Hi guys

[Ja5on]

New to the forum.

Looking forward to gathering as much info as I can
Still can't decide if it's worth buying a 245 and tuning or going nth for a 300.

Recent car history has been, EVO 9 MR 360, MY10 GTR Litchfield stage 4.  I sold the GTR to buy stockcar and go racing. But I just don't have the time and I miss enjoying great drives in the sunny Scottish weather.

[smokin]

Welcome Ja5on. We have a few members north of the border so maybe you can bag a ride or two (once the weather picks up) to compare. Are you looking for new or used?

[John Scherrer]

Hi Jason and a warm welcome to the forum !

A 245 is a great starting point and will still blow you away with its performance.

You can always get the charger upgrade (to 310 recently!) done by the factory for the same option price at new if you need more performance.

When you say tune it, personally I'd caution carrying out non-Ariel modifications as in some potential future customer's eyes, it may devalue the car. Having said that, I have a non-Ariel rear wing but it just bolts on to the standard car ..

We're a very friendly bunch on here, some owners have had and owned many Atoms since Day 1, so no shortage of experience and advice !

Should you have any queries, just ask away ..

[Ja5on]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I probably used tune it in the wrong context to be honest.

You answered one of my questions straight away John.  I was wondering how easy it was to get a 245 to 310.

I'd love to go new, but I don't think the budget will allow so most likely be used.

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

Welcome Ja5on, hope to have you on board soon!

Have had mine 4 years and have just supercharged it. Even with experience its a very different beast to drive so 245 may be a good place to start. Having said that, if you have race experience then I'm sure you'll be fine at 310.

The sc is epic, and I'm very glad I've done it now. Still learning the new car as they are very different. Just as a note, the factory will hold supercharger prices for those who bought directly but those who have bought elsewhere may be charged extra now as they had to have a special batch of chargers made at extra cost. Just in case you're thinking of upgrading later and didn't purchase through the factory either new or used. Factory is a great place to buy used though. They have some cracking cars to go...

[Ja5on]

Is there much of a difference between each year?

Eg if I bought a 2007 car would there be spec missing compared to for example a 2010?

[John Scherrer]

2007 was pretty much the release year for the Atom 3, 2010 was still Atom 3, the 3.5 appearing later ..

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

3.5 appeared late 2012 with new dash, lights, ecu mapping, extra chassis strength at the rear and universal joint settings. A couple of the pre 3.5 had the new dash like mine  and the ecu remap and uj adjustment are retro fitted for not much cash. Many atoms have been done as it makes considerable difference to drivability.

[Ja5on]

Cheers guys.

Beginning to get a good picture of what I'm after now.  Need to do a bit more reading on what model came out in which year haha.

Quite like the the idea of going for at least a 3, ideally a 3.5

[Peter255]

If your going used as stated due to budget you will save money in the long run buying a s/c car, rather than buying NA and adding the charger later. You would be adding a new charger at the factory to a second hand car. That's always going to cost more than just buying a s/c car second hand to begin with.

Fair play if you want to go NA and work upto the full s/c experience. This is probably safer in the short term if you have a heavy right foot!  Indeed many have done so on here. However judging from your previous cars listed above, you are used to some serious power, and getting the "full monty" experience is important to you. If you can afford it why not get the s/c version? If you are likely to s/c in future, it is the cheaper option in the long run! There is some man maths for you! 

Don't be put off by older Atoms either. All Atoms are a great drive, and the 2, 3, & 3.5 are not so massively different. They are just gradually more refined over the years. However they are all similar in look and feel. Plus reliability is not an issue if you buy from the factory or do your research on a cherished example with good history.

For me I was looking into a 3 245, or a 2 300. One was older, more raw, but faster and had the addictive s/c whine. The other newer, more refined, smoother, but slower and without the whine. No contest for me!

Just my opinion..... You'll love any of them .... when its not too cold or raining!

[Ja5on]

Peter I think you've hit the nail on the head haha.

Who am I trying to kid,  I was the full bhuna straight of the bat haha.  Yeah I love my fast cars, the GTR was great.  But I drove it everyday and it lost a bit of its charm.

So I'm thinking the atom for trackdays and the occasional sunny day drive will be perfect.  Especially around the west coast where my folks stay

[Alex Brandon-Smith]

[quote="Ja5on"]
Peter I think you've hit the nail on the head haha.

Who am I trying to kid,  I was the full bhuna straight of the bat haha.  Yeah I love my fast cars, the GTR was great.  But I drove it everyday and it lost a bit of its charm.

So I'm thinking the atom for trackdays and the occasional sunny day drive will be perfect.  Especially around the west coast where my folks stay
[/quote]

The boy's mind is made up...we shall look forward to the confirmation of purchase!