Jalopnik: rs performance

Ariel Atom 500 Powered By 500 HP V8

The Auto Insider — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:30:00 EDT

Not content with just offering up a totally visceral experience in the 'base' Atom, Ariel has decided to up the ante by mating their bare bones street racer with an RS Performance 500-horsepower 2.4-liter V8.

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.

Ariel Press Release:
Ariel announce the latest version of the Atom - the Ariel Atom 500, powered by a small V8 engine. With over 500bhp in a 500kilo package the Atom 500 will boast one of the highest power to weight ratios ever for a production car, ever. At over 1000bhp per tonne the Atom 500 will be the ultimate statement in performance and is destined to be made in a limited edition.
The V8 powered Atom is the first of some exciting developments from Ariel due to be released though 2008 and builds on the growing reputation that the company has for putting the passion back into driving and producing cars that are fun to drive as well as fast both on and off the track.

The 500 started life as a one off special project with RS Developments in 2007 and features the Russell Savory designed 2.4 litre V8 engine coupled to a 6 speed sequential Sadev gearbox. Developing over 500bhp at 10,000rpm the supercharged engine features all alloy construction, 5 valves per cylinder and a dry sump. The gearbox will have flatshift capability, a paddle gearchange with manual override as well as launch and traction controls.

Recognisable by the twin rear intakes for intercoolers the Atom 500 will feature a unique colour scheme for chassis, wheels and bodywork combined with carbon fibre panels and carbon fibre aerofoils. Other features will include chromemoly aerofoil wishbones, integrated function steering wheel, Alcon 4 pot caliper brakes and Dymag magnesium wheels.

Said Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel, 'This is an interesting project for us and an experimental departure from what we normally produce. For a few customers the Atom 500 will be the ultimate expression of lightweight performance and represents the outer limits of what is achievable in a road registered car. We also use this sort of project to explore the possibilities of how we can improve our standard cars. The Honda engined production cars already combine all the elements that we want in an Atom and by pushing the envelope to these sorts of extremes we can further improve the breed'.

The Atom 500 will be produced in Somerset at the new Ariel factory with the first car available from Spring this year. Prices have not yet been finalised but Ariel's commitment to performance for value will ensure that the Atom 500 is competitive in cost as well as performance.

With the standard Atom 300 already achieving sub 3 second times to 60mph and sub 7 second times to 100mph, the 500 will take this one stage further with record breaking production car possibilities.

[via Ariel]

Caterham RS Levante Sold Out; All Eight Of Them

Mark Arnold — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Remember the Caterham RS Levante? It's a fire-breathing version of the lightweight Catherham SV, with a supercharged 2.4-liter V8 making 500 HP. With that kind of power sent to street tires in a car that only weighs a few feathers over 1100 lbs, the RS Levante is the kind of ride that would make even the Stig's pants turn yellow. Not surprisingly, they've sold all of them. Sure, they only made eight, but that just means there's eight people who have purchased a $198,000 suicide kit. At least they'll go out smiling.

[via Autofiends]

Ariel Atom 500 To Get V8 Power, Upgraded To Ariel Molecule?

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST

UPDATE: It's official, here's the fist photo of the new Atom 500, the V8-powered Ariel! We've seen the Ariel sporting a dual hayabusa V8, and we've just heard the news about the Caterham 7 RS, which will sport an RS Performance V8. Combine those stories and you get the Atom 500, which reportedly will feature the same 500 horsepower V8. The car will be built in small numbers with delivery this spring for people whose faces have already been permanently warped by the current version.

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]

Caterham To Partner With RS Performance for V8 Seven

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:45:00 EST

Sure the garden variety Caterham Seven is fast, but what if you want to smoke your buddy the shah's Bugatti Veyron on the cheap? Enter the Caterham Seven RS. Caterham has joined up with speed freaks RS Performance to bring to life a real fire breathing bug killer. RS will be dropping its race proven 40-valve, 2.4 liter RST-V8 into the fully massaged carbon fiber and space frame Seven chassis. That engine will be available in supercharged form up to 500 hp (coming in at 10,000 rpm - wow!). With the whole assembly clocking in at 500 kilos, the Caterham Seven RS will sport a 1000 hp per tonne power to weight ratio - besting the Veyron - all at a price of £115,000. Full raft of details and the spec sheet below the fold.

Caterham announces official performance arm: powerhouse V8 engine delivers 1,000 plus bhp-per-tonne
For those wanting an expression of British sportscar exclusivity, Caterham Cars has joined forces with RS Performance to offer the ultimate in bespoke Seven coachbuilding. Caterham has long been the epitome of personalised motoring with almost every version of the 12,000 Sevens on the road differing from one another. The joint venture takes that famous philosophy to an altogether new level.

RS Performance is an exclusive, niche engineering house. Born out of the passion and pedigree of its founder, Russell Savory, it will offer an 'everything is possible' service to Caterham customers wanting cars truly 'built to order'.

Using the motorsport-honed Caterham chassis and benchmark technology as a cosmetic and engineering base, RS Performance, will "turn imagination into reality," says Savory.

The heartbeat of every RS-monikered Seven will be the unique RST-V8 engine. With more than 16 years of development behind it by Russell Savory, the 40-valve, 2.4 litre engine reliably delivers an incredible 400bhp in normally aspirated mode, or over 500bhp as a supercharged varient, whilst weighing only 90kg in full running gear.

The unbridled lightness of the RST-V8 matched to the already featherweight Seven chassis delivers a power-to-weight ratio of over 1000bhp per tonne - more than double of a Bugatti Veyron. This unique partnership will be open to customers looking for the ultimate in exclusivity, and carry a price tag to reflect the tailoring, detail and hand-built craftsmanship that will go into every RS-badged Caterham.

Validation of the engineering house's abilities comes in the form of the supercharged 'Levante'. This is the first Seven to rollout of RS Performance's Hertfordshire doors and which only seven more of this type will be available.

With a 12 week waiting time and costing over £115,000, this supercharged engineering masterpiece boasts a modern interpretation of the Seven's classic looks with a sophisticated electronics package with traction and launch control to help get the phenomenal power to the floor. Weight reduction runs throughout the car, from the carbon fibre interior finished with Kevlar seats down to the hosing used on the cooling systems
The RS Performance badge will sit alongside the established, and soon to be expanded, Ford powered Caterham Seven range.

"Caterham and Russell Savory have a long history, and this seemed a natural progression of that relationship and shared engineering philosophy," explained Ansar Ali, Caterham Cars managing director.

RS Performance RST-V8 Engine Technical Specification
Configuration 90° V8
Capacity 2.4 litre
Valves 40
Construction Aluminium main frame with dry sump
Max Power 380 bhp @10,000rpm / 500+bhp @ 10,000rpm (supercharged)
Max Torque 190 lbsft @ 8500rpm / 300 lbsft@ 8500rpm (supercharged)
Gearbox 6-speed
Overall length 45.6mm
Overall width 45.6mm
Height 48mm
Weight 90kg
Service intervals 8000 miles (minor) / 30,000 miles (major service & belt change)
RS Performance 'Levante' Technical Specification
Price £115,000 (dependent on specification)
Chassis Caterham SV
Engine 2.4-litre, 40-valve RST-V8 supercharged
Max Power 500+bhp @ 10,000rpm
Max Torque 300 lbsft @ 8500rpm
Supercharge boost 0.8 psi
Gearbox 6-speed sequential, paddle shift option
Transmission LSD
0-60mph (claimed) Less than 3 seconds
Top Speed 150mph (limited)
Wheelbase 2305mm
Overall length 3530mm
Overall width 1685mm
Height 1140mm
Weight From 520kgs
Suspension de Dion rear, Nitron 3-way adjustable shocks all corners
Wheels Image Billet; front 8 x 15, rear 10 x 15
Tyres Avon CR500; front 195/45-15, rear 245/40-15
Brakes Hi Spec; front 280mm vented, rear 260mm.
Exhaust system BTB 2 x 4-2-1 rear exit
Dashboard Farringdon and SPA design
Driver aids Traction Control, Launch Control
Additional Two day driver training course provided on delivery of vehicle