New 350PS Ariel Atom 3.5R unveiled

Meet the new Ariel Atom 3.5R. It is the next step after the Atom 3.5 and it costs 130,000 dollars; that’s nearly eight million in Indian rupees! The car isn’t India-bound but with figures like 350PS at 8,400rpm and a kerb weight of just 550kg this nearly 650PS/tonne car certainly deserves a mention. The Atom 3.5R is powered by a Honda Type R sourced 2-litre supercharged engine and comes with a claimed 0-100kmph time of just 2.5 seconds and to 0-160kmph of just six! The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with paddle shifts.

The Ariel Atom 3.5R also comes with a limited slip differential besides Ohlins springs with TTX adjustable dampers handling suspension duty. Braking is taken care of by ventilated discs on all four wheels with four piston calipers working on each disc. The Ariel Atom which uses a steel tubular frame for a chassis is one of the best cars one can have for pure driving experience. It has no doors, no air conditioning, no audio system and to be driving really fast, one needs a helmet for there is no windscreen. What it does get in terms of features is a LCD race instrumentation, projector head lamps and LED indicators and tail lamps. A four point harness for a seat belt is also advertised as its distinguishing feature.