Yahoo Autos The Ariel Atom Could Go Hybrid or Electric Soon
Currently, the Ariel Atom is charmingly old-school. A spindly, 1300-lb tube-frame powered by, among other options, a turbocharged Honda four-cylinder cranking out 360 horsepower. It's the classic formula: Big time power in the lightest package possible. But soon, the Atom's drivetrain options could warp into the 21st century.
Yes, we're talking hybrids and electrics.
Speaking with British magazine Autocar, Ariel boss Simon Saunders says that as Honda pursues hybrid drivetrains-case in point, the new Acura NSX-so will Ariel. "The technology in the NSX is cutting-edge and expensive, but it will work its way down the food chain to the hot hatches," he said. "At that point, it becomes achievable for us to use in the Atom."
"Obviously, for Honda it's more about emissions, but for us it's mostly a performance thing," Saunders added, noting that Ariel had previously considered using Honda hybrid drivetrains but that none so far had met the company's performance needs.
The Ariel boss also hinted that an all-electric Atom may not be far away. "I think Atom will move with the times," he said.
If that sounds antithetical to your image of what Ariel stands for, well, maybe you never really knew what Ariel stood for. As Saunders told Autocar, "Our interest was always to make a spread of low-volume vehicles that could encompass all things, including a high-volume model, limited-edition models and anything up to a chauffeur-driven limousine."
"I can't go into any details right now," he concluded, "but some of the other stuff we're looking at is quite different from what we're doing right now."
