James May and the Ariel Atom V8

The latest Ariel Atom sports 500 horsepower from its supercharged 3.0-liter V8, yet it only weighs 1,200 pounds. That adds up to about 900 horsepower per ton; a ratio that shames anything from a Lotus to a Bugatti Veyron. Sounds riveting, and Top Gear’s James May had the honor of exercising the super-fast machine in a very thorough manner.

Beyond the jump is 12 minutes of TG goodness featuring the Ariel Atom 500. Not only did May have his way with the Atom, he then put the track day superstar against a Lexus LFA and a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera in a race from zero to 100 and back to zero. The super Atom then thundered around the TG test track in a one-on-one battle against the BMW S1000 RR, and of course, was handed over to The Stig for a proper power lap. Hit the jump to gaze upon the marriage of Top Gear and the Ariel Atom 500.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 4:09 pm. It is filed under Archives - January 2011, Automotive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.