Should I purchase Atom or Spire GTR/3

[bullet11300]

I am in desperate need of a track car ..... my dilemma is Atom or Spire GT3?

The Spire is no doubt a cheaper option, but I like everything Atom .....

A base Atom is likely to cost me £30/35K, what mods would you advise for track day use only? Do you run them with wings/slicks?

All help and advice would be fully appreciated.

Mike

Have owned Atom for road use only, now have Speads RM04 single seater open wheel, but in bits.

[Karl V]

Not sure if asking the Ariel Owners Club which car to buy will yield much in unbiased responses, but...

There have been a couple of feature posts recently from hardcore track warriors that show what levels people go to to enjoy themselves on the track.

Many others have had as much fun with their road Atom on track. Guess it depends what you're looking for...

https://ariel.club/category/projects/

[cvjoint]

If you go with the Cup Car it doesn't need anything. It can run many seasons without any real upkeep, a set of tires and a set of pads every season and two oil changes. You can run Motul 5.1 brake fluid and change it every two years. It really is that easy. The only real difficulty is keeping an eye on bolts and making sure they're not coming loose. Depending on the tires and track you may break some mirrors from time to time.

I'm not familiar with the Spire, looks like a slower Radical so I'll just compare it to an entry level Radical. On low to medium speed tracks you should go roughly the same speed. I think the Atom is really special by comparison, you shift your own gears, it's got its own unique driving dynamics with great power to weight ratio and heavy rear bias, and since there is no real aero you don't worry about winds or breaking it on offs. The engine and trans are way over built, you'll just get loads of seat time very cheaply. I see the prototype cars as more of the same thing, Radical, Mazda NP01, Norma, Wolf, what have you. If you take away their speed there is not much personality, they are great machines but not as fun to unleash as an Atom. If you look at other exoskeleton cars built to rival the Atom, they all have some huge compromises, either the engine is in the wrong place, or you're looking at donor parts that shouldn't really be in an open cockpit car.

If you go to the track to have fun, learn skills, and want to do it cheaply, not sure there is anything else out there that does it as well as the Atom. If all you care about is beating others/speed, then the prototype cars with sequentials and lower drag will be more appealing.

[Anon]

^^ what he said. I also don't know the Spire - I have seen a few at track days but never driven or been near one. Comparing it to a Radical is probably a valid view point. The Radical below a SR8 or RXC are just dull as dish water if I am being honest. They just don't feel fast and I think the spire has less power than a SR3? Yes you hurt going round corners because it has so much downforce but that's it. It's not until you get to a SR8 or RXC when they start to become fun and feel fast imo by taking your breath away, but they cost £100k+.

The Atom feels like a lunatic, ridiculous amounts of power, granted you won't go around corners as fast as a Spire - most likely but I know when I get out of an Atom my smile is bigger than it has when I have got out of a Radical (I only have experience of Radicals in these type prototype category)