To celebrate the tenth birthday of the Ariel Atom, there will be a limited edition Atom Mugen that will be unveiled at the UK’s Autosport Show next January. Track enthusiasts will appreciate that this vehicle uses natural aspiration, which offers a linear power delivery. It will be powered by the K20Z 2.0 liter engine from the Honda Civic Type R. Mugen will modify this to deliver 270hp. Ariel describes the Mugen-modified Atom to have a standard specification that will be focused at the “track nature of the Atom” and to use the normally aspirated engine “to its full potential.” Only 10 units of this vehicle will be made, with each unit to be offered with a special livery, as well as a numbered plate signed by the Ariel and Mugen specialist that developed it. The full specs will be announced during the car’s launching.
“We found that both ourselves and Mugen had the same meticulous attention to detail in the build of our cars and their engines.” said Simon Saunders, “One Ariel technician makes a car, one Mugen technician builds an engine. The result is a truly hand made car with a hand made engine.”
"Ariel celebrated the tenth anniversary of Atom production in 2010 and the Atom Mugen is the latest addition to the original ‘No Screen, No Roof, No Doors’ bare essentials sports car. The first Atoms produced in 2000 used the Rover K Series engine, with the Atom 2 taking over in 2003 featuring a Honda K20A Type R engine. The car quickly became known for outstanding performance and reliability, with the supercharged car taking various records on a yearly basis. The Atom 3, released in 2007, used the latest Honda K20Z Type R engine, in a higher state of tune, with numerous detail changes to the rest of the car and is in current production as the Atom 3. Said Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel, “Our philosophy has always been to strive for constant improvements in every area, but to do so through an evolution rather than sudden change. We really are proud of the achievements we’ve made over the last decade and the customers we have who are all part of the Ariel family.’" stated the press release.
