The Ariel Atom is already a phenomenal track machine (or so we hear), thanks to its combination of low weight, high-revving Honda power and a minimalist approach to the number of body parts needed.
This provides the extra advantage of allowing bystanders to actually see the driver at work, pushing the clutch, using his heel to press the throttle as he (or she) gets on the the brakes – one reason why the Ariel Atom Cup should prove very entertaining to watch.
Ariel Motor Company is now developing their very own titanium chassis technology, according to a report from Autocar. It is said to cut down the weight of the chassis itself by around 40 percent, while reducing the overall weight of the vehicle by circa 8 percent. It has the advantage of a superior strength-to-weight ratio, considerably better than that of steel, but it is tricky to weld and requires special tooling (argon-filled welding chamber).
The technology is already developed, thankfully, but now the people at Ariel are torn between the two alternatives of what to do with the lighter chassis first. They could launch a special version of the Atom, which would only be made in very limited numbers, or have it in the options list, with a box for every future buyer to tick, if they so choose.
With a titanium chassis, the Atom could feasibly be made to weigh less than 500 kg (1102 lbs), but Ariel says that a more realistic target is just over 500. This would make it an even madder machine, but since it would simply take the concept one step further, it will probably become standard in time, and possibly completely eliminate steel from the construction of a future model.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
