New Atom now thoroughly run in

[AJLewis]

I became the proud owner of a shiny new Atom a couple of weeks ago (supercharged, alcons, adjustable suspension), drove straight from the factory to Folkestone and spent the next week running it in round the Alps. 3,300 miles later I have only one question - why didn't I buy one years ago? What a phenomenal machine. With 12h of adrenaline every day for six days I think I have become addicted.

Once I had adjusted to the immediacy of the controls and the general sensory assault I began to relax into the experience and to trust all the information that comes to you. The acceleration overwhelms the initial impression but then you start to revel in the grip, the steering feel, the 'grand piano landing from above' power of the brakes and the amazing balance of the chassis. You begin to feel the shift in how it behaves on different surfaces, in the wet, across rough and smooth roads, with different suspension settings - with everything so transparent it gives you the confidence to play, and then to start feeling that the performance and the balance are somehow 'normal'. Until you step into something else and you realise how your perceptions have been warped. I was lucky enough to be travelling with someone in a 360CS (serious car, highly recommended) where the carbon brakes make even the Alcons seem half-hearted and where the noise makes you feel you should be constantly apologising but where the acceleration is just not the same and the overall sensation is one of the bulk of the thing, and with a 997 C2S, that is a fine car but stepping out of an Atom feels like you're driving a sherry trifle. The acceleration, the turn in, the brakes (especially the brakes) feel like you're communicating with them via exchange of post cards.

Some things really surprised me. First, how incredibly friendly everyone is and how everyone wants to chat. As I'm used to driving classic cars I'm familiar with the curiosity and conversations at petrol pumps but nothing like this.  And the fantastic reaction from bikers. After a few stints jousting with bikes over mountain passes (which is huge fun in itself) the camaraderie is great. The lack of petrol it swallows (I needed to fill up as often as the other guys, but put in 30ish litres rather than +/- 60). The guy in the Aventador who wanted a photo of the Atom as it's rarer. It makes everyone smile. Apart from the sour faced old woman on a mountain pass with her fingers in her ears. Poor dear.

What would I change? The petrol gauge may have a huge reserve because of fuel surge on track but on a tour knowing where you are in your final third would be more useful. The tiny mirrors are tricky on a long trip, especially at night, and the dipped headlamps are not great, although full beams are remarkably strong. There were a couple of moments at night in the rain where I started to wonder what I was doing. But then you start to spear down a winding forest road and it all becomes clear again.

The route, by the way, is something I can seriously recommend for a life affirming trip by Atom - Ardennes, Alsace, the French TdF stages (Madeleine, Izouard, Galibier, Vars, Bonnette), up through Northern Italy via Como, into Switzerland and the Albula Pass (perennial favourite), back into Italy, North of the Stelvio, a few laps of the Dolomites, up into Austria via Timmelsjoch, Silvretta then home.

A huge thank you to Tom and everyone at the factory for all their help and for finishing the car literally the day the trip began - you have created a truly wonderful thing. I now look forward to heading to a track (Goodwood's booked for September) and to learning more about how this crazed machine behaves. Looks like I need to up my agreed mileage. And it needs its running in service as a matter of urgency.

Adrian

[John Scherrer]

Wow Adrian! You've done more miles in a week than I managed in my 1st year !
Great write up - but where's the pictures ?

If that doesn't sell the car to a potential Atom owner sitting on the fence ..

The petrol 'readout' is configurable in the SPA dash menu to make it behave a bit more realistically - you can alter its sampling period so it doesn't scare you when going up/down small inclines and alter the reserve thresholds so it doesn't flash empty when it's still one third full etc..

Welcome to Atom ownership!

[CambsBill]

[quote="John Scherrer"]
Wow Adrian! You've done more miles in a week than I managed in my 1st year !
Great write up - but where's the pictures ?

If that doesn't sell the car to a potential Atom owner sitting on the fence ..

The petrol 'readout' is configurable in the SPA dash menu to make it behave a bit more realistically - you can alter its sampling period so it doesn't scare you when going up/down small inclines and alter the reserve thresholds so it doesn't flash empty when it's still one third full etc..

Welcome to Atom ownership!
[/quote]

How do you do that John, have I missed something in the manual?  I'd certainly like to get away from the gauge reading anything between 9 & 1 litres within half a mile

[Yorkshire]

If the car is brand new won't it have the Race Technology Dash

[John Scherrer]

Yes - It will have the Race Technology Dash !

I would expect that it would have a similar menu setup process though ..

I'll find the relevant setup instructions for the older style SPA dash & post ..

[kelvin12382003]

any photos?

kelvin

[AJLewis]

Many thanks for the tip on the fuel readout. Unfortunately it means my Nobel prize for solving the world's energy crisis will not be coming through - just drive downhill in an Atom with an empty tank and it creates Super Plus all by itself.

I was pretty useless on the photos - waiting to exchange with the other guys on the trip who were much more organised (here's another photo of Adrian after 12h in a car with no roof or doors - hahahahaha etc).  But here's one on the route from the Dolomites into Austria of a biker ignoring the Ferrari for the Atom.

[AJLewis]

... 

[Welshman]

FWIW regarding the fuel gauge I have found consistently that when it reads 0 I have never managed to get more than 30 litres in it - so it has a built in 10 litre reserve.

[John Scherrer]

http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,14294.msg255062.html#msg255062

See Reply #10

[wattie]

Great write up!
Enjoy.
Cheers Wattie

[meladdo]

[quote="wattie"]
Great write up!
Enjoy.
Cheers Wattie
[/quote]

Yes great read and talk about baptism of fire running it in as you have - Mine is a year old and Ive done less than you...

[hamtt]

[quote="John Scherrer"]
Yes - It will have the Race Technology Dash !

I would expect that it would have a similar menu setup process though ..

I'll find the relevant setup instructions for the older style SPA dash & post ..
[/quote]

Only the basic stuff (brightness etc) can be set on the Dash2 from the unit itself. It has to be plugged in to a PC/Laptop via an RS232/Com/Serial port from the back of the Dash and be programmed by the utility that can be downloaded from Race Technologies website. The only issue is that on the Dash2 (unlike the Dash2 Pro) you cant READ the existing configuration so if you want to just change one setting, unless you have the original flash file (which the factory may or may not supply you), then you'll be over writing everything else with blank or default or new settings too. This includes the screen layout setup, calibration of the analogue sensors and RPM/Shift light set up (amongst other things).

I'm not sure if the Dash2 is set up to take the data from the ECU on the Atom or if its reading the sensors directly (both options are possible). If its reading the sensors directly then changing the sensitivity of any of he sensors is quite easy by just changing the time that the reading is sampled over. Increasing the time makes it less sensitive and eliminates any spikes you might get. Alternately you can just recalibrate the sensor.

Now if you had the Dash2 Pro you can just plug that in to a USB port and read all the existing settings off the dash itself.

[AJLewis]

Many thanks for all this - the deep knowledge of All Things Atom from the Ariel community is something to behold. All much appreciated.