Atom 4 - Spec and Discussion

[AlanP]

Henry,

Nice description!! Absolutely agree.

Alan

[atomiser]

I think some members are reading 'sequential' as 'semi-automatic' ?

I personally wouldn't select Sadev for mainly road use and occasional track use - it's really the other way round.

Anyway whatever you fancy - however for me I'll stick with the factory tested options - I've spent too much time in garages fixing OEM broken promises

[Anon]

Personally I love the sequential gearbox on the road - its jerky, clunky and awful around town. It makes an awful racket and to an untrained ear it would sound like the car is broken! But then I do drive a very highly modified 27 year old LandRover thats wobbly, wandery, only does 55mph, is heavy, doesnt handle, doesnt accelerate and has one purpose and one purpose only - to be good off road. And its my 1st equal favourite car ever.

This is why I want one! I don't really have the intention of driving it much on the road other than to scare friends/family and my kids! but I don't want to pay silly money for one.

[AlanP]

I don't know how many people on here have the Sadev but I'd be bloody surprised if any of them regretted getting it. It's an exciting, thrilling, adrenaline pumping thing. Just get the Quaife if you can, it'll be at least 90% of the Sadev I'm sure. The gearbox on my car absolutely dominates the driving experience. A total hard-on, better than viagra.

A

[John Scherrer]

Here's a couple of photos of the Sadev waiting to be 'commissioned' ..
(Photos taken July 2015)

[Anon]

Nice. You sold your Atom correct, did it have the Seq gearbox?

[John Scherrer]

Yes, sold on my behalf by the factory to Nick C on here - no, just the standard 6 speed manual.

[HenryJS]

don't want to pay silly money for one.

Its not going to be under £10,000. It just isnt possible...

But - as many have said here - its worth it. I promise.

[Anon]

Do you have a price yet Henry that you can share? pm is fine. I am coming down to see the car later in April. Will the seq box be fitted to any demo car by then or is it to early?

I have no concern and convinced it will be as good as you say.

[HenryJS]

Do you have a price yet Henry that you can share?

We dont - we still need to test the gearbox before we announce pricing....

Sorry!

[wasp]

Finally made it to the Factory for a test drive yesterday and my impression mirrors what others have been saying both here and in the press.
Summary for those who don't want to read any of my thought below: Thanks Ariel you've knocked it out of the park

It's a very different proposition to the other variants that have gone before it. It is massively more grown up than before and it feels like a lot more of the performance will be accessible to lots more people. It builds speed very rapidly but without the drama of the previous car. Personally I'll miss that a little bit but to Ariel's credit it's because they have done such a brilliant job with the mapping of the engine. The torque and then power deliveries are seamless with no perceptible turbo lag from the passenger seat at all. The 350 map which I didn't experience will be a bit more brutal in all probability, so whilst it won't necessarily add that much more power, it may well add the "mental" element back into the mix. The chassis and setup feel like a massive step change and I'm sure in time handle significantly more power should Ariel choose to develop an R version.

For those who use the car pretty much exclusively on the road with the odd track day here and there you really don't need to tick many boxes at all, it's an incredible machine for sub £45k, truly impressive levels of time and attention have been given to all aspects of the car and imo Ariel should be applauded for not banging them out of the door a couple of months ago, they obviously want to sell units but they need the car to be right and better to upset a few keen buyers than have cars returning with issues in the future. Mainly they have been pushing suppliers to work on quality and for that, all future owners should be grateful.

For track use, the car is going to be massively quicker over a lap. It's not the power but the usable torque. This will give so much shove out of slower corners, coupled with a rear end that feels incredibly planted under acceleration. The biggest gains will surely be under braking and through the corners as the anti-dive and anti-squat characteristics come into play, You'll be able to brake later as the car will be less unsettled and trail-brake more. Through the corners the car will stay more level, thus increasing the contact area from the (wider) tyres, giving more speed onto the next straight. The accumulative difference will be significant imo.

I've ignored my own advice (which is usually a good plan!) and ticked way too many boxes but I think this car is bloody fantastic and I think it's a proper keeper. Any one who has one on order is in for a 21st Century Atom experience! Timescale wise, they are gearing up the process with a detailed and documented build which will definitely be of great benefit for those over say position 30 on the list. Those of us under that number are just having to be patient and for me, I'd rather miss a season if I have to to get the right car in the end which I can enjoy for years to come.

Cheers,
Stu

Just in case anyone is interested, my final spec is below
Atom 4 320bhp 6 Speed
350 BHP upgrade - STANDARD Exhaust Sil. + Decat pipe + ECU reflash
Limited Slip Differential
Polishing of Complete Exhaust System
Lightweight Flywheel
3 Stage Variable Turbo Boost Controller
Baffled Engine Oil Sump
High Performance Sports Core Engine Coolant Radiator
High Performance Sports Core Turbo Intercooler
AP Racing 4 Pot Caliper/290mm 2 Piece Track Spec Brake Disc Front
AP Racing 4 Pot Caliper/290mm 2 Piece Track Spec Brake Disc Rear
Black Brake and Clutch Lines with Stainless Steel Fittings
Handbrake System for Rear 4 Pot Caliper Brakes
Cockpit Adjustable Remote Brake Bias
Ohlins TTX 3 Way Adj. Inline Remote Reservoir Dampers w/ 2 piece springs
Quick Release Steering Wheel
Fire Extinguisher (Stand Alone) - Road/Track Day Use
Towing Eye Kit Rear Race Use
Towing Eye Kit Front Race Use
3" Seat Belts/Harnesses With Alloy Chest Adjusters (each side)
3" Seat Belt/Harness Pads
V Type Crutch Strap for 3" Seat Belts/Harnesses (each side)
Road Legal Wheel and Track Day Tyre Package
Stainless Steel Fixings
Machined Aluminium Wing Mirror Set
Aero Screen
High-Level Brake Light
Locking Fuel Cap
Tracker (Insurance approved)
Reversing Camera System
Passenger + clutch footrest
Battery Optimiser/Trickle Charger
Carbon Fibre Aerofoil Front and Mounts
Carbon Fibre Aerofoil Rear and Mounts
Carbon Fibre Instrument Panel
Carbon Fibre Rear Fog/Reverse/Number Plate Tail Tidy
Black Colour Wheels
Gunmetal Powder Coat Chassis
Red Panels and a few stickers cos we all know red cars are quicker!

[Peter255]

Thanks for the feedback Stu.

And WOW thats a top spec.

Pretty much ALL the engine mods
Big brakes
Ohlins
Wings

Thats going to be mental!

[Hedge]

Nice write up, as ever, Stu

Stick a deposit down on the R now. You know it makes sense.

Cheers,
Hedge

[wasp]

Stick a deposit down on the R now. You know it makes sense.

Cheers,
Hedge

Haha, you are a bad influence Mr Hedgemeister! (tis a good shout though!)

Cheers,
Stu

[Hedge]

Ignore me. I’ve got to get past you on track one day so you stick to what you’ve got

Cheers,
Hedge