This 500bhp Turbo Ariel Atom Redefines Madness

Adding a turbo to one of the world's lightest, fastest cars leads to predictably lairy results

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Did you assume the 475bhp Ariel Atom V8 was the world's fastest Atom? Nice try, but you're wrong, dear. The Real Street Performance Atom is the world's fastest road-going Ariel Atom, and like pretty much any car that's the fastest of its kind in the world, it's thanks to a seriously powerful turbo upgrade.

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A standard Atom runs a supercharged Honda Type-R VTEC 2.0-litre engine, good for around 300bhp. In a tiny lump of scaffolding like an Atom, weighing in at 500kg, that's enough for 0-60mph in 2.9sec, and around 130mph flat out. The V8 model will launch to 60mph in a scant 2.5sec, and will reach a terrifying 180mph at the top end.

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Now, we don't have concrete performance figures for this Real Street Performance (RSP) Atom, but it's a fair bet to say with all that turbo torque, and a claimed 500bhp, it's going to be the fastest Ariel on the planet. At 580kg, it's slightly heavier than the standard car, but with good reason.

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Thanks to 20psi of boost, new forged rod and pistons (all fitted in a stock engine block), this street fighter puts out 500bhp according to RSP - the owner of the video below reckons it has 650bhp. That's a huge discrepancy, but remember that these figures are quoted from 93RON US-spec petrol. Run the RSP Atom on Euro-spec 98RON super-unleaded, and suddenly 600bhp+ is well and truly on the cards.

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