Looking at these two vehicles, it’s obvious that they couldn’t be more different. One is a practical yet maddeningly fast wagon, whereas the other is nothing more than a track toy.
Numbers can be deceiving, but in this case they tell the whole story. The Audi RS6 has 560 PS (552 HP), weighs around two tons (4,000 lbs) and will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just under 4 seconds. The Ariel Atom 3.5R, on the other hand, weighs just 550 kg (1,213 lbs), puts down 355 PS (350 HP) and is quicker to the 100 km/h mark than the RS6 by over a full second.
The Atom 3.5R is powered by a supercharged 2.0-liter Honda Civic Type R engine, mated to the same Sadev six-speed sequential gearbox as the Atom V8. It pretty much has everything it needs to be quick on the track as well as in a straight line over short distances.
Over the course of this video, you’ll see the two cars race each other twice, where the first time the driver of the Atom didn’t get as good a start as he could have (though it was a decent one). While the Audi jumped ahead by a small margin, the Atom 3.5R caught up and when they crossed the line, it was nearly a photo finish.
The second race was more conclusive, yet still relatively close. Although totally different in nature, both cars are stunningly fast and you’d be hard pressed to need more power than that.