Steps from the Manhattan entrance of the Holland Tunnel, the club’s HQ is a vast open space, dotted with classic cars, supercars and the machinery to keep them alive and healthy. You can see the whole roster of cars available to their members at the club’s website. Until you pony up the funds to become a member, enjoy this quiet stroll through what they had in the shop as John Krewson and I were about to head out of town.

1974 Triumph TR6

Insert overused joke about not driving this very far from the club.

2006 Ariel Atom

The club’s Atom is a 2.5 model: the chassis is an Atom 2, whereas the engine is the same Honda unit found in the Atom 3 Krewson drove at Lime Rock Park.

1975 Ferrari 308 GT4

Look at the wall and you’ll see a line painting of this very car a 308 GTB/GTS—executed by none other than Camilo Pardo, designer of the Ford GT. Which, incidentally, is one of the cars in the club’s fleet of modern supercars.

1966 Ford Mustang Fastback

Behind the Mustang is John Krewson and behind him are old German and Italian exotica.

Buckets

Car paraphernalia at the head of a service bay, right below Pardo’s painting of the Ferrari.

2007 BMW Z4M Coupé

The last car to come with the awesomest engine ever made by BMW: the straight-six 333 HP S54B32, also found in the E46 M3. Behind the Bimmer is the Atom.

Lewd Signage Above Atom

That rod is what will prevent your head from coming apart should you flip the Atom.

The Atom’s Headlight

Further proof that Ariel’s supercharged shopping cart is in fact street legal.

Screws

Cars need fixin’ at times!

Toolbox

I spoke English and was allowed to stay. Those with keen eyes shall spot the 24 Hours of Lemons sticker (it’s below and to the right of the flag previously seen on the grounds of the State Capitol in Columbia, South Carolina).

The Offices

Krewson knows I’ve got my viewfinder trained on him. Notice artistic paint overflow.

1996 Porsche 993 C4S

The last of the air-cooled 911’s. This car has one of the sexiest rear wheelarches in recorded history. Also, water cooling is for sissies.

1974 Triumph TR6

What was I saying a few captions ago about not driving it far from life support? Oh, never mind.

1975 Alfa Romeo GTV

Do not approach this car if you’re not wearing a well-cut suit. It will sense your lack of style and expend all the voltage in its battery to shock you into submission.

Interior space, ambiance, amenities, and a certain je ne sais quoi are all necessary when choosing an automotive boudoir. If we're honest, it's often a matter of any port in a storm, but if it's possible to avoid any of these, you should certainly do so.

Car: Toyota Prius

Why it's bad for sex: Let's just get this right out of the way and acknowledge that no one wants to have sex in a Prius. First of all, it's tough to get your swerve on in such an uninspiring object, something that's more consumer good than car. Second, you risk bringing a new life into the world, which will certainly be a waste of precious resources. Third, if you're a Prius owner, the idea of a car being fun is completely alien to you so you have your 20 minutes of lights-off missionary-position relations in the futon like a proper citizen anyway.

Photo: Flickr

Car: Chevrolet Aveo

Why it's bad for sex: Sex is just one of many things you should never attempt with the poor, misbegotten Aveo, including driving it, walking up to it or getting in it. But especially not sex. There's enough room, barely, if you're young, short, and athletic, but men have paid good money for drugs that give them the same hardness as the interior surfaces of this car. The resulting conjugal bruises will get you the wrong kind of reputation .

Photo: Wikipedia

Car: Mazda Miata

Why it's bad for sex: While we love this car unreservedly, we are-like 98% of people-not exhibitionists, and to have any sort of workable sex in this car the top would have to be down. Also, much like 100% of people, we don't like our coitus to get interruptus by a power hardtop suddenly coming down on us because a flailing knee or elbow hit the switch.

Photo: Picasa

Car: Scion TC

Why it's bad for sex: While this cheap coupe is, or will be, the first car of a lot of eager young folks in an exploratory phase of their lives, we urge them to bring a blanket and find a wooded area. The TC is not so much a car as a platform for interior accessorizing, and getting into youthful carnal hijinks in this thing means you run a risk of getting something stuck in your illuminated cupholder. Buying a faux-billet LED-lit shift knob is one sort of loss of dignity; having a gloved proctologist hand it back to you in front of the entire ER is another.

Photo: Wikipedia

Car: Chevrolet Camaro

Why it's bad for sex: Traditionally, the two of you jump into the back seat of your two-door muscle coupe and proceed to put some sneaker prints on the headliner. However, just sitting in the back of the current Camaro will imprint the top of your head into the current headliner. And the front seats just don't recline enough or give enough leg room for advanced physical-intimacy contingencies. This is probably the only category of the contemporary muscle-car wars the Challenger wins going do- er, away.

Photo: Wikipedia

Car: Maybach 62

Why it's bad for sex: Because one's sex life is none of one's chauffer's business. Why, the very idea.

Photo: Wikipedia

Car: Mini (any)

Why it's bad for sex: Owners report that repeated heavy jolts can damage the rear shock mounts, resulting in reduced handling performance and a dramatic drop in ride quality, especially in early models. Also, even in a Clubman, there's no damn room in the thing.

Photo: Wikipedia

Car: Ariel Atom

Why it's bad for sex: Although a certain type of person might look at the Atom and notice the abundance of tie-down points, the multiple partner-handcuffing options, and the overall masochistic glory of this incredibly capable track car, it is in fact $65,000. For that price, you could afford any number of studded-leather bedsteads with enough left over for chains and whips.

Photo: candidcarcritic.com

Car: Smart ForTwo

Why it's bad for sex: Seriously, AskMen actually recommended this car, albeit in cabrio form. If you're more into achievement than enjoyment this could work, but in that case you'll probably have sex anywhere and everywhere anyway and don't need any sort of list to tell you. I mean, we're into bragging rights as much as the next person, but not bragging for bragging's sake, and sexually speaking the Smart hardly has enough room ForOne.

Photo: Wikipedia

Car: Dodge Caliber

Why it's bad for sex: Because it's just plain bad. The Caliber may, in fact, be the worst all-around car made today, and the idea of having sex in one has the same emotional resonance as having sex in a FEMA trailer or a Goodwill dumpster. Getting past the fact it's uncomfortable and it's not as roomy as it should be for a wagon/crossover/compromise-mobile, the Caliber is just kind of depressing. And if word gets out, you'll always be "the person who had sex with [other loser] in a Dodge Caliber," meaning you probably won't ever have sex again.

Photo: Wikipedia

Yes, super cars certainly come prettier in the conventional sense, but they have "bodywork." The Atom pretty much has shrouds that cover the hot parts and the moving pieces, at least most of them. They come more luxurious, but they have "interiors" where the 1375-pound Atom has a pair of seats — really, with its open frame, it barely has an exterior. But if you're the right sort of driver, it looks exactly like it should — see, right there's the engine, there are the Bilsteins, there are the brakes (Alcons on our example), and there are the tires (Toyo R888s) — and it's exactly the right place to be. It's a tool, and like a chef's knife or a stonecutter's mallet, it's made as simple and direct as possible with nothing added to it that you don't need to generate velocity along the appropriate axes.

Unfortunately, gorgeous Lime Rock Park was not quite the place to be on Saturday, as it had been drizzling steadily all day and the track was a glistening piece of black snakeskin where there wasn't actually standing water, so we would be limited to a few laps on the autocross track. This was disappointing, but it gave me time to talk to the people from Trak Motorsports International, who took over building the Atom from former owners Brammo last year; they'd already after handled the Ariel Atom Experience driving events for them and knew what they wanted to do with the car.

Primarily, they decided to replace the Atom 2's Ecotec, which was serviceable but still a compromise. They went back to the Atom's roots with a version of the K20A two-liter four found in Japanese-market Civics, a potent engine that makes 245 horsepower normally aspirated or 300 with a Jackson Racing supercharger. "It's a serious little engine, a race engine," TMI's engineer told us, "no balance shafts, baffled oil pan, Hondata ECU." It shows; the Atom has never in its short existence been anything like slow, but the supercharged Atom 3 gets to 60 in under three seconds. It's now a much more useful speed tool, and it's still relatively cheap to own and operate.

I wasn't able to approach that on the autocross track, naturally. On my own raggedy laps, the engine was flexible enough that it could be left in third and dart around just fine. TMI vice president Mark Swain had told us that the car was a very direct and transparent instrument-"It will do exactly what you tell it to. Exactly," were his exact words. My limited and damp time in the five-point harness proved him correct. The Atom turns in immediately; don't cough or twitch. It accelerates immediately; be prepared. And it stops the same way, except when it stops while going backwards because you weren't paying attention to just how quickly it turns and accelerates-but even then, it's just doing what you told it to, like Swain said. There is definitely as much speed there as you can get out of it. Like any tool, it reveals the strengths and shortcomings of the tool-user; you can use a chef's knife to prepare an epic feast, or you can take your hand off at the wrist.

Later that afternoon a dry line opened on the track and Swain, who turns out to be an extremely fast and smooth driver for a vice president, was allowed to take us for a handful of laps around Lime Rock lovely mile-and-a-half to give us all more of a feeling for its potential. I expected the Atom, at speed on a larger track, to feel darty, frenetic, and nervous, but that didn't seem to be the case; the still-damp track didn't upset it even through the water flowing across the track, it took the transitions through the esses in stride, and despite the astounding speed it seemed composed and solid. The Atom may have been running out of steam at the end of the half-mile straightaway, as top speed is "only" 140 or so, but it was never straining.

So if you're dedicated enough, or have the patience to try and become driver enough, and you have $65,000, by all means, get an Ariel Atom 3. It's a phenomenal track car, and in some places it could be a unique and character-building road car. It's certainly the sharpest and simplest — and cheapest — tool in the supercar trade. One way or another, you'll be a better driver for it.

Special thanks to the Manhattan Car Club and TMI AutoTech for providing the Atom and track time.

Photos by Peter Orosz

Of course the secret to the Ariel Atom 500's performance isn't its RS Performance 10,000 RPM 2.4-liter V8, but rather its 500kg weight. At just 1,102 Lbs, it's roughly 1/4 the weight of the 4,160 Lbs Veyron while making slightly less than half that hypercar's power.

The added cost of the Atom 500 over its lesser siblings is largely down to the $48,000 engine and the $17,500 six-speed sequential gearbox, but it also gains Alcon brakes, Dymag wheels, and numerous carbon fiber aero-aids designed to boost both performance and exclusivity. [via Autocar]

The Ariel Atom 500 gets its name from both a 500-horsepower small V8 from RS Performance, as well as its 500 kilo weight, which helps it to achieve a 1000+ horsepower per ton power-to-weight ratio. The Atom 300 with 300-horsepower can easily manage a sub 3 second blast to 60mph and a sub 7 second blast to 100mph. Ariel hasn't release preliminary times for the Atom 500 but we can only imagine that it'll be much, much faster.

The impressive 10,000 rpm, 2.4-liter V8 in the Atom 500 is sourced from RS Performance and puts out 500 HP mated to a six-speed sequential Sadev gearbox. Other features include Alcon brakes, Dymag magnesium wheels and various carbon fiber aero bits to help differentiate it from 'lesser' Atoms. The Ariel Atom 500 will be produced in very limited numbers when it goes on sale this spring. Get ready for the 'O' face that will be permanently affixed to your face after strolling through your favorite back road in this giant slayer.

[via Ariel]

Now, this may not be a concern in the majority of the United States, but in cramped European downtowns, where swirling masses of pedestrians, bikers, cars, Range Rovers and buses vie for tiny amounts of space inherited from medieval times, a car you can park perpendicularly suddenly makes a lot of sense. Doesn't matter whether it's a G-Wiz or a Smart. Additionally, they're also usually more fuel efficient.

On the other hand, I did see a G-Wiz take a corner the other day. It was frightening to watch. The suspension provides insight into just what happens to all the discarded chopsticks produced by the city’s countless noodle bars.

It’s quite a challenge to keep one’s imagination at bay when considering the above image. On technical specs, it’s no contest. The car in front is an Ariel Atom, a British-built land rocket with a 300 HP engine, notable for the significant transformation it brought about in Jeremy Clarkson’s face on Top Gear. Behind the Atom is a REVA G-Wiz, an Indian-made electric car for two adults and two children which will very slowly accelerate all the way to 50 MPH. It’s so small, it’s not even a car in Europe: it’s classified as an L7e heavy quadracycle.

Yet consider the drivers: the man commanding the Atom is at pains to look cool in his colored sunglasses and snowboarder hat. Breathing down on his neck, the men in the G-Wiz are dressed in Reservoir Dog suits. And it’s really not that hard to image the child seats in the back occupied not with children but with blunt instruments of terror.

No, one should never challenge men in a G-Wiz to a drag race. Not even if your car will out-accelerate a high-energy proton.

Photo Credit: Máté Petrány

Though performance numbers haven't been released, we can expect it to go a bit faster than the Ariel Atom 3, which utilizes a 2.0-liter VTEC Honda engine with only 245 horsepower. We're waiting for the RS Performance V8-powered KTM X-Bow, which we're guessing will be announced on Friday. [CarTribe]

I just drove the 'busa v8 equipped atom for the first time yesterday. That's the motor which is going into the production version of the dp1. Just putt-putting around for now but the motor sounds and feels awesome. the video doesn't really do it justice because of the electrical interference noise but with a decent set of speakers and a sub on a computer it gives you an idea. On laptop speakers all you hear is the noise :(

[Ariel Atom]

Dear Ray, Happy Father's Day! And thank you for previously indicating an interest in an Ariel Atom! Buy an Ariel Atom now and avoid a $6,000 price increase!* That's right! If you purchase a 2007 Ariel Atom by Father's Day (June 17, 2007), you can get the same great car that everyone who purchases after Father's Day (June 18) for $6,000 less. To purchase your own Ariel Atom now go to http://www.arielatom.com and use the Build, Price & Buy feature. Then submit your order and send us your initial deposit (just 25% of the total purchase price) by June 17, 2007 to lock in your $6,000 price savings! Get a THRILL with your DEAL! Now you've got the opportunity to experience an Ariel Atom from behind the steering wheel! And on a racetrack with a professional instructor! Learn all about the Ariel Atom Driving Experience at www.arielatomexperience.com. If you decide to purchase an Ariel Atom at the event, or even afterwards, we'll apply the cost of the Ariel Atom Driving Experience as credit to the purchase price of your car! Furthermore, if you think you're going to want to buy an Ariel Atom after the event, you can actually order your Ariel Atom nowto avoid a $6,000 price increase scheduled for June 18. Should you decide to cancel your order after the event, we'll give you a complete refund. To take advantage of this offer, go to http://www.arielatom.com and use the Build, Price and Buy feature, then submit your order and send us a 25% deposit. Then, after the event you can finalize your options based on your driving experience, and we'll get started right away building your Ariel Atom using pre-June 18 pricing! If you have any questions, just send me an email or give me a call. I'm here to help you however I can. And thanks again for your interest in the Ariel Atom, Sincerely, Bill * The $6,000 price increase is on the base model. There will also be price increases on some of the options. So the more options you buy, the more you can save! Bill Feagin Brammo Motorsports Sales & Marketing

Falsterbo, located in south-western Sweden, is known as a Swedish paradise where people from the big cities of Malm , Stockholm, et al. come to spend their summer vacations. It's also known for having one helluva race track that's home to one helluva sprint race and classic car show. This year however, some dastardly driver appears to be pretending he's the Stig. The tell that told us he wasn't the Stig was actually pretty easy — I mean, he went and crashed an Ariel Atom into the security wall. What was this pretender trying to do anyway — give the Stigster a bad name? Here's the in-cockpit camera view of what it's like to crash an Atom 2 into a security wall — just to prove it's not really our Stiggie. – Ray Wert

Related:
Top Gear Tivo: Stig Attempts World Indoor Speed Record — But Wait, There Is A Punchline [internal]

The one time we went to Willow Springs, we woke up with a brutal hangover to find out that the once and future Kindergarten Cop was now our governor. Then we drove lightly-prepped race cars around the Streets for a few hours, sat outside at Burbank Airport listening to the Ramones piped over the outdoor sound system, and then flew back up north. These characters from IWSTI, an online Subie forum, did us one better. They went out to the track complex near Edwards Air Force Base, made like a ground-bound Chuck Yeager in a 300hp Ariel Atom and hung out with Jeremy Clarkson. Apparently, the Top Gear presenter has gone back on his prior assertion that he was never going to America again. [Thanks to Kevin for the tip.]

Drove an Ariel Atom Yesterday! [IWSTI]

Related:
Jay Leno's Ariel Atom Is Out Of Gas, Gas, Gas! [Internal]

Jay Leno no parece divertirse con su Ariel Atom [motorpasion]

Related:
NO! We do NOT Know Jay Leno! [internal]

The UK's Ariel, maker of the street-legal, open-wheel Atom roadster, is bringing the big boy's tube-frame go-kart to the US. The company has contracted with Oregon-based Brammo Motorsports to build and distribute the Atom stateside, with a few minor changes from the UK model. Supply issues prevented Brammo from using the Honda 2.0 liter i-VTEC motor that powers the UK edition. Instead, American buyers will get a supercharged version of GM's 2.4-liter Ecotec engine — the one found in the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky — though the company is still considering other engine options. No word on release date, yet, though the company is accepting orders as of yesterday. The precisely named Automotive Articles offers an extensive profile. [Thanks to Richard for the tip.]

The Ariel Atom meets the USA [Automotive Articles]

Related:
The UK's Ariel Atom: An Open Car for the Open Road; Ariel Atom Video: Zero to 100 to Zero [internal]