Wednesday 27th May 2009

500bhp Ariel Atom V8 Engine Revealed

Details of Ariel's new supercar baiting 3.0-litre Atom 500 V8

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Ariel has released the first picture of the new engine that will power the firm’s V8 Atom sports car.

The 3.0-litre V8 will produce 500bhp, and will be lighter than the Honda engine currently being used to power both the naturally aspirated and supercharged versions of the Ariel Atom 3. According to Ariel the whole unit weighs less than 90kgs, and adopts a new cam arrangement to help lower the engine size and weight.

The V8 Atom 500 will have a power to weight ratio in the region of 1000bhp, twice that of a Bugatti Veyron and similar to Caparo’s T1. Power will be mated through a conventional Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox, although Ariel is exploring the possibility of a paddle shift option.

Numbers will be limited to just 25 examples as the Atom 500 will be built at the firm’s existing factory in Somerset. The engines are also likely to be built on-site in a workshop away from the current hand-assembled production line that produces around 100 cars per year. However, the build process is unlikely to start until midway through 2010, as the company is already working at full stretch, and will take between 4-6 weeks to complete each car with around one V8 leaving the factory per month.

Ariel claims the Atom 500 will reach 60mph in under 2.5sec and break 100mph in under 6 seconds. The new V8 powered car will also get substantial modifications to the car’s aero and brake package, as well as new suspension, and will come with a high level of specification that includes options from its 'standard' cars, including the lightweight magnesium alloy wheels.

Ariel has yet to announce a price for the Atom 500, but while speaking to PistonHeads last week Ariel boss Simon Saunders confirmed that the V8 would cost in excess of £100k but ‘no more than £135k’.

Saunders also underlined the need for the Atom 500 customers to be properly trained before taking delivery of their new cars, and believes the company will offer some form of handling day for V8 owners before handing over the keys to what he expects to be ‘the pinnacle of the petrol engine’s performance in a road car’.

[Frimley111R]

Blimey! I didn't expect them to bother making their own V8. Excellent work if it is lighter than the Honda 4 pot.

[kambites]

[LeeThePeople]

Thats mental!

[Fidgits]

want one!

[Garlick]

Well done to Simon and the team.

[drb5]

Seems every manufacturer is sticking to crazy prices...

[G_T]

"...reach 60mph in under 2.5sec and break 100mph in under 6 seconds..."

How the bks does it have the traction to get that power down?

[GPT]

Frimley111R said:

Blimey! I didn't expect them to bother making their own V8. Excellent work if it is lighter than the Honda 4 pot.

Pretty sure the engine is one of these (or at least very close) basically a couple of Hyabusa engines:

http://www.h1v8.com/f/H1_V8-516.pdf

And this is what it might sound like:

http://www.h1v8.com/f/h1.mpg

Edited by GPT on Wednesday 27th May 15:20

[ewenm]

drb5 said:

Seems every manufacturer is sticking to crazy prices...

It's not that crazy really for the performance - Caterham sold all their Levantes at £115k. Ok so "all" was 8 but Ariel only want to sell 25.

[Garlick]

drb5 said:

Seems every manufacturer is sticking to crazy prices...

I knew someone would say that. It's not that bad, considering the numbers to be built and the fact that every one is hand built too.

If I was in the market, i'd take this over a Caparo.

[steveb8189]

135k!!!!! That seems a huge ammount of money for what it is..

Anyone hazard a guess at how much the engine would cost if you could buy it off the shelf?

[ExPat2B]

The way pistonheads is going at the moment, I am just waiting for someone to knock this triumph.

[ewenm]

G_T said:

"...reach 60mph in under 2.5sec and break 100mph in under 6 seconds..."

How the bks does it have the traction to get that power down?

Good question. Engine right over the rear wheels but even so...

[Fidgits]

G_T said:

"...reach 60mph in under 2.5sec and break 100mph in under 6 seconds..."

How the bks does it have the traction to get that power down?

well, i dont think its going to really... most of the weight will be over the rear wheels, and the rear spoiler will help above about 50mph... but i imagine its going to spin the rear wheels through most of the gears if your lead footed..

[Scotty996T]

Top chaps and what a great idea - interesting to see how it'll compare to the stupidly priced Caparo given the Atom may have less downforce. Well done anyway!

[ewenm]

steveb8189 said:

135k!!!!! That seems a huge ammount of money for what it is..

Anyone hazard a guess at how much the engine would cost if you could buy it off the shelf?

Seems a lot cheaper than anything else with that performance (other than the no-longer-available Caterham Levante as mentioned above).

[GPT]

steveb8189 said:

Anyone hazard a guess at how much the engine would cost if you could buy it off the shelf?

About 37,000 USD is my guess ...

http://www.h1v8.com/h1h2pricing.html

[jayfish]

GPT said:

Frimley111R said:

Blimey! I didn't expect them to bother making their own V8. Excellent work if it is lighter than the Honda 4 pot.

Pretty sure the engine is one of these (or at least very close) basically a couple of Hyabusa engines:

http://www.h1v8.com/f/H1_V8-516.pdf

And this is what it might sound like:

http://www.h1v8.com/f/h1.mpg

Edited by GPT on Wednesday 27th May 15:20

exactly what i was thinking

[kambites]

G_T said:

"...reach 60mph in under 2.5sec and break 100mph in under 6 seconds..."

How the bks does it have the traction to get that power down?

Very, very, sticky tyres, at a rough guess.

[markh1]

surely there has got to be a market for the engines?!