The Ariel Atom is the only car to ever destroy Jeremy Clarkson’s face:
However, despite its looks, this car isn’t the Ariel Atom:
No, this car is a home-built Ariel Atom clone that’s the end result of a gearhead with a garage and a dream. (And 800+ hours of work.)
Featuring stainless panels from old appliances, black body panels from an ancient kayak and an old doghouse, a throttle pedal from salvaged parts that were the result of a dumpster dive at a local engineering firm, and the k20a3 engine out of a wrecked RSX, it’s also an eco-friendly car that shows that recycling can be quick too.
Specs come in at 4.5 seconds to 60, and 35+ MPG, so it’s not bad in the performance department either.
A home-built dream car pieced together from scraps lying around the house?
Caught somewhere between garage project and production machine, it’s often a budget way for someone to purchase the wheels of their dreams without breaking the bank.
As with all things though, kit cars cover the spectrum from spot-on supplements to torn-down beaters, and everything in between.
To get a glimpse of the available options, check out Motive’s coverage of the kit cars at the Carlisle auto show.
With everything from a Monte Carlo-based NASCAR replica and an almost production car from the Cobra clone masters to tricked out dune buggies and 57 Chevy-ized Camaros, it’s a taste of both the tasteful and the tasteless.
On Saturday, I had the chance to go and see Formula D’s “The Finals” at Irwindale Speedway (yes, I did get stuck on Interstate 5 on the way down from San Francisco due to that massive accident), and I must say, if you’re at all a fan of the four wheeled machine, make sure you check out one of Formula Drift’s events at a track near you.
If you’re not familiar with the sport, think of drifting as two automotive ballerinas battling it out in a boxing match. It’s gracefully controlled mayhem, and in my opinion, it’s easily the best form of four-wheeled entertainment on the planet. [click to continue…]
