Ariel was thrust into the spotlight in late 2004 when Jeremy Clarkson drove its second-generation Atom on Top Gear, with its lack of a windscreen creating an iconic moment, albeit an unpleasant one for the presenter.
That was less than five years after the company was founded, and it continues to build the Atom a quarter century later, as the latest fourth-generation model continues to roll down its production line.
To celebrate its 25th birthday, Ariel has unveiled the new Atom 4RR, the most potent version of its current model yet.
Powered by the turbocharged ‘K20’ 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from a Honda Civic Type R, Ariel has modified the four-pot to produce 391kW and 550Nm – a healthy 93kW increase over the ‘standard’ 4R, and 19kW more than its famed Atom V8.
On top of the power increase, Ariel has made “a host of internal changes and new components, as well as optimised oil and fuel systems”, however it’s yet to detail exactly what changes have been made.
Apart from its unmissable fluorescent yellow livery, there don’t appear to be too many changes between the Atom 4R and the Atom 4RR, which means wild Formula 1-esque wings and sidepods, as well as exposed pushrod suspension.
Ariel says it’ll announce more details soon in the future, expected to be next weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
What we do know is just 25 examples of the Atom 4RR will be made, representing one-quarter of Ariel’s current annual production capacity.
However, it does have the opportunity to build the 4RR outside of the UK and in Australia, with the Lightspeed Motor Company announcing in May it had secured the exclusive licence to the Atom and its off-road Nomad sibling.
Lightspeed said it plans to manufacture and export Ariels in Melbourne, having claimed to “secured the rights to sell the Ariel Atom and Nomad across Asia Pacific”, which it says “unlocks a powerful expansion pathway and local production means competitive pricing, shorter lead times with local compliance”.
The firm claims more than 4000 expressions of interest were taken for the Atom in late 2023 when Ariel partnered with Road and Track as its official dealer Down Under.
“By producing the Atom and Nomad domestically, Lightspeed will eliminate lengthy delays, reduce costs, deliver a strong return to investors and deliver these iconic machines into the hands of passionate Australian drivers faster and more affordably than ever before”.
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