WEBVTT 00:00:00.468 --> 00:00:05.930 I want to talk about middle aged man, you are thirty five, maybe forty you got a little bit of spare cash 00:00:06.130 --> 00:00:13.653 in the bank and you want to buy yourself a big powerful sports bike, coz you weren't allowed to have one when you were 17 and your mom and dad said no. 00:00:13.844 --> 00:00:15.052 No there are gonna be a few problems with that. 00:00:20.283 --> 00:00:21.244 This is what you have in mind. 00:00:21.852 --> 00:00:26.694 The open road, tearing through the country side the wind in your helmet. 00:00:28.940 --> 00:00:31.840 You and the machine perfect harmony. It is an appealing concept. 00:00:32.009 --> 00:00:36.130 The reality however is somewhat different. 00:00:36.130 --> 00:00:40.681 Because, lets be honest, you are middle aged. 00:00:40.681 --> 00:00:43.746 So you'll have a bit of a gut, and that will look ridiculous 00:00:43.746 --> 00:00:47.462 in leather motor suit. Whats more you are almost certainly going to 00:00:47.462 --> 00:00:50.527 crash. So someone, who you perhaps don't like very much, 00:00:50.527 --> 00:00:53.545 will end up with your eyes. 00:00:53.545 --> 00:00:58.263 Don't worry though, because I think I have a solution. 00:00:59.971 --> 00:01:04.366 This is the Atom. From a small summer set company called Arial. 00:01:04.366 --> 00:01:08.551 And when I say small -- it only has 7 employees. 00:01:10.213 --> 00:01:13.050 What they've created though is stunning. 00:01:13.050 --> 00:01:15.976 I think this is one of the most beautiful cars in the world. 00:01:15.976 --> 00:01:19.412 Partly because it is so elegant, and partly because it is such a 00:01:19.412 --> 00:01:22.338 wonderful piece of engineering. 00:01:22.338 --> 00:01:32.462 Using the chassis as a kind of exoskeleton is just inspired. 00:01:32.462 --> 00:01:35.666 Prices start at under 20 thousand pounds, and for that you get 00:01:35.666 --> 00:01:40.171 indicators, lights a tax disk and ... that about it. 00:01:40.171 --> 00:01:46.580 Not only you don't have a windscreen, there isn't even any bodywork. 00:01:46.580 --> 00:01:49.552 There are really very few components, and the lovely thing is 00:01:49.552 --> 00:01:52.942 that as you drive along you can see them all doing their jobs. 00:01:52.942 --> 00:01:59.629 Look! There's the steering, and there's the suspension - it brilliant! 00:01:59.629 --> 00:02:02.416 Now at this point you are probably thinking the Atom is a bit 00:02:02.416 --> 00:02:05.295 of a laugh, a bit of a gadget, a bit of a toy. 00:02:05.295 --> 00:02:06.595 But you'd be wrong. 00:02:06.595 --> 00:02:11.518 Very wrong. 00:02:11.518 --> 00:02:15.140 You see, the engine is lifted from a Honda Civic type R. 00:02:15.140 --> 00:02:18.716 And only for that little extra something, its supercharged. 00:02:18.716 --> 00:02:21.688 So it develops 300 bhp. 00:02:21.688 --> 00:02:24.893 And because the Atom weighs only 500 kg, this means 00:02:24.893 --> 00:02:28.886 you are getting 600 bhp per ton. 00:02:28.886 --> 00:02:32.648 And thats more than you get from a Ferrari Enzo. 00:02:32.648 --> 00:02:42.540 So, stick that in your sport's exhaust, Mr Kavadzaki. 00:02:42.540 --> 00:02:47.091 This car goes like nothing you could possibly imagine. 00:02:47.091 --> 00:02:56.007 If you can change gear fast enough it can do nod to 60 in 2.9 s. 00:02:56.007 --> 00:03:02.323 The Atom is fast, on an entirely new level. 00:03:02.323 --> 00:03:09.057 I have never ever driven anything that accelerates so fast. 00:03:09.057 --> 00:03:24.893 Its so quick, it can destroy your entire face. 00:03:24.893 --> 00:03:29.955 Its unbelievable speed! 00:03:29.955 --> 00:03:34.088 I am an alien. 00:03:34.088 --> 00:03:42.076 In the corners its stopped bending my face and used 00:03:42.076 --> 00:03:47.138 massive g-forces to tear it off. 00:03:47.138 --> 00:03:53.175 The amazing thing is that you never ever miss an ? pad. 00:03:53.175 --> 00:03:57.587 Because you can see where's the wheel ends road. 00:03:57.587 --> 00:04:02.138 And because there is no weight to pull you out of the line. 00:04:02.138 --> 00:04:08.686 You hit every one, every single time. 00:04:08.686 --> 00:04:11.565 If anything, this car is even more impressive in the bends 00:04:11.565 --> 00:04:14.259 than it is in a straight line. 00:04:14.259 --> 00:04:23.175 Anyone who wants to know how a car should behave should buy one of these. 00:04:23.175 --> 00:04:30.095 This is driving nirvana. 00:04:30.095 --> 00:04:32.045 You can forget anything you've ever driven 00:04:32.045 --> 00:04:38.500 anything, there is no car, nothing on four wheels that is as fast as this. 00:04:38.500 --> 00:04:39.568 Nothing! 00:04:39.568 --> 00:04:43.887 But what about 2 wheels? Is it possible that the atom could be faster 00:04:43.887 --> 00:04:47.463 round our track than a motor bike? 00:04:47.463 --> 00:04:54.290 Well to find out we've lined it up against the Honda CVR 600RR. 00:04:54.290 --> 00:04:58.005 Off the line the bike is a tiny little bit faster. 00:04:58.005 --> 00:05:02.324 But on the braking for the first corner, the Atom slipped past 00:05:02.324 --> 00:05:04.832 and then it really was a case of good bye Mr. Bond. 00:05:04.832 --> 00:05:12.494 Through the bend the bike never stood a chance. And even down the long straight line 00:05:12.494 --> 00:05:24.058 mies an hour, it could keep up. By the time we crossed the line the gap had widened 00:05:24.058 --> 00:05:28.330 to a massive 4 seconds. 00:05:28.330 --> 00:05:33.021 Over the years I've flown F15 fighters and done power slides in airboats and 00:05:33.021 --> 00:05:35.110 starved the desert from helicopter gunship. 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:41.705 But the shire excitement this thing is off the scale. 00:05:41.705 --> 00:05:43.841 Even so it will be those, who would say that no car, 00:05:43.841 --> 00:05:48.810 no matter how fast it is can ever be as exciting as a big bike. 00:05:48.810 --> 00:05:53.779 O, please. I don't have to wear a helmet in here! 00:05:53.779 --> 00:05:57.169 which means my every ? is full of bees. 00:05:57.169 --> 00:06:05.018 And there is so much wild life in my hair. You can ? 00:06:05.018 --> 00:06:09.708 And what is more. This is the engine intake in there. Its sucking 00:06:09.708 --> 00:06:14.491 and I can feel it - its a pressure in my ear. 00:06:14.491 --> 00:06:21.643 It feels that my brain is being sucked out. 00:06:21.643 --> 00:06:23.408 Not as exciting as a bike? 00:06:23.408 --> 00:06:30.049 Yeah, right! 00:06:30.049 --> 00:06:34.089 You know, 00:06:34.089 --> 00:06:35.622 I was so ready to disagree. 00:06:35.622 --> 00:06:38.222 I think in a normal life I would say rubbish, but I think 00:06:38.222 --> 00:06:39.337 you are probably righ! 00:06:39.337 --> 00:06:42.309 - No it is better than a bike in so many ways: sitting here and 00:06:42.309 --> 00:06:46.256 its not falling over, its faster than a bike - you just saw that, its practical 00:06:46.256 --> 00:06:48.625 than a bike, because it has a boot. 00:06:48.625 --> 00:06:50.389 - Well, I got that, you have to be kidding. 00:06:50.389 --> 00:06:53.269 You are going well but it hasn't got a boot. 00:06:53.269 --> 00:06:54.105 It has! 00:06:54.105 --> 00:06:57.216 Check it out! 00:06:57.216 --> 00:06:59.445 That is a boot! 00:06:59.445 --> 00:07:02.696 But seriously, you did get a big ? over there. 00:07:02.696 --> 00:07:04.972 You said, "Oh this is the fasted thing on 4 wheels." But its not. 00:07:04.972 --> 00:07:06.365 There are track day cars that are quicker than that. 00:07:06.365 --> 00:07:08.083 Yes, I don't think this is a track day car. 00:07:08.083 --> 00:07:10.498 I don't, because I had this on the road and you can use it on the road, 00:07:10.498 --> 00:07:13.006 because the test that we have for our powerboard, 00:07:13.006 --> 00:07:15.235 because only road cars can go on this, is weather they can 00:07:15.235 --> 00:07:17.510 go over a speed bump. Weather you can use them. 00:07:17.510 --> 00:07:19.832 And this can. Well Its definitely a road car. 00:07:19.832 --> 00:07:23.176 So it can go on our board, which means. 00:07:23.176 --> 00:07:26.241 We gotta give it to the Stig! 00:07:26.241 --> 00:07:28.424 And away he goes! 00:07:28.424 --> 00:07:30.792 Like a rocket! 00:07:30.792 --> 00:07:32.139 God that is so quick! 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:33.579 Now he comes up to the first bend: 00:07:33.579 --> 00:07:36.922 no roll, totally flat, through there. 00:07:36.922 --> 00:07:41.009 The supercharger whining there as he ? out. 00:07:41.009 --> 00:07:45.653 Oh no, no music for him to listen to, because the Atom doesn't have a stereo. 00:07:45.653 --> 00:07:47.139 Down to chicago 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:51.412 Look at that! No understeer, no oversteer, no car has ever been that neutral 00:07:51.412 --> 00:07:52.155 through there. 00:07:52.155 --> 00:07:55.173 Now the real test - the hammer head. 00:07:55.173 --> 00:07:59.910 He is running very wide. 00:07:59.910 --> 00:08:06.412 Through the followthrough. Will he live. 00:08:06.412 --> 00:08:10.405 No doesn't sound like. That's how much confidence this chassis give you. 00:08:10.405 --> 00:08:13.935 Right down to the pedal to a bend, ok. 00:08:13.935 --> 00:08:16.628 Oh, locking the left front wheel, underbraking, 00:08:16.628 --> 00:08:18.532 Comming up to gambon. 00:08:18.532 --> 00:08:22.340 Power on there, a little bit of a wiggle, and he is across the line. 00:08:22.340 --> 00:08:24.059 Where do you think it came? 00:08:24.059 --> 00:08:24.895 - It was fast! 00:08:24.895 --> 00:08:25.591 - I don't know. 00:08:25.591 --> 00:08:28.842 I would think certainly 1:25 here 00:08:28.842 --> 00:08:30.467 - I would say up here. 00:08:30.467 --> 00:08:33.811 I would say also 00:08:33.811 --> 00:08:35.994 Come on tell us, tell us! 00:08:35.994 --> 00:08:42.681 Its going up, its going up! 00:08:42.681 --> 00:08:54.013 Its going there! 00:08:54.013 --> 00:08:58.053 half a million pound car, twenty nine thousand pound car. 00:08:58.053 --> 00:09:00.235 The only think I would just say is obviously if you are 00:09:00.235 --> 00:09:02.975 thinking of buying one, I suspect you probably are, 00:09:02.975 --> 00:09:05.437 they do an optional big brake pack. 00:09:05.437 --> 99:59:59.999 Go for that or you won't be here for the spring.