Compare to Lotus7ish cars?

[wantone]

Currently drive a Birkin (143 hp/vtech/ nox) stateside here in Illinois ("Land of Lincoln" on our lisc. plates). Am interested in the ariel. How does the driving experience compare?

[Bruce Fielding]

Can't really say as I've not driven a Birkin - but it looks just like a Caterham, and I do have experience of those! The Atom is about the same width as the Caterham SV, so probably wider than the Birkin, so corners are more fun than a caterham. The Atom weighs less than half a tonne, so lighter than the cat and the Birkin and hence delivers a slightly better p.t.w. ratio. Having said that, if you drive a Birkin, I can do no better than recommend a trip over to the UK when the weather warms up (no heater) and give one a whirl - check out this site from time to time and see when we're off on trackdays!

Anyway, apart from the ride, cats are two a penny on trackdays whereas the Atom's head turning factor is off the scale!

[dino ferrana]

Agree on the head turning factor they are very extreme looking cars.

A Caterham is definately more fun and tends to be much quicker round a circuit. You only have to go to a track day to watch Ariels being wasted by the Caterhams.

Caterhams corner far more progressively than an Ariel which even on the newer suspension are just a biy twitchy.

[ross.mcw]

Not sure I'd agree with you there, at least not on the track days I've taken mine on anyhow. My last day at Oulton, my little 118bhp Atom kept up with everything in it's group.

The Atom is more like a single seater drive than anything else on the road - you've got to drive it very differently to a 7 as it's all about balance. Get it right and it's mint.

I've said it before - if it's an Atom you want, then you wouldn't even be considering a 7 - and vice versa of course.

Cheers, Ross.