(Source: Wired)

As the world watched the Spelling Bee competition, I was reading up on the eye candy parked above.  Upon reading, I went searching the dictionary to find the meaning for the word insane, which is listed as follows: In·sane [in-seyn ] – adj. [Latin: insanus] – Not sane, mentally ill or deranged; demented; mad.  But British automaker, Ariel, is trying to change this meaning by doing something that’s much more crazy.  With the wisdom achieved during the development Atom 300, of one of the fastest cars on Earth, which is already achieving sub 3 second times to 60mph and sub 7 second times to 100mph, the folks at Ariel went to work on  the Ariel 500. 

The limited-edition Ariel Atom 500 is  a 500-kilo (1,100-lbs) smartlooking “bomb”, sporting a 500-horsepower 3.0-liter V8 engine capable of hurling the occupants down the highway at an astoninshing speed (0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds).  Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel,  has this much to say about the Atom 500: “For a few customers the Atom 500 will be the ultimate expression of lightweight performance and represents the outer limits of what is achievable in a road registered car. ”   It is reported that only 25 copies of this vehicle will be offered in the United States at a date and price to be determined.

The only question that comes to mind is what is the purpose of a passenger seat in this vehicle? No way in hell can the driver or the passenger have a conversation traveling at such a neck-breaking speed.   So, I am convinced the sole purpose of having this passenger seat is to pass the eligibility criteria for a “street car”.   A quick check on Google for the 0-60mph speed table shows that a standard Formula One car would clock that at 2.8secs, which is definitely slower than the Atom 500 fitted with a passenger seat.   If that passenger seat is removed, the reduction in weight might make the vehicle even lighter, contributing to a further increment in speed.   Now, imagine showing up at work in one of these!