Before I rolled it, I had a 2 litre Honda Civic. It weighed about a tonne and had 150 horsepower, giving reasonable performance. Of course it would have had significantly better performance (and rolled much further) if it had only weighed half a tonne, and been blessed with twice as much horsepower. Like this:
It’s an Ariel Atom. A 300 bhp Honda engine stuffed into some chassis tubes. 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds and times round a track that match the fastest and most expensive cars in the world. It’s a Lotus 7 with less body and more of everything else and I would dearly like to own one. But at thirty thousand pounds plus in the UK, and something like 5 million baht to import; that is not going to happen.
The lucky owner is Mr. Nong Nuch Tropical Gardens, whose car collection I have previously admired. It ended up near our condo because the gentleman whose job it is to maintain all these wonderful toy obviously needs to take them out for a run to make sure they are OK. Personally I would have driven it to Chang Mai rather than just into Pattaya, to give it a really thorough test; but I can imagine that the bum becomes a little numb after a while.
Jeremy Clarkson liked it, which may or may not serve as a recommendation:
Note to son: Kind of you to offer; but keep saving for the GT40. Thank you.
Comments 🔗
2010-03-11| MSB saysThe way the pound is falling, 30 grand is not that much these days - less than a Fortuna.
Of course the import duty kills you. But, by the looks of it, you could dismantel the car and hand carry it through customs…..
2010-03-11| Lloyd saysI worked with a guy who owned the first Ariel Atom 3, the model after that pommy twat reviewed it, crazy car but far from the acceleration of a Ducati Desmodeci ;-)
Toys for boys who cant ride a bike!
2010-03-11| Jock saysPut me on the list for an Atom then …. I keep falling off bikes !
2010-03-15| TheSon saysIf I sell the house, I’ll have enough money in the bank to buy one of these outright.
http://pistonheads.com/sales/1485714.htm
Not sure it’s financially very sensible :(
.. if I use up Jackie’s money too, I could get you
2010-03-15| Spike saysIt’s a kind offer by you and Jackie (it was an offer..?), but there is something wrong with the rear of that GT40.
It should look something like this: http://www.cavgt.co.uk/uploaded_images/P1010011-754510.JPG
If you can find something that looks like this (Gulf colours optional but preferred), I will even throw in the ten pounds I will win from you (yes, they are that stupid), plus the 75 baht I just happen to have in my pocket.
Thanks so much. No man could wish for a better son; especially one who also offers to pay the freight and import duties too.