Most powerful Ariel Atom ever celebrates 25 years of the extreme track car

Brace yourselves everyone, because this is the new Ariel Atom 4RR: the most powerful version of the ultra-lightweight track car ever, which has been launched to celebrate 25 years since this life-size Lego Technic kit hit the road.

Like the regular Atom 4, it’s powered by the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the Honda Civic Type R. But for the 4RR, Ariel has added revised internals and new components, as well as upgrading the oil and fuel systems, allowing the motor to spit out 525bhp and 550Nm of torque.

That’s more than four times as much power as the original Ariel Atom produced from its Rover K-Series engine, and even the Ariel Atom V8 – which used a bespoke 3.0-litre V8 – had ‘just’ 475bhp on tap. In fact, the Atom 4RR has more power than the latest BMW M3, all of which is sent to the rear wheels – as has always been the way with the Atom – while the car will still weigh less than 700kg.

Ariel hasn’t announced any exact weight or performance figures for the Atom 4RR just yet, however considering the 400bhp Atom 4R tipped the scales 665kg and could do 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds, we think the new model might pull off the sprint in 2.5 seconds or less.

Similarly, we’re assuming Ariel has made other changes for the Atom 4RR beyond just bolting in the more powerful engine, because the car is claimed to “enable the most serious track drivers to explore the limits of the lightweight Atom, while utilising the full extent of their driving skills”.   

More technical details will be released later in the year, as will the price tag. But we know that only 25 examples of the Ariel Atom 4RR will be produced, and all will be made to order.

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