New to the forums

[gordonjs]

Hello all!

New to the forums, looking around and have a question or two. I am SURE that these have been asked, but I can't seem to directly find it.

1) In the states, if I'm looking to purchase an Atom, what should I be looking for, the Atom 2? The Atom 3? And what are the prices around? I know they are around 50-70 new or so depending on the engine and options, but have they gone up/down/stayed the same in the used market? I am honestly considering one, I have been looking at an 09 Exige S 240, but this would be MUCH cooler.

2) Yes, I realize they aren't technically street legal, but it seems that many of you have had no issue at all registering and insuring them. Is this true? If so, has anyone registered one in Michigan? And what does the insurance look like? Do they even know what to do with it?!

Thanks for the help guys, Im hoping to be an Atom owner as long as the prices aren't inflated absurdly and as long as I can get one registered and insured.

[gordonjs]

And just as an FYI, this won't be a street only car. I am selling a Reynard Formula Ford and this will replace it as a dual purpose weekend driver and track car.

[silver]

they are street legal in lots of states....Michigan I don't recall if anyone's registered there.

Most people do insurance through Rally Insurance...very inexpensive and they know exactly what an atom is....they do have restrictions such as mileage and where you can drive the car and such but they have replaced at least one atom and no complaints.

Search for more details but things like registration and insurance might be visible to members only...I don't remember all the forum rules.

I'm thinking more towards 60k -70k for a good used atom 2 is the average price.

[gordonjs]

How do I become a member?

I can justify the car at 60k if I can drive it on the street, I can't as a pure track car, so it's pivotal to know if I can register in MI.

[Karl]

gordonjs, contact these guys: http://www.gtsca.com/ or any similar organization in your state, they'll probably have the information you seek.

[gordonjs]

Ironically, I emailed that EXACT group earlier today. (no reply yet) I figured if anyone would know, it would be the kit car or cobra replica guys.

[Terry Kennedy]

1) In the states, if I'm looking to purchase an Atom, what should I be looking for, the Atom 2? The Atom 3? And what are the prices around? I know they are around 50-70 new or so depending on the engine and options, but have they gone up/down/stayed the same in the used market? I am honestly considering one, I have been looking at an 09 Exige S 240, but this would be MUCH cooler.

There aren't that many used Atom 3's here yet, so if you want a 3 you'll probably need to get in the build queue at the factory. Which, fortunately, seems to have a shorter lead time than the UK, but still many months. If you're thinking of new, I'd suggest contacting TMI ASAP and asking what the current lead time is, particularly if you're interested in running a full season starting next spring. A deposit (non-refundable, I think) will hold your place while you plan your options, etc. 

A lot of the folks selling used 2's in the US seem to have the mindset of "If I don't get what I'm asking for it (or close), I'm not selling it - I'm not desperate." A lot will depend on what options you want and how well that meshes with what's on the car now. You can purchase upgrade parts from TMI (they support the Brammo cars now), but parts specific to the Atom 2 will depend on what's in stock, or lead times / minimum quantities from their vendors). A top-spec Brammo car in 2005 (before carbon fiber options got added to the choices) was around $65K new. There were a number of Brammo price increases since then. I believe the TMI Atom 3's start at $65K now. Used Atoms seem to hold their value pretty well. Just for giggles, I priced out my configuration on an old TMI price list and it came to over $100K without a couple of the options offered by Brammo and not (at that time, at least) by TMI. Note that I did add about $20K-$30K of upgrades to my car after delivery. Also, some cars come with extensive spare parts (for example, I have spares for almost all the unique Brammo pieces as well as everything that ever came off it from an upgrade). At a minimum, some cars will come with an extra set of wheels and/or tires.

There are US Atoms listed in the For Sale sub-forum here, and they occasionally show up on eBay or specialty dealer websites.

2) Yes, I realize they aren't technically street legal, but it seems that many of you have had no issue at all registering and insuring them. Is this true? If so, has anyone registered one in Michigan? And what does the insurance look like? Do they even know what to do with it?!

There seem to be processes in place for just about all states where people have registered Atoms. These vary by state, and since the Atom is such an unusual car, it is best to have all the information on what's required set before talking to your DMV. Since it is unusual, the normal clerk-type person may assume it can't be done. And if you're unlucky, you'll keep running into the same person, who just repeats "I already said no", even though it is possible - they just don't know and err on the side of caution, either out of ignorance or fear of losing their job (my state's DMV gets carted off to prison en masse around once every 10 years or so, which makes them nervous). Also, it may (or may not) matter whether an existing Atom you're trying to title was originally built as a kit car or assembled. In some states (California for one) the approval goes with the car, not the owner, so approved used California cars carry a premium (at least if the buyer is also in California).

Your best resource for info would probably be either a kit car club (which you've already contacted, it seems), your local SEMA Action Network chapter, or perhaps I-VAN.

An I-VAN appraisal could also be useful for insurance purposes - there isn't a "blue book" entry for the Atom, so you don't want to be at the mercy of what your insurance company thinks it is worth (particularly if that's less than you paid for it, or they feel the car depreciates over time). There are also "stated value" policies, where you and the insurer agree on the value of the car, and that's that. (I have one of those, and the value goes up automatically to cover inflation, and they'll also raise it on request if I add options or the cost of a replacement car has gone up).

An appraisal might also be useful in states where the requirement for a collector vehicle classification is that the car be be unique and valuable.

You'll probably do better with a collector car insurer, rather than the run-of-the-mill insurers. A lot of the latter use automated quoting systems based on the VIN and driver's info / record, and they only recognize VINs from the major manufacturers. So it'll get kicked to underwriting and they probably don't want to be bothered with all that work to sell a single policy. Collector car insurers, on the other hand, are used to unusual vehicles. Having said all that, I believe that at least one of the regular insurers has gone through the effort to rate the Atom and does offer policies on it. Once you've determined which insurers will cover your car, the choice comes down to price and policy features / requirements, such as: do they have a mileage limit? garage and/or tracking device required? agreed value policy or the insurer's determination? track coverage? (for this last one, if you want track coverage it would be good to either find out from someone else if the insurer you're considering offers track coverage, or get a separate track policy - most insurance companies get nervous when you say "track", even if you mean autocross or HPDE - this is something my BMW club has been dealing with for some time now, not at all limited to Atoms).

How do I become a member?

Click here. I think there's a human in the loop, so access won't be instantaneous, but shouldn't take more than a few days.

Edit: TMI is selling (unless they've sold them all already) their Ariel Atom Experience Atom 2's as they phased in Atom 3's. The AAE cars were built by Brammo without street features (such as lights), but TMI can apparently add these. Contact TMI (URL at top of post) to see if any are still available and what the pricing might be. 

[Manheim]

You are in luck!  Manheim Detroit Auto Auction will be selling an Atom 2 at a public auction on December 8.  The Atom was seized by the IRS.  (See the Aug 27 post "Atom 2 in Michigan will soon be on the market" under "Wanted / For Sale" in this forum for additional information.)  I will be posting more information about this auction soon on this forum's "For Sale" board.  FYI, it was seized from an owner in Michigan but a Michigan title was not issued for this Atom.