The 2019 Ariel Atom 3RS is one of the most track-focused production cars +sale today but, as this video shows, it’s not as at home on a drag strip as it is on a racetrack.
Eager to see how the Atom would compare against one of the industry’s most accelerative production vehicles, Road Test TV put it up against a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon for a race down the quarter-mile.
Looking at the stats, one may think the two would be quite evenly matched. Thanks to its modified Honda-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Atom pumps out 425 hp and 365 lb-ft (494 Nm) of torque. Those are some serious numbers, especially when you consider that the Atom weighs a mere 1,450 lbs (657 kg).
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By comparison, the Dodge Demon features a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine with 840 hp when running on 100-octane race fuel. However, it does weigh 4,250 lbs (1,927 kg), meaning the Atom has a far superior power-to-weight ratio.
Unfortunately in this drag race, the Atom driver botched the start, giving the Demon a serious advantage off the line. By the time both cars had crossed the quarter-mile mark, the Atom had run a 12.05-second time at 114 mph (183 km/h) while the Demon came home in 9.96-seconds at 143 mph (230 km/h).