Who is selling the 275?
Discussion
I don't know anything about the 275 that's for sale but I can tell you that the 300 BHP engine is the same as a 275 except that it has a Hondata ECU. The options/upgrade paths you have are as follows:
220 BHP engine + Hondata ECU = 245 BHP
220 BHP engine + supercharger = 275 BHP
220 BHP engine + supercharger + Hondata ECU = 300 BHP
Each of these levels can be spec'd at build time or retrofitted, although if you have a 220 or 275 BHP car and want to go to 300 BHP then you'll need to pay for a new wiring harness to suit the Hondata ECU.
As always, you're better off to buy what you want at build time but it can be hard to know how much power you want/can cope with before you own. If you think it's likely that you'll eventually want 300 BHP, then it might be best to pay a little extra for the Hondata ECU at build time save money at upgrade time. You also get 245 BHP straight away.
Everyone is raving about the 300 BHP car at the moment for obvious reasons but it's easy to forget that the 160 BHP car has a higher power to weight than a Porsche GT3 (and that's including the driver). Most sane humans will therefore find the 160 or 220 BHP cars an absolute rush and more than they'll ever need or want.
But it's nice to know that as your skills improve there's more power available for the 220. I think it was Martin Brundle who said that in the 2000 BHP/tonne days of F1 he'd be terrified by the car on the first test session of a new season but come the afternoon he'd be on the main straight thinking 'gee, if this thing had a few hundred more horsepower it'd really go ...'
220 BHP engine + Hondata ECU = 245 BHP
220 BHP engine + supercharger = 275 BHP
220 BHP engine + supercharger + Hondata ECU = 300 BHP
Each of these levels can be spec'd at build time or retrofitted, although if you have a 220 or 275 BHP car and want to go to 300 BHP then you'll need to pay for a new wiring harness to suit the Hondata ECU.
As always, you're better off to buy what you want at build time but it can be hard to know how much power you want/can cope with before you own. If you think it's likely that you'll eventually want 300 BHP, then it might be best to pay a little extra for the Hondata ECU at build time save money at upgrade time. You also get 245 BHP straight away.
Everyone is raving about the 300 BHP car at the moment for obvious reasons but it's easy to forget that the 160 BHP car has a higher power to weight than a Porsche GT3 (and that's including the driver). Most sane humans will therefore find the 160 or 220 BHP cars an absolute rush and more than they'll ever need or want.
But it's nice to know that as your skills improve there's more power available for the 220. I think it was Martin Brundle who said that in the 2000 BHP/tonne days of F1 he'd be terrified by the car on the first test session of a new season but come the afternoon he'd be on the main straight thinking 'gee, if this thing had a few hundred more horsepower it'd really go ...'
Hi all,
I'm not sure what the true power figues are for the whole range anyway.
We have the standard 220 with the Non Honda management and tom told me that it produced about 235-240bhp when it was tested.
I'd be interested by anyone that had the supercharged one tested as I'd guess it produces a bit more than the 300 claimed.
I'm not sure what the true power figues are for the whole range anyway.
We have the standard 220 with the Non Honda management and tom told me that it produced about 235-240bhp when it was tested.
I'd be interested by anyone that had the supercharged one tested as I'd guess it produces a bit more than the 300 claimed.
I have Dyno tested my Atom 220 (with 98 unleaded fuel) and the 220hp are 220hp (200hp at the wheels), not more .... and there is no serious reason to make more.
With the Hondata it's different because the ECU is more "powerfull" than the MBE one, so it's logical to win some hp. 25hp more ? perhaps.
With the Hondata it's different because the ECU is more "powerfull" than the MBE one, so it's logical to win some hp. 25hp more ? perhaps.
To change from a 275 to a 300 bhp supercharged one is a lot more complicated than just changing the ECU. I have been looking at this in the context of upgrading our 220 to a 300 and we have decided its better simply to sell it and buy a 300.
You need the Hondata ECU and a new loom, plus a few other bits 'n' pieces (I never asked what they were), so its nearer £2k than just the cost of the ECU. The real benefit is that with the Hondata ECU, you can upgrade it with any factory upgrades, such as changes in charger drive ratios, and programme upgrades. Its also a lot smoother in power output because its more sophisticated.
MC
You need the Hondata ECU and a new loom, plus a few other bits 'n' pieces (I never asked what they were), so its nearer £2k than just the cost of the ECU. The real benefit is that with the Hondata ECU, you can upgrade it with any factory upgrades, such as changes in charger drive ratios, and programme upgrades. Its also a lot smoother in power output because its more sophisticated.
MC
Yes, the wiring harness is pretty much a thousand pounds so you're better off specifying it at build time rather than paying for the standard 220 harness only to discard it on upgrading. The other bits and pieces that need to be fitted when converting a 220/275 to 300 BHP are genuine Honda sensors to replace those suiting the standard ECU.
Ariel have found that some 220 engines dyno as high as 240 so Julian you may be one of the luckier ones. The main power benefit of the Hondata ECU is the addition of VTEC duration control so all engines will benefit from a ~25 BHP boost by having the Hondata.
As Meyrick says, there are other benefits to the Hondata. Another is that you can hook it straight up to Honda diagnostics equipment at any Honda dealer rather than use a multimeter to search for faulty sensors, and there's a warning light on the ECU that indicates a sensor fault. It also takes advantage of all the Honda settings for startup, idle, etc. being a reprogrammable Honda ECU.
I don't, however, blame Ariel for not including the Hondata as standard - it would increase the base price of a K20A Atom by £1300 for something that not everyone needs nor wants. But if it's within your budget then it sounds to be worthwhile.
Ariel have found that some 220 engines dyno as high as 240 so Julian you may be one of the luckier ones. The main power benefit of the Hondata ECU is the addition of VTEC duration control so all engines will benefit from a ~25 BHP boost by having the Hondata.
As Meyrick says, there are other benefits to the Hondata. Another is that you can hook it straight up to Honda diagnostics equipment at any Honda dealer rather than use a multimeter to search for faulty sensors, and there's a warning light on the ECU that indicates a sensor fault. It also takes advantage of all the Honda settings for startup, idle, etc. being a reprogrammable Honda ECU.
I don't, however, blame Ariel for not including the Hondata as standard - it would increase the base price of a K20A Atom by £1300 for something that not everyone needs nor wants. But if it's within your budget then it sounds to be worthwhile.
I am selling the 275, so make me an offer, a good one obviously.
I live in Brussels, I paid a shed load of money for the car with a very high spec, then upgraded with the supercharger and brakes and rod ends etc last June. In total it cost about 37-38k, it has done only 2k miles, or 3200 kms.
I live in Brussels, I paid a shed load of money for the car with a very high spec, then upgraded with the supercharger and brakes and rod ends etc last June. In total it cost about 37-38k, it has done only 2k miles, or 3200 kms.
The car can be LHD or RHD, I had this set up as I live in Brussels but hopefully not for ever. The objective was to easily convert the car for longer trips back to the UK and eventually permanently. Email has been sent to you directly. Time to buy property, as I am selling a flat in the UK and need to climb a step up on the ladder.
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