Taunt Death in a British V8 Go-Kart
Much to the sorrow of Jeremy Clarkson, the English automobile manufacturing industry is limited to small firms producing limited volume, home grown sports cars. Firms like Caterham, Noble, Morgan (wood you in a car?), Ariel and [the Emperor's new] Bristol. Caterham continues to make the 40-year-old 7 roadster– a great summer Sunday car (for the South of France). And Ariel Atom roadster is a kick in the proverbial pants. Which just became a big ass boot. Both Caterham and Atom are now offering their maniacal machines with a eight cylinder engine: a 2.4-liter V8, supercharging its way to a staggering 500 horsepower, breaching the mythical 1000 bhp/ton ratio. (Caterham plans to offer a naturally-aspirated 380 horsepower model, and it's a safe bet Ariel would do the same if you asked nicely and paid them generously.) Caterham's claims the front-engined RS V8 will teleport customers to sixty in under three seconds. That'll do pig, that'll do.
Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.
More by Justin Berkowitz
Comments
Join the conversation
I wouldn't mind just the normally aspirated 2.4L V8 with 10k of revs. For such a light car, forced induction will not be pretty. Now, if I have that engine in my Miata, all the big bullies who picked on my hairdresser car will know my barbaric yawp.
This is why I like playing cars! Absolutely frikkin' brilliant!
I love the ariel, exige, etc.. but that is just ridiculous. impressive, but ridiculous.
How the heck can they put that kind of hp (and I presume similar torque) to the pavement in a car like the Ariel Atom that weighs ~1,000 lbs? That's just insane. I love it! And, can't wait to see the video of Clarkson driving the new 500 hp Ariel (Hamster will probably get the Catterham).