BMW driver thinking about coming to the darkside!! Herts/Beds area UK

[Jules-B]

Hi All
Im looking at buying an Atom this year, and after reading page upon page on here i thought id join!

A bit of history!.
My Dad is a motorcycle dealer, and ive been riding offroad since i was about 3!. Ive always had the performance bug, and now im on car number 10 in 3 years! I have been considering getting a bike but an atom might be a better/safer option!

At the moment i drive a BMW 335i at the moment, and have owned a few other high power cars. I would probably want an atom 2 300, however i may settle for a 245. I have not ridden in either, so that would probably be a good place to start, Any owners from the Herts/Beds area here?

Im looking to sell the 335i, get a diesel for everyday and have the atom as the toy! What second cars do you all own?

The only issue i can think of at the moment is insurance, I am only 21 (probably 22 when i get the atom) Where can i try for insurance? im paying around 4k for the BMW

I understand that you guys must get alot of young guys come on here dreaming, But i am not one of them!


Thanks for your time!

Jules (Julian)

[benyeats]

Hi Julian,

Welcome to the forum.

I am somewhere near Beds / Herts being West of Cambridge and would be happy to take you out for a ride.  Not to drop any hints but I am particularly keen to have a go on an off road motorbike!

I think insurance may be a struggle at your age, I know one other young owner was restricted to track use only, although this was on a 300, a 245 may be possible.  Might be worth giving Adrian Flux a call.

Ben

[wattie]

Hi and welcome!

If you can insure it (on stated mileage) get one.....best move you'll ever make- funwise with a car.....plain old 245 is very very quick!!!

Second car....Alfa Gt Deisel...for shopping.

Cheers and good luck, Wattie

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="Jules-B"]
What second cars do you all own?
[/quote]

The Atom is realistically my third or fourth car (in the usage order) !

I think that perfection lies in having a small collection of cars which suit various occasions:

If the need is for a dogmobile, I have a Volvo estate
If I want to feel like a fat, balding, middle aged, self-obsessed golf-loving, senior executive tit, I have a BMW 5 Series*
If I want to cruise around Europe, or just to lunch, I have a 1964 Alvis TE21 DHC
If I want to get somewhere in a timely fashion in London, I have a Yamaha XJR

And If I want to do trackdays, or mad road trips, or just give pedestrians cricked necks and mobile phones something to photograph on motorways - I have an Ariel Atom



*Can you tell that this isn't my favourite car?

[Jules-B]

Thanks for the replies!
benyeats- Do you have a 245 or 300?

my mind is telling me to get a 245 and be sensible, but my heart is telling me to get a 300!

If you dont mind me asking, how old are you guys and whats the insurance like?

[Hedge]

Dude,

Forget about the 300; I honestly can't see you getitng a quote for it....besides which the plain old forgotten-about 245 is mentally fast.

I've had two! An A2 245 and now an A3 245.

If you want an Atom 2 245 you could do a lot worse than Richard's (Marler). PM him or look on Pistonheads.

Good luck and welcome to the Dark Side 

Cheers, Hedge

[Jules-B]

Just looked at the specs and the 245 is still mentally quick.

Hedge, did you notice all of the differences between the atom 2 and 3? would it be worth spending extra cash for the 3?.

Also does anyone know the cost of the supercharger upgrade from the factory?

Getting more and more excited about owning one!!

Jules

[Dave W]

Have a 3 245 & very pleased with it.  Have a 120D M Sports Coupe for day 2 day, which is actually quite good fun to drive & pretty rapid for a diesel.

[wattie]

There's some excellent advice on this forum Jules.....Hedge..Dave etc

The 245 will outdrive anything you've ever driven before (or are likely to,  for a long time).... and is an excellent intro to familiarise yourself with the car. Remember you can always upgrade to the 300 if you wish at a later date.

The noise of the 245 as opposed to the 300 is different too! A growl that many prefer ....over a whine (you're too young to be married I suspect- controversial??)

Take your time, read the many reviews on the forum and whatever you decide, you won't be disappointed!

Cheers Wattie, 45 going on 23

[Dawsey7]

Hi Jules

Welcome to the club and the obsession which is an Ariel Atom!!

I am in Herts/Beds/Bucks borders, Tring, and will happily take you out in one of our cars, due to your age I cannot let you drive one but it will at least give you an idea.

For your insurance, I did look for a mate who was 28 on our 160 and could not get a quote, 30 was the cut off. There is a thread on here, think Clubroom, which gives a list of potential companies, make a few calls.

When I bought my first Atom, 160, I had a 987 S, after a month I was bored of the Porker due to having an Atom, impending baby ensued so I sold 987 and bought a E90 335i, totally love it despite being a BM, all it needs is a LSD!!! Saying that I would at the drop of a hat lose the 335i and take a 'Rover' City Car so long as I kept an Atom.

Let me know if you fancy a run out and doing a factory trip this Sat if you want to go down to Somerset? They have a few for sale down there.(Anyone - empty down from LU7 if anybody needs/wants anything).

Cheers
Dawsey

[FlyingTrotter]

The supercharger addition is £5k plus VAT - paid for mine today !!!

Welcome on board - hope you can secure insurance at a sensible price

[benyeats]

[quote="Jules-B"]
Thanks for the replies!
benyeats- Do you have a 245 or 300?

my mind is telling me to get a 245 and be sensible, but my heart is telling me to get a 300!

If you dont mind me asking, how old are you guys and whats the insurance like?


[/quote]

I have a 245.

To be clear get a 245 and it costs the same to upgrade in future as it would cost you at build time as it will give you time to get used to the car, it is very unlike almost all other cars.  Even an Atom 1 120 would be quicker than a 335i.

I am 34 (to those who have met me really, I just had a hard paper round) and pay about £350 a year iirc, this amount has not change much since getting my first Atom when I was 28 (I think)

Ben

[Rob Evans]

Jules,

At age 21, an Atom 245 is all the car you need. It will be much quicker than anything else you've driven - gauranteed. You will have to adjust your senses.
Atom 2's are raw and visceral. They fizz with energy even at stanstill!
Having owned an Atom 2 245 for four years and now on an Atom 3 300, the extra acceleration is noticeable and extreme (and fun and addictive).
I believe upgrading with a supercharger costs £6k, although on the 2's this requires the extra expense of removing the engine first.

Get yourself a passenger ride, and then be prepared to want no other car.

Rob.

[Steve]

245 will be considerably easier to insure than a 300, and given your age, the 245 won't be easy to get quotes for.

Personally went straight for the 300, and with hindsight should probably have started with a 245.

Have an SLK55 as a runabout.

Good luck.

[morgy]

Hi

I would go and get some quotes for insurance before you get to carried away and buying/ordering one.  I have had a atom 2 225 i had it supercharged as soon as i got it so putting it up to 275 both very very fast. I now have a 3 300 there isn't a massive difference except the 3 is much smoother than the atom 2.

I am 36 and my insurance is circa 600 with 3000 miles fully comp. my daily drive is a beaten up 96 tds astra estate that just tow's the atom on a trailer (soon will have a Q5)

You are better of buying a 245 then getting it super charged after a year or so or when your 25 when you insurance will go down (but if your paying 4k for a BMW then i am sure you can afford 4k for atom insurance) if you can get it!!!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!