Ariel has recently revealed the most extreme Atom it’s ever built in the form of the new Ariel Atom 4RR. This is a track-focused but road-legal car that has been built to celebrate 25 years of the now iconic lightweight performance car.
Powered by a bespoke hand-built motorsport-spec 2-litre Honda-based engine producing 525bhp and 550Nm of torque, it revs up to 8,200rpm, and is the fastest Atom ever made, with Ariel claiming a 0-62mph time of 2.4 seconds and a 0-100mph time of 5.1 seconds.
As it weighs less than 700kg, the new 4RR delivers a power-to-weight ratio of more than 780bhp per ton!
Ariel Atom 4RR Engine
The engine of the Atom 4RR has been hand-built over more than 100 hours. Based around Honda’s K20C Type R unit, it has been extensively reworked with motorsport-spec internals including bespoke forged pistons and rods, revised head and port geometry, custom camshafts, upgraded valve gear, and dynamically balanced rotating components.
To cope with sustained hard track use, Ariel has fitted a race-spec gated oiling system, a high-flow oil pump, reinforced head sealing, and a larger turbocharger running at up to 1.7 bar of boost. There is also a high-pressure fuel system with 1400cc injectors, helping deliver the car’s huge performance while maintaining durability and consistency.
Drivers can also choose between three cockpit-adjustable engine maps. These range from 400bhp and 380Nm in Map 1, to 500bhp and 450Nm in Map 2, and the full 525bhp and 550Nm in Map 3. Each engine is run in, dyno tested, and supplied with its own individual dyno graph.
Power is sent through a Quaife six-speed sequential gearbox with pneumatic paddle shift, a motorsport differential, and lightweight drive discs. Clutchless upshifts and downshifts are possible, with auto-blip functionality on downshifts adding to the race-car feel.
Designed For Extreme Performance
The rest of the Atom 4RR has been engineered to match that level of performance. Its bronze-welded chassis has been optimised for motorsport use and offers greater strength than previous Atom generations. Suspension comes in the form of fully adjustable Öhlins twin-tube dampers, along with machined aluminium uprights and adjustable chromoly wishbones and pushrods, allowing owners to tailor the car to different circuits and driving styles.
Braking is handled by AP Racing hardware, with 310mm two-piece ventilated discs and four-piston motorsport callipers. Ariel has also fitted cockpit-adjustable ABS with 11 stages plus an off setting, so drivers can fine-tune the system while on the move.
Aerodynamics also play an important role in the 4RR’s performance. Revised carbon fibre side pods improve cooling for both the engine and gearbox, while lightweight carbon bodywork, mudguards, and aero elements help reduce weight further and improve high-speed stability.
The Atom 4RR has forged wheels, 16 inches at the front and 17 inches at the rear, with road-legal Yokohama A052 tyres.
Interior
Inside, the cockpit is still driver-focused and stripped back, but now includes a motorsport-inspired TFT display showing lap timing, delta information, and other performance data. Ariel says every control and surface has been designed to reduce distraction and maximise feedback.
As with all Ariel models, the 4RR will be built to order. Buyers will be invited to the company’s Crewkerne factory to work directly with Ariel’s engineers and technicians to create their ideal specification. Optional extras can take the car even closer to race-car spec, including a plated differential, electronically controlled dampers, a motorsport-approved roll cage, and onboard air jacks.
Prices will start from £208,000 plus taxes, and the Ariel Atom 4RR will be available only in extremely limited numbers.
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | Bespoke hand-built motorsport-spec 2.0-litre 4-cylinder i-VTEC (Honda K20C Type R base) |
| Aluminium alloy block, closed deck sleeves, revised cylinder head and porting | |
| Forged pistons and connecting rods, lightweight flywheel | |
| Rotating components weight-matched and balanced | |
| Race-gated high-flow oil system with ported oil pump | |
| Displacement | 1996cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 86mm x 85.9mm |
| Valvetrain | Chain-driven DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, bespoke camshafts |
| Alloy valves, uprated springs and guides | |
| Turbocharger | Optimised MI turbo, up to 1.7 bar boost, adjustable |
| Power | Map 3: 525bhp @ 8,200rpm |
| Map 2: 500bhp | |
| Map 1: 400bhp | |
| Torque | Map 3: 550Nm @ 5,200rpm |
| Map 2: 450Nm | |
| Map 1: 380Nm | |
| Gearbox | Quaife 6-speed sequential with reverse |
| Pneumatic paddle shift with auto-blip | |
| Limited-slip differential, motorsport driveshafts | |
| Fuel System | High-pressure direct injection with 1400cc injectors |
| 40-litre aluminium fuel tank | |
| Electrical | Coil-on-plug ignition, MBE engine management |
| Thatcham Category 2 immobiliser | |
| Adjustable traction control | |
| Cooling | Side-mounted pods with intercooler, engine and gearbox oil coolers |
| Front-mounted aluminium radiator with electric fan | |
| Exhaust | Lightweight titanium exhaust and silencer |
| Suspension | Double unequal length chromoly wishbones |
| Double unequal-length chromoly wishbones | |
| Machined aluminium uprights | |
| Öhlins TTX dampers (adjustable compression/rebound) | |
| High-grade alloy steel springs | |
| Brakes | AP Racing 310mm ventilated discs (front & rear) |
| Chromoly pushrods, adjustable rod ends, and adjustable toe | |
| Adjustable pedal box, twin master cylinders | |
| Bosch 12-stage switchable ABS (including off) | |
| Steering | Rack and pinion, 2 turns lock-to-lock |
| Collapsible column, adjustable joints | |
| 305mm suede race steering wheel | |
| Chassis | Bronze-welded multi-diameter steel tube chassis |
| Aluminium bulkheads, powder-coated finish | |
| Right or left-hand drive | |
| Wheels | Front: 7Jx16 forged alloy |
| Rear: 9Jx17 forged alloy | |
| Tyres | Front: 195/50R16 Yokohama A052 |
| Rear: 255/40R17 Yokohama A052 | |
| Body | Carbon fibre and composite panels |
| Carbon aerofoils, rear venturi, side pods, mudguards | |
| Seating | Composite race seats with 5-position adjustment |
| Instruments | TFT motorsport display with PDM |
| Lap timing, delta, gear position, boost, traction | |
| Full telemetry including temps, pressures, speed | |
| Dimensions | Length: 3520mm |
| Width: 1880mm | |
| Height: 1122mm | |
| Wheelbase: 2390mm | |
| Track: 1600mm (front), 1615mm (rear) | |
| Weight | 669kg |
| Performance | 0-62mph: 2.4 seconds |
| 4-piston motorsport callipers, race-spec pads | |
| Top speed: 175mph | |
| Price | From £208,000 (+ taxes), built-to-order |
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