The Ariel Atom 3S Is 360 Horsepower of Grin-Inducing Insanity - RoadandTrack.com (blog)
It has side panels made of plexiglass, presumably to keep rocks from pelting you as you're traveling at mach one. That's because the design brief for the Atom was to build a modern interpretation of the classic Lotus Seven, so a car that is as bare bones as possible with performance that will beat up on cars that cost 10 times as much. The Atom is easily the quickest car that I've ever been in. There is no turbolag, there is pull in every part of the rev range. It takes a few runs through the gears to process how to drive the car. It actually adjusts the way you think and the way you drive. A lot of turbo cars lose thrust as they near redline, not the Atom. It takes a mental adjustment to learn that it's making power until 7,800 and you're ok to shift then. It's a car that doesn't react best to a gentle touch, you need to be aggressive with how you shift, accelerate, and generally drive it. There are also sensations that come from acceleration in an Atom that you just don't find elsewhere. The air intake is right next to your right ear, where it makes sounds like a freight train whistle and creates a low pressure zone that sucks your brain out of your ear. Even with a windshield -- a luxury compared to other Atoms -- the Atom is a raw as can be. It all adds up to an experience that is unlike anything this side of a motorcycle, without the chance that you'll fall off. Source: www.roadandtrack.com
