Ariel Atom 4R Laps the Top Gear Test Track Quicker Than the Old V-8

Top Gear fans will remember the Ariel Atom V8, the wild followup to the car that deformed Jeremy Clarkson’s face. Thirteen years ago, the 500-horsepower track special showed the world what a true lightweight car could do, posting a 1:15.1 lap around the show’s test track. That was the fastest time yet recorded, and miles ahead of the next fastest car, a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which posted a 1:16.8. 

Ariel no longer sells a V-8-powered Atom, but it’ll sell you something quicker. The 4R uses a 400-hp version of the Honda Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and pairs that with a six-speed sequential transmission. Top Gear recently tested the ultimate version of the 4R, complete with a higher downforce aero kit, sticky tires, and nearly every other go-fast part you can throw at it.

With the anonymous Stig at the wheel, the Atom 4R lays down a 1:13.7. If you include all the full-on race cars TG’s tested over the years, it’s the 15th quickest car on the leaderboard. Limit the rankings to street-legal cars, and it ties the McLaren 675LT for 6th. This is what progress looks like.

I’m not sure what’s more impressive—what the Atom can do with less power and more grip, or the fact that many larger, heavier cars with, uh, real bodywork can lap the Top Gear test track quicker. Or just how far we’ve moved on from the likes of the mighty Veyron, which once seemed impossibly fast.