Unlike the traditional Ariel Atom, this high powered formula inspired light weight roadster will be no budget super car. According to Ariel's CEO Simon Saunders, the 500 HP V8-powered Atom 500 will cost £100,000 or about $160K American. The reports of the 500 being powered by the Caterham Levante’s 10K RPM 2.4 Liter eight cylinder were incorrect, instead the super lightweight will use a Frankenstein combination of two Suzuki Hayabusa engines shaped in a “V.” The $50,000 price tag for the engine as well as the $17,000 transmission account for a sizeable portion of the Atom 500’s overall cost.

Despite owner’s dreams of being able to hang with the big boys while still keeping a budget, the Atom 500’s six digit cost of ownership may have just become out of your price range. Even in one of the company’s four cylinder powered Atom’s you would be able to run circles around any super car due to the Ariel’s light weight simplistic nature. What would be interesting is to see if the Ariel Atom 500 could outrun two Hayabusas, but for $160,000 couldn’t you buy a pair of the Suzuki super bikes and try to make your own?

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