ARIEL Atom Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

2011 - Present

While the Atom started as an ultra-light open roadster fit for two and powered by a naturally-aspirated four-banger, the 2011 Atom V8 was a different kind of animal. In 2007, the Atom was powered by a humble, naturally-aspirated inline-four, then customers asked for more power. Then it the Atom was fitted with a Honda Civic engine that boosted its power to 300 horses thanks to a supercharger. This time, the customers were pleased. But something was missing from that supercharged engine: a V-8 sound. That came in 2011 in a 25 units limited production run and a price tag that could match a ...

2008 - Present

You probably haven’t heard of Ariel, a small British company with only 7 employees. Or maybe more over the past years, but you get the idea. Starting out as a university project, the Ariel Atom unveiled its first prototype in 1996 under the nameplate of LSC (Lightweight Sports Car). The first Ariel Atom was released in 2000 and was driven by a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter engine that developed 190 hp. It’s a bit inappropriate to describe the exterior design, as it was mostly the car’s chassis, the seats, the steering-wheel and the wheels. The major upgrade was the chassis featu...

2003 - 2008

Following the successful 1999 Ariel Atom, the British carmaker considered that the car's frame could provide more excitement with a proper engine, and that's what it did. While the first generation of Ariel Atom started based on a student project, the second generation was a different job. The car manufacturer took the same space frame that defined the roadster and brought a few updates. The car's exterior looked similar, with its side ladder-type exoskeleton already produced for the 1999 model. Ariel focused on other parts, including a pair of transparent bubbles in fro...

1999 - 2002

The extremely light Ariel Atom was the roadster that shook the supercar world with its amazing acceleration times and high cornering speeds. Ariel took the light-weight concept to a different level. The British car manufacturer built a space-frame construction and added only what was mandatory on it, and everything started with a student project made for the Coventry University, in 1996, by Niki Smart, who later on became an exterior design manager for General Motors Advanced Design Team. Smart built the concept with an exoskeleton design. The construction was inspired by the air indus...