Cheapest Atom ive seen so far.....

[damouk]

This has to be the cheapest Atom for sale so far....Gulp!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARIEL-Atom/221931946010?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D54eec8f6eef64e4b974fe8b4738c36e2%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D331626102637

[Facial Hair Optional]

That is the lowest price I've seen in a while but it has been listed before and didnt sell last time out. It is afer all 11 years old and actually not that quick compared to more up to date Atoms (or to the BKCC VFC boys for that matter).

I watched some Atoms at the recent Supercar Saturday at Combe and have to say I was very underwhelmed considering what they cost and how much one driver was bigging his up. My mates Radical would wipe the floor with them!

Instead why not buy this and stick a Hayabusa engine in it? It's brand new too!!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RADICAL-CATERHAM-ARIEL-ATOM-Eater-ATS-Sport-Track-Car-/231741993121?hash=item35f4e630a1:g:CGsAAOSwYHxWOlPm

[SPAXIMUS]

It is a good price, but not the desirable one as power is the reason it is not selling.

I would hope a Radical would wipe the floor with an Atom, as one is designed for track without compromise, the other is a dual purpose car.

I have seen Atoms which are seriously fast, but as always there are those who will drive hard others who do not. My first Westfield was a pinto engine car and yet I could blitz many more powerful cars it should have not been able to, as it was cheap and I was never concerned with binning it I went flat out everywhere

[Moleman]

If I could afford a track car as well as the westy then a radical would be a better choice than a atom. But I will have to settle for doing the same as Spaximus & just go flat out everywhere. Even if it means taking ages for the carpets to dry out in this weather after a wet track day. 

[Lucky Ed]

I've yet to see an Atom driven really quickly on a track day, they are notoriously difficult to drive anywhere the limit and need a superhero driver to get the best out of them, and I'm sure I'd be quicker in my own car as I don't have that level of skill. Radical drivers have told me you need a high level of commitment to get the best out of them, as you need to carry a lot of corner speed to get the aero to work, so you can't build up speed, you just have to go for it and I don't think I could keep up that for a whole day

[robp]

I've yet to see an Atom driven really quickly on a track day, they are notoriously difficult to drive anywhere the limit and need a superhero driver to get the best out of them...

Yes, me too.  I have never seen one going really quick.  It is perhaps the money the owner has invested and doesn't want to wrap it (like Spaximus was saying).  Everyone who has one seems to love them though and says they are great fun to drive.

Radical drivers have told me you need a high level of commitment to get the best out of them.

This is partly what puts me off getting one.  It is probably more fun have something that moves around a bit rather than some downforce laptime rocket.  However I do like them   However, it is mainly forking out a lot of money on something you can only use on track.  I just don't do enough trackdays to justify the expense.

[robp]

... I will have to settle for just going flat out everywhere.

That's my boy!! 

[Facial Hair Optional]

Can't you get road legal Radicals? Even if you can I guess they would not be much fun on the road.

They are enormously quick on track in the right hands though, my mates is an older one and he has lapped Combe in under 1:04 !! But then he is a very, very good track driver I have to say and has a fair few years racing under his belt.

[sanzomat]

In my view, unless you are actually racing, its not so much about how fast you go or how low your lap times are, its about the fun you have and how big the smile on your face is. Faster doesn't necessarily mean more fun (but being lapped by everyone isn't much fun either). In my view a car that is a bit more forgiving of non-superhero talent will be both faster and more fun for most people.

If you throw in the need for the compromises of having just one "toy" e.g. the mrs going in it from time to time, no trailer etc then radicals (or even atoms (or asbos!)) drop down the list a bit...

Luckily there is plenty of choice of cars to suit all the different people!

[Crunchie Gears]

That is the lowest price I've seen in a while but it has been listed before and didnt sell last time out. It is afer all 11 years old and actually not that quick compared to more up to date Atoms (or to the BKCC VFC boys for that matter).

I watched some Atoms at the recent Supercar Saturday at Combe and have to say I was very underwhelmed considering what they cost and how much one driver was bigging his up. My mates Radical would wipe the floor with them!

Instead why not buy this and stick a Hayabusa engine in it? It's brand new too!!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RADICAL-CATERHAM-ARIEL-ATOM-Eater-ATS-Sport-Track-Car-/231741993121?hash=item35f4e630a1:g:CGsAAOSwYHxWOlPm

A new one from ATS is 17500 GBP without engine!    but the hidden cost would be very high  a devorce

[Crunchie Gears]

I've yet to see an Atom driven really quickly on a track day, they are notoriously difficult to drive anywhere the limit and need a superhero driver to get the best out of them, and I'm sure I'd be quicker in my own car as I don't have that level of skill. Radical drivers have told me you need a high level of commitment to get the best out of them, as you need to carry a lot of corner speed to get the aero to work, so you can't build up speed, you just have to go for it and I don't think I could keep up that for a whole day

I saw an Atom and a Porker GT3 going for it on a trackday at Donnington.  Both drivers were very committed   Good to watch.  Fortunately for my pride I was in the intermediate session in a VX220T

[Facial Hair Optional]

In my view, unless you are actually racing, its not so much about how fast you go or how low your lap times are, its about the fun you have and how big the smile on your face is.

In some people's books those go hand in hand Dave! In my view (at track days at least) the fun you have and the smile on your face is DIRECTLY linked to how fast you get round the track. Though I have to say personally I found having a spin or two and a 'straight on' at Bobbies was great fun and I nearly wet myself laughing out loud, but it did destroy my laptime of course. You could not have got a bigger smile on my face other that when I did my fastest lap - satisfying or what! I think it's the fear that makes me laugh!!

After my laps at Combe on Supercar Saturday in my mate Steve's Caterham I was grinning from ear to ear for about an hour at least! He scared the whatsit out of me and I loved it!!!

Faster doesn't necessarily mean more fun (but being lapped by everyone isn't much fun either). In my view a car that is a bit more forgiving of non-superhero talent will be both faster and more fun for most people.

Yes it does! ha ha ha!!  If you don't have superhero talent (as I don't) then you can drive an unforgiving car slower and still be quicker than a more forgiving car, just don't go so near the ragged edge! My ASBO taking it easy would still bladder my Tiger flat out no probs at all (for example) and hence for me at least be more fun.

If you throw in the need for the compromises of having just one "toy" e.g. the mrs going in it from time to time, no trailer etc then radicals (or even atoms (or asbos!)) drop down the list a bit...

No doubt about it Dave, your car is lovely but it is not my cup of tea because we both chose our cars based on different critera and needs I am guessing? To me I want a car that is raw and that I can drive on the road and blatt around a track to it's limits (or more likely my limits which are much lower than the cars!) and that looks like it doesn't even belong on the road. I have never owned any other car that brings so many smiles to the faces of people as it drives by them!

I don't have a Mrs to worry about going in it or not and if I did maybe I'd get a nice MX5, supposedly the best small sports car ever made (according to some at least), also can be very good on track I hear?

It also depends on the Mrs!! The last girl who came in my car was a 20 year old and I didnt hear her complaining, in fact she bloody loved it to bits. Actually, there has been one other since, my mates Mrs who squealed like a little baby and begged me to stop and then when I did she begged me to do it all over again!! Women eh, you just gotta love 'em!!

Luckily there is plenty of choice of cars to suit all the different people!

I totally totally agree, that is what makes these cars, this club and it's members so flippin' great!! 

['The Gaffer']

Damn, now that got me looking at Hayabusa's I do miss a bike engine

[Facial Hair Optional]

That is f in fantastic Gaffer!! I'm on my first BEC and I have to say they are sumfin else. Closest thing to being in a race car I've ever experienced on the road.

I remember the test drive when the seller put his foot down and went thru the gears, I thought to myself 'this is like flippin Formula 1!!!' You do soon get used to it though 

[SPAXIMUS]

A good friend of mine had a Noble, after he had had various 7 type cars. It was as fast as you would want but on track days he found it no fun. No one wanted to have a go at racing him at all(we all know it is not allowed wink wink) but he just got no fun out of it.
He then got rid and got a cheap Boxster and we did a day at Pembury which was just fantastic him in that me in my Westfield and another mate in an Elise all fast enough

[Moleman]

I loved going around in Colin's mini as much as going around in mine, All the cars have there own characteristics & are just good fun. 

PS still wouldn't mind a Radical though. 

[Iancider]

PS still wouldn't mind a Radical though

When you say a radical are we talking surgery - boobs and the like or just a bigger todger?

[Crunchie Gears]

Mmmm.

Choosing the right trackday car is always good fun.

The Westfield was great fun and the skill in driving it near my limit is very rewarding.  Making sure you carry enough speed into the bends and carry it through.  Getting the gear shifts right on the crash box was always a technical challenge too.  There was some frustration that you could not always get past cars that were quicker down the straight but slower on a full lap but ----.

The Ultima delivers in a completely different way.  The speed is intoxicating and the hammer in the back as you try to feed the maximum power in as early as you dare is brilliant.  Getting the down shifts right about precision as if the revs are not near equal then the rear of the car is up set and the car goes sideways (which under braking from crazy speeds is alarming )  Oh, and everyone gets out of your way

I have had a go at Silverstone Club circuit in a Morgan 3 Wheeler.  It is an absolute blast as you go everywhere sideways and Scandinavian flick the car to get it turned in.  But as an only track car it would get boring and you may crave for more speed.

For me it having a car that is faster than you are as a driver that is most fun.  It means you are driving on or beyond your ability which gets the adrenalin rushing

[Facial Hair Optional]

For me it having a car that is faster than you are as a driver that is most fun.  It means you are driving on or beyond your ability which gets the adrenalin rushing

I could not agree more!