A streaming video on google from a UK car show called "Top Gear". The Ariel Atom. video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6514168251893889573

Quoted: A streaming video on google from a UK car show called "Top Gear". The Ariel Atom. video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6514168251893889573

Saw that vid, and saw the Top Gear episode(when they aired them on Discovery Channel here in the States).

Looks like a blast.

i'm speechless

Looks fun!

Quoted: ...and saw the Top Gear episode(when they aired them on Discovery Channel here in the States).

They aired three straight hours of Top Gear last night.

Quoted: Looks fun! Quoted: ...and saw the Top Gear episode(when they aired them on Discovery Channel here in the States). They aired three straight hours of Top Gear last night.

God damn it! Why the HELL didn't anyone let me know?  

Sorry.  I love Top Gear.

I bet the UK chicks love the 'face flapping in the wind' look.

Quoted: I bet the UK chicks love the 'face flapping in the wind' look.

Yeah it was creepy when Clarkson's face was doing that.

check this out:

www.carver.nl/video/CarverBroadcastDrive.wmv

First, I want to see what it does against a ZX10R with a better rider.

Second, I want one

Bah, I have a welder, I'll just build one. The body is the hard part, and it doesn't have one.

Quoted: I have a welder, I'll just build one. The body is the hard part, and it doesn't have one.

Thats EXACTLY what I thought when I first saw it, and saw you can't get them here.

damn,  i just picked out my next christmas present!!!

Quoted: First, I want to see what it does against a ZX10R with a better rider.

Probably not enourmously better than the CBR600 did in that vid. Bikes corner more slowly than cars because bikes loose contact with the road when they lean over (the patch of rubber in contact with the road gets smaller the more you lean). Last year an Australian pro bike racer ran a stock '05 GSXR-1000 around a racetrack against an Aus$500k Porche and there was only a few seconds difference between the two (in the bike's favour though).

Besides, you missed a couple of major points Jeremy Clarkson made in his commentary. He didn't have to wear leathers or a helmet to drive the car, and there was no chance of him falling off it. The wind noise could get very tiring on the ears for prolonged periods in an open car like that.

Second, I want one Bah, I have a welder, I'll just build one. The body is the hard part, and it doesn't have one.

So, which college did you get your degree in mechanical engineering from? I know someone who's a suspension engineer for Ford-Australia. before that he did suspension for Lotus in the UK. Building a car that handles like the Atom begins a long long time before anyone picks up a welder, it begins by knowing what you're doing when you sit down in front of the drawing board to design it.

As for comments about how Clarkson's faced looked and what the ladies might think of that, if you're buying a car to attract the wimminz, you won't be looking at an Atom in the first place anyway, their hair would get messed up and there's no mirror for them to use for their makeup.

Quoted: Quoted: First, I want to see what it does against a ZX10R with a better rider. Probably not enourmously better than the CBR600 did in that vid. Bikes corner more slowly than cars because bikes loose contact with the road when they lean over (the patch of rubber in contact with the road gets smaller the more you lean). Last year an Australian pro bike racer ran a stock '05 GSXR-1000 around a racetrack against an Aus$500k Porche and there was only a few seconds difference between the two (in the bike's favour though). Besides, you missed a couple of major points Jeremy Clarkson made in his commentary. He didn't have to wear leathers or a helmet to drive the car, and there was no chance of him falling off it. The wind noise could get very tiring on the ears for prolonged periods in an open car like that. Second, I want one Bah, I have a welder, I'll just build one. The body is the hard part, and it doesn't have one. So, which college did you get your degree in mechanical engineering from? I know someone who's a suspension engineer for Ford-Australia. before that he did suspension for Lotus in the UK. Building a car that handles like the Atom begins a long long time before anyone picks up a welder, it begins by knowing what you're doing when you sit down in front of the drawing board to design it. No ME degree here.  Just a minor in it, and plenty of friend who would love to contribute design time to a project like that in exchange for some wheel time when it was finished.  Its not WHAT you know, its WHO you know and what THEY know As for comments about how Clarkson's faced looked and what the ladies might think of that, if you're buying a car to attract the wimminz, you won't be looking at an Atom in the first place anyway, their hair would get messed up and there's no mirror for them to use for their makeup.

Quoted: Thats EXACTLY what I thought when I first saw it, and saw you can't get them here.

Actually you can get them in teh US. http://www.arielatom.com/ariel/site.php


Gareth, some people do have a very good grasp of suspension geometry and design and dont have a degree in ME. I know a guy with a BSME who looks like a kid being explained quantum physics when you talk about camber, caster, rebound, compression and spring rates when it comes to vehicle suspensions. Ironically he works for GM.

Quoted: Probably not enourmously better than the CBR600 did in that vid. Bikes corner more slowly than cars because bikes loose contact with the road when they lean over (the patch of rubber in contact with the road gets smaller the more you lean). Last year an Australian pro bike racer ran a stock '05 GSXR-1000 around a racetrack against an Aus$500k Porche and there was only a few seconds difference between the two (in the bike's favour though). Besides, you missed a couple of major points Jeremy Clarkson made in his commentary. He didn't have to wear leathers or a helmet to drive the car, and there was no chance of him falling off it. The wind noise could get very tiring on the ears for prolonged periods in an open car like that.

The tire comment used to be valid, but tire geometry isn't what it used to be. Old, skinny tires would shrink when you leaned them over, but watch what a D208GP does, assuming it's on the right width wheel. Irrelevant, though. Cars are faster in super tight corners, but the 10R has so bloody much power that a good rider would be able to get back into it and at the very least hang with the Atom.

I don't mind wearing my leathers and helmet at all, even in the summer when it's hotter than the surface of the sun here. I sure as hell wouldn't drive anything with no windshield without a helmet. I've had a helmet visor snapped in half by rocks kicked up by tires.

So, which college did you get your degree in mechanical engineering from? I know someone who's a suspension engineer for Ford-Australia. before that he did suspension for Lotus in the UK. Building a car that handles like the Atom begins a long long time before anyone picks up a welder, it begins by knowing what you're doing when you sit down in front of the drawing board to design it.

If you understand how suspension works, does it matter where you figured it out? Besides, there's always the University of Google

I can feel a massive mid-life crisis coming on.  

I've been looking at bikes again after many years, the main reason I haven't gotten one is because of the idiot drivers around here.  If these morons pull out in front of a full size car and look at you like "where did he come from!" what do they do to bikes?  Too fricken scary.

That car looks like fun.  I would love to know if one could be gotten here.  Research time.

Quoted: I've been looking at bikes again after many years, the main reason I haven't gotten one is because of the idiot drivers around here.  If these morons pull out in front of a full size car and look at you like "where did he come from!" what do they do to bikes?  Too fricken scary.

Do what I do. Treat everyone like they are out to get ya.

Plus my gloves are rather intimidating to people.

Yes thats TITANIUM plating on it. Used to have a set with carbon fibre armor on it, but wore them out racing. A freind had some drunk kid start mouthing off to him and the kid got a mouth full of carbon fibre knuckles. Second punch knocked teh kid out cold. Lesson to be learned, dont walk into a group of 30 bikers and start threatening them.

Do NOT go down with those Ti-Maxes on!!! First they cost a fortune to replace, second those palm studs will burn the $(%*$)(# out of you as you slide down the road. A friend of mine discovered that neat feature.

I wear Alpinestars SP-1s, the ones with the reinforced finger plates. Nothing says "I love you" quite like shooting the bird with serrated gloves

Quoted: Do NOT go down with those Ti-Maxes on!!! First they cost a fortune to replace, second those palm studs will burn the $(%*$)(# out of you as you slide down the road. A friend of mine discovered that neat feature. I wear Alpinestars SP-1s, the ones with the reinforced finger plates. Nothing says "I love you" quite like shooting the bird with serrated gloves

I've been down with them before. Never had issues with "burning". But I have seen Alpinestars come apart when someone crashed at the track. Also seen Teknics, Spidi, GPTech and even a set of Dainese come apart.

If you crash and keep your hands down trying to stop yourself, you are gonna burn yourself whenther the gloves have rivets or not. I went through a set of teknics in a year. Another set in 2 more yrs. Those teknics I bought were the same price as my current Timaxx's even before my sponsor's discount.  

I love that show.  They've got lots of good stuff going on.