?
Many thanks
Andy (in England)
Hi Andy,
As far as extras go, my Mum always told me to “never wash my feet with my socks on”, so go for the 300hp and upgraded brakes and shocks. It also depends how much time on the track you’ll be doing. There are used ones that come up quite a bit in the UK, which might help as I think the current build time is long. I didn’t bother with carbon fiber as I figured I’d do an Atkins diet and save 12 grand!
The best resource you can get is at the Owners Club forum –