Atom 4R HP limitations?

[Joh106]

Hi all,
Just thinking to myself wouldn’t it be cool if the new 4R could be tuned to come close the legendary Atom V8, and be near the 1hp per 1kg of weight.
But I am aware the 4R definitely doesn’t require any more power @ 400hp and would probably ruin the fun of the car.
Does anyone know how the old v8 used to cope with all that power in such a light chassis? Did it still handle ok.

Looking at civic FK8 tuners a drop in turbo and new hp fuel pump and injectors could get the engine close to 500hp without forged internals, with a new map on the dyno. Might need another ECU as the Ariels one will be locked I would assume.
I would assume cooling would be a limiting factor, but with the side pods and 55% water and 75% air cooling increases there could be scope for a power increase also. At a substantial cost though.

Just a wild idea.

[markwetherall]

The 4R will be a lot quicker than the old V8 around a track. The chassis is far better and handling is on another level. You will have no chance on modifying the 4R as ECU is locked and also cannot be changed due to dash and gearbox setup.

[Joh106]

I didn't realise the chassis improvements on the 4 had made such a huge difference to the grip of the car, but i see theirs only one second difference between the V8 and the 320hp 4 on the top gear fast lap times. So your definitely right.
I cant wait to see a comparisons when top gear get a 4R to test around the track.
I forgot about the gear box, yeah with the ECU being locked there will be no extra tuning possible.
Thanks for your reply

[Fastlane]

I believe the factory are offering up to c.500bhp, although that will include changing the internals and will be very costly. They offered an additional version of the 3.5R package that involved opening up the K20 - I believe it was quoted at 367bhp, vs 350bhp as standard and the factory admitted it was very expensive. Ariel always seem to focus on long-term reliability of their engines and so tend to over-engineer their tuning packages.

[Joh106]

I will enquire with the factory about what the extra cost would be, thanks for your help.

[speedmachine]

I didn't realise the chassis improvements on the 4 had made such a huge difference to the grip of the car, but i see theirs only one second difference between the V8 and the 320hp 4 on the top gear fast lap times. So your definitely right.
I cant wait to see a comparisons when top gear get a 4R to test around the track.
I forgot about the gear box, yeah with the ECU being locked there will be no extra tuning possible.
Thanks for your reply

Also thats a manual 320, the sequential 350 kicks the v8’s ass for sure. There probably will be aftermarket upgrades in due time I guess, there will always be someone throwing a standalone ecu at it at some point, first to do it is just a bit more expensive. I also think most people (like myself) buy the 350 sequential thinking they want more power, but because this car actually puts the power down, thats not something I long for that much.
I’ve done a one try pull on cold tyres on a dusty road and managed a 2.68 sec 0-60mph which is pretty damn fast as a real world achievement with lots left on the table. (0-200 in 9,97 isnt bad either)

No way a v8 will beat this, not even with hot tyres