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Ariel Atom to Receive Hybrid Technology From Honda

The Ariel Atom, one of the purest forms of a modern performance car, is set to receive hybrid technology for its future variants.
Ariel Atom 3.5 1 photo
Photo: Ariel Motors
The choice of putting hybrid technology in a vehicle that does not have doors or even a windshield is peculiar, to say the least, but it comes from its engine supplier, Honda.

While making the Lotus 2 Eleven look overweight, the Ariel Atom will eventually receive a version with hybrid technology.

Fortunately, Atom fans who want to experience the car in its current form will get to do this for the next few years, as the Japanese automaker that supplies its engines to Ariel will not make the move too soon.

Instead, Honda will begin trickling technology from the 2017 NSX to hot hatches, and only then will it be sent off to the United Kingdom to fit the Ariel Atom.

In an interview with the Brits at Autocar, Ariel Motors’ boss explained that ongoing hybrid powertrain options from the Japanese company had been examined, but a more powerful setup is being expected.

As Simon Saunders, Ariel Motors’ boss, stated, the employment of hybrid technologies in an Atom will only bring more performance, so purists need not worry about the future of the lightweight model.

Naturally, fuel economy will be improved with the new hybrid system, as will be emissions. The Ariel Atom will also move to Euro 6, and the company will still focus on attaining maximum performance from the powertrain.

When asked about the potential of building an all-electric Ariel Atom, Mr. Saunders explained that it would make sense. However, do not start saving for an electric Ariel Atom just yet, as the company “will move with the times,” meaning that Ariel will probably wait for electric vehicle technology to advance and become financially feasible for a low-volume automaker. Even with a robust supplier like Honda, Ariel would still have to devise a business plan for the future electric Atoms, which will not be easy.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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