The 525bhp ‘4RR' is the most powerful Ariel Atom ever
It marks a quarter of a century of production, and so only 25 will be made
Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures.
This here is the Ariel Atom '4RR', conceived to mark 25 years of the pint-sized sports car. It's also the most powerful Atom ever created, automatically christening it as the new Final Boss of Scaffolding. Somehow, it's road-legal.
Based on the already bonkers 4R, the track-focused 4RR uses a bespoke version of the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot (plugged from the Honda Civic Type R). Though thanks to revised components, including optimised fuel and oil systems, the needle has been flicked right up to 525bhp and 406lb ft. Good lord.
Advertisement - Page continues below
No confirmation as yet of acceleration and top speed figures, but given this thing has an extra 125bhp over a 'regular' 4R, it'll likely better the 0-62mph time (2.7s) and stretch the 170mph vmax even further.
And would you just look at it? The body is peppered with sharp edges to profit as much aero as possible from the F1-style splitter and slender rear wing. No wonder Ariel's aiming this thing at 'the most serious track drivers'.
There's also a gopping great intake behind the seats, and even bigger ones ahead of the rear wheel arches. Because that's what the Atom's always lacked... exposure to air. Ahem.
Pricing for the 4RR will be revealed later this year, but Ariel says just 25 units will be built. Best act fast.
Advertisement - Page continues below
Top Gear
Newsletter
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.
Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Success Your Email*
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fury over newly installed 'killer kerb' causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to cars daily
Drivers are furious with a council over a new foot-high 'Killer Kerb' which has caused thousands of pounds of damage to cars. The new installation was designed to create a 'more welcoming environment for pedestrians' but has instead become so notorious that it has been listed as a tourist attraction on Google Maps. It has caused so much damage that a Facebook page has been dedicated to the carnage it has caused. The Lib Dem-led Wiltshire Council was built in October 2024 as part of a £3.2 million project. It was 'renewed' last year under a scheme the county council said would 'create a more welcoming environment for pedestrians' when they walk towards the city centre from the railway station. One video of a car bumping over the kerb had been viewed more than one million times on social media. Since it was installed the council has faced a slew of compensation claims from motorists who have damaged their vehicles on the kerb. However, some locals say that the drivers are themselves to blame. The 'killer kerb 'sits around 100 metres from Salisbury train station in Wiltshire at a mini roundabout at the junction of two major roads. Since opening in October 2024 eight compensation claims relating to it have been made compared to zero in the three previous years. Tom Curtress, 34, from Berkshire, is one of several people who have damaged their cars on the kerb. He said: 'It will be two new doors and some panel work. It's not exactly a bit of varnish and some paint work. 'Other people will do the same thing; they will have a great weekend, drop someone off at the station and then prang their car.' After hitting the kerb in his Ford Focus in March he noticed a BMW do something similar 15 minutes later. He added: 'That BMW car door's going to cost more than a Ford Focus one. 'It was an identical issue, coming from the station. It's not just causing a little scuff. It's causing dents. 'If you drive from the station, you can't see the kerb from the driver's side. It's a tight turn and you don't want to go into the oncoming traffic. 'I took one video where around 50 percent of the cars, to avoid it, had their driver's side on the other side of the road.' Retired military pilot Anthony D'Arcy-Irvine, 82, caused £4,000 worth of damage after hitting his Volkswagen on the kerb in June. When he took his car to the garage he was told he was the 'third car that day'. Mr D'Arcy-Irvine, from Enford, Wilts, said of the incident that led to the damage: 'I was going to get crushed. If I had stayed where I was, I would have been hit by the vehicle coming the other way. 'I have lived in Salisbury for 50 years and I have used that roundabout regularly, I think it is very badly marked. 'When you pull out of the way of a truck coming the other way, there's not sign of where it is. You cannot see it. Other people have rung me and said the same thing. 'Wiltshire Council and Highways have a responsibility to make sure it is safe for driers as well, and it isn't. They have a duty of care for road users.' Heather Armstrong, who owns nearby Gullicks Florists, added: 'Literally everyday a vehicle will go into the kerb and people get stuck on it. 'If someone gets stuck on there it does cause problems with traffic building up. 'I know it's there, so I know to pull out further. For some people, it's not that visible. 'When there was a railing there it gave some more guidance. You have to swing out the other way, and sometimes with traffic coming the other way, that's not possible.' One Facebook page dedicated to the kerb has over 4,200 members, more than 10 percent of the historic city's population. However, viewers are split over who to blame for the damage. One commentator, Jo Earley, saying 'Can we stop blaming the kerb and start blaming the idiots behind the wheel?' Another user, Patrick Day, commented: 'This group isn't for 'victims'. It's for people to laugh at the ones who can't drive and mount it.' However Jonathan Hodgetts wrote: 'Installing a curb like this is crazy but I am amazed people get caught so often. Mind you we all make mistakes so must not be too critical.' One anonymous user said: 'You should have your licence taken away from you if you can't negotiate a corner, dumbass.' Samantha Stokes added: 'Far too much time is being spent on this bloody kerb. I can't wait for the traffic lights to come for the idiots can't turn a corner without smashing their car up.' One social media member even suggested setting up a viewing area on the other side of the road to mock road users. After months of complaints, a safety audit has now been completed by Wiltshire Council and work is due to start next week to improve the kerb. The gradient of the footpath is set to be reduced and a bollard put in place to guide people around the 90-degree corner. 'Deterrent paving' will also be insalled to assist drivers. Councillor Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council, said: 'This is a key junction providing access to the railway station and city centre, with approximately 11,000 vehicles passing under the Fisherton Street railway bridge each day. 'It is important that the infrastructure installed at this location supports pedestrian safety, especially with the recent opening of Fisherton car park for SWR customers, which has increased footfall in the area.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'I have nightmares about potholes' - Kent Council roads boss
A Kent council cabinet member said he has "nightmares about potholes" as it aims to invest millions into fixing the County Council says it wants to invest £67m into roads in the region, including quick repairs on potholes and preventative measures to stop new issues from in Herne Bay this afternoon, Peter Osborne - who is responsible for highways and transport - said potholes in Kent would be fixed in order of priority, having previously claimed the council had repaired more than 12,000 said: "I have nightmares about potholes. We have all driven over them and I want them fixed." As part of the multi-million pound investment, the Reform-run council says £25m would be used on renewing and reconstructing roads, while £14m would also be sought from the Department for Transport to fund a dedicated pothole patching March, the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey found that fixing the backlog of repairs on roads in the South East would cost about £ Sole, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Kent County Council, said residents want to "see those potholes being repaired with their own eyes".
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Another popular sedan gets the axe as Honda slashes one of its US-built cars
Another sedan is exiting the US car market. Acura, Honda's luxury vehicle brand, told he Daily Mail that its mid-size sedan, the TLX, will stop rolling off dealership lots in 2026. The Ohio-built sedan is the latest small car to be killed off in the US. Buyers are favoring crossovers and pickup trucks instead, leading to major lineup changes. Acura introduced its mid-size luxury sedan to America in 1995. It initially carried the nameplate TL. The blocky, high-end car immediately became a hit, selling 24,700 units in its first full year of sales. It peaked in 2005, selling 78,218 units. But those sales haven't kept up. Last year, only 7,478 customers brought a new TLX to their driveway. This year, the $45,000 sedan's sales are down another 8.6 percent. 'Since the car's initial success, sales have been in a gradual, but steady decline as consumers increasingly turn to crossover utility vehicles,' Chris Naughton, a spokesperson for Honda and Acura, said. Acura's best-sellers are mostly SUVs. Three of the company's top-four vehicles - the MDX, RDX, and electric ZDX - are small- to mid-size family cars. The luxury automaker, which enjoyed a 4.4 percent increase in sales compared to last year, has delivered 78,476 vehicles this year. Now, the automaker only has one small vehicle offering: the Integra. Acura revived the $33,000, sport-oriented hatchback in 2022 after a 16-year hiatus from the US market. When the Japanese import reached American consumers in the 1990s, it quickly became a classic among enthusiasts. The easily modifiable racer was huge in vehicle tuning culture. Now, its made in the US. 'Integra has been our best-selling sedan since it returned to the lineup,' Naughton said. 'Both sedan models are built on the same line at the Marysville Auto Plant, TLX and Integra have been competing for capacity. So, rather than have limited volume of two products we will put our production focus on Integra.' Honda's CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, is one of the last executives who has invested in sedans for the US market Acura's small- and mid- sized SUVs have dominated its sales American automakers continue to kill off thier sedans. Multiple US-based brands - including companies that built their reputation in the mid-1900s on the four-door car type - now feature a lineup exclusively filled with SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks. Chrysler only makes a minivan. Chevy no longer makes a new sedan. Ford killed its last sedan, the Fusion, in 2020. That trend is accelerating, with Mitsubishi ripping the Mirage off the market in 2024, and Nissan scheduled to cancel the low-cost Versa by the end of the year. But automakers that have leaned into the small vehicle segment are reporting some ballooning sales.
