Top Gear Atom

[Clocker]

SWEET!

 

[Bozo]

Awesome! Does it come in right hand drive?

Bozo :mrgrn:

 

[Handruin]

Very nice. I've read about it in magazines, but never seen video of one. That car is insane. Zero to 60 in 2.9 seconds from a 300 HP supercharged honda civic type R motor...jesus.

Anyone have some tools for downloading google videos?

 

[Mercutio]

Yes.

 

[jtr1962]

This one is even better. It literally blows away the Ferrari 360 and Porsche Carrera GT while requiring no special skills from the driver. Just floor it and away you go. Frankly, it makes the two gas cars in the video look like the inefficient, expensive, overly complicated, primitive noise makers that they are.

 

[Buck]

This one is even better. It literally blows away the Ferrari 360 and Porsche Carrera GT while requiring no special skills from the driver. Just floor it and away you go. Frankly, it makes the two gas cars in the video look like the inefficient, expensive, overly complicated, primitive noise makers that they are.

That might be. But it would take me some time to get used to a performance car that doesn't have the beautiful sounds played by the Ferrari and Porshe. Nonetheless, the speed of that sparky mobile is amazing and undeniable.

 

[P5-133XL]

I'm sorry, but an 11.1 second 1/4 mile time is not that impressive for a super car.

 

[CougTek]

But for a ~54000U$ car like the one in Clocker's video, it is.

 

[Handruin]

Ah, the sound of that porsche carrera GT...heavenly. That sound alone is worth the price tag.

In that video it sounded like the porsche couldn't get traction.

Porsche carerra GT in all its glory.

 

[Handruin]

MP3 of the beauteous Carrerra GT sound.

 

[Buck]

That Top Gear bloke is a retarded git. But you're right handy, the Carrerra sounds like melodious music.

 

[Handruin]

That guy was indeed a goof.

Dodge could learn a thing or two about extracting nice sound from their viper's V10.

 

[P5-133XL]

I think the Atom (top Gear Car) is quite appealing. But, it really needs a windshield -- I really really don't want my teeth to be used as a bug screen and a roof would be good too. Just a few creature comforts, just a few.

 

[ddrueding]

SWEET!

For those who are interested...

As I'd want it configured, ~$40k even. With $10k down upon order, $10k on shipment of the drivetrain, and the balance on delivery of the car. Current wait time is ~180 days. Production in Ashland, Oregon; test drives available upon request at the factory.

 

[Santilli]

Why not just buy a formula Vee? Aren't they nearly as fast, and cheaper?

S

 

[CougTek]

FORMULA VEE SPECIFICATIONS

Engine 1200cc or 1600cc standard Volkswagen engine (depending on state competing within). No modifications permitted other than polishing/porting of cylinder heads and balancing engine components. Approximately 50 HP produced.

Gearbox Standard Volkswagen (VW 1200, 1300 or 1500 gearboxes permitted). Mounted 180 degree about for better weight distribution.

Front Suspension Volkswagen Type 1 H-Beam with some modifications.

Rear Suspension Free, provided standard Volkswagen axle tubes are used.

Wheels Standard Volkswagen rims can be used or any other alloy/composite 5.5 inch 4 or 5 stud wheel weight at least 5.8kg

Tyres Dunlop have developed a racing compound tyre. Tyres are all weather, unidirectional. Click here to see a list of the Dunlop Motorsport Tyre Distributors.

Top Speed Approximately 200 kph (depending on gearbox used)

Minimum Car Weight 475Kg(1200cc)/490Kg(1600cc) including driver.

Cost A used rolling chassis without engine starts at $3,500. A fully built ready to race used car starts at approximately $7,000, whilst a new car starts at around $25,000.



50hp for 475Kg isn't nearly in the same ballpark than the 300hp for 500Kg of the Top Gear Atom. It is half the price though.

 

[time]

I'm sorry, but an 11.1 second 1/4 mile time is not that impressive for a super car.

By itself, it would be quite credible. However, people need to realize that 1/4 mile times are more an indication of power delivery effectiveness than a reflection of a car's onroad performance. Always looks at the terminal speed - that's why it's quoted.

In the case of the electric Atom, it manages a terminal speed of only 104mph, which is not spectacular at all. However, it has a perfectly smooth torque curve and no gear shifts to break traction. Although abhored in drag racing, normal cars need wasteful wheelspin (or clutch slip) to keep the engine in the useful band of the torque curve. The electric car can apply maximum torque from rest without wheelspin. As the race against the Porsche shows, it thrashes conventional cars off the mark but loses ground as speed increases.

I can't find published quarter mile results for the supercharged petrol engine versions, but 0-100mph apparently averages 6.86 seconds.

Just take some time to digest that ...

Anyway, braking is even more impressive: 100-0mph in 3.8 seconds.

Putting the two together, the supercharged Atom can accelerate from rest to 100mph and then come to a complete stop in 10.88 seconds - less time than the electric version takes just to get to 104mph.

At a guess, we're talking a quarter mile terminal speed of 130mph and elapsed time in the low tens. Not too shabby ...

 

[time]

BTW, "That Top Gear bloke" is neither retarded nor a git. He's wonderfully entertaining, a view shared by his millions of fans.

 

[Bozo]

I wonder how the Top Gear Atom would cmpare with a 427 Cobra? And, the Cobra has a windshield


Bozo :mrgrn:

 

[Santilli]

Sensation of speed is relative. Formula Vee, sitting two inches off the ground, is like doing 150 mph on a skateboard. Plus, they handle like a formula one car.

Lotus Super Seven is what the Atom looks like it was stolen from.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven

http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/0/2/81678802.htm

http://www.seanet.com/users/clauded/lotest.jpg

and


http://www.madmotors.com/Super7.htm

Now I may have to buy one. Would be a really cool commute car...

s

 

[ddrueding]

I wonder how the Top Gear Atom would cmpare with a 427 Cobra? And, the Cobra has a windshield


Bozo :mrgrn:

You mean, how would 10 Atoms compare with one 427 Cobra; price-wise.

 

[Santilli]

I had a very fast, IMSA race car street mustang, built by Spectre racing in Belmont. Before they built my car, they took me out in Cobras, Panteras, Ferraris, etc.

That said, brakes become real important, and weight.

If you want to go really fast, and stop, the car should be really light.

Cobra's bounced all over the place, since their suspension wasn't all that great. Porsche 928's and Pantera's use coil over independent suspension, and it soaks up bumps far better then the cobras. That said, power to weight 427 cobras are real scary. However, their brakes weren't all that.

By far the fastest buck for the bang was a Katana 1100cc my friend bought for 5 grand. It did zero to 60 in 2 seconds, and in first gear. At about 60 he hit second gear, the front wheel came off the ground, and I think it finally went back on the ground around 100. It had 5 gears...

Reminds me of watching Kenny Roberts at Laguna Seca. Out of the hairpin, he'd be going 140 at the bridge/bend left. He'd yank the front wheel off the ground, at 140, accelerating, and turning, and keep it in the air, at an angle, till he hit something like 170. The Ali of bike racing...

Teo Fabi used to come down the corkscrew, and where other guys were touching the white lines with the outside of their tires, he was hitting those marks with the INSIDES of his. Had the lap record for a long time, great driver.

S

 

[P5-133XL]

Hey, they are in Ashland, Oregon and I annually go down there to take in the Shakespearian Festival. Maybe I'll go visit them next Oct when I'm scheduled (I already have tickets). It'd be neat to get a test drive, but I have to admit that I doubt that I'd give it a great test (fear could take over, being that I'm not a risk taker and very conserative in my driving habits).

 

[jtr1962]

In the case of the electric Atom, it manages a terminal speed of only 104mph, which is not spectacular at all. However, it has a perfectly smooth torque curve and no gear shifts to break traction. Although abhored in drag racing, normal cars need wasteful wheelspin (or clutch slip) to keep the engine in the useful band of the torque curve. The electric car can apply maximum torque from rest without wheelspin. As the race against the Porsche shows, it thrashes conventional cars off the mark but loses ground as speed increases.

I heard it reaches that (gearing limited) terminal speed of 104 mph long before the end of the ¼ mile. I don't believe they're using all that powerful of an electric motor so they had to make a compromise with the gearing. They probably adjusted the gearing so that the tractive effort comes close to the limits of tire adhesion at low speeds. That results in 0 to 60 mph times in the 3 second area. The tradeoff of course is that top speed is gear limited rather than power limited. If they had used a motor 50% more powerful it could have been geared 50% higher. You would have the same low-end torque but a top end in the 156 mph area (assuming similar RPM limits for both motors). Due to the superior torque curve of an electric motor, all other things being equal both cars would reach the same top speed but the electric would get there quite a bit faster. Since the gas version has a higher horsepower rating than the electric version, of course it reaches a higher top speed. Put a 300 HP electric motor in that thing and it will go just as fast as the gas version while blowing it away in the ¼ mile.

Another thing is that the Atom doesn't appear very aerodynamic so it probably accelerates like a superbike, meaning in 10 to 15 seconds it reaches 90% of its top speed. Compare this to some top speed tests done with the EV1. In its stock form the EV1 was computer limited to 80 mph. It could probably go a bit faster but the gearing seemed optimized for acceleration at the expense of ultimate top speed. Some regeared versions with everything stock except for aero wheel covers managed to reach in excess of 180 mph with a 67 HP electric motor. Needless to say, zero to 60 times were less than for the stock versions. Also, it probably took the car well over a minute to reach 90% of maximum speed as opposed to mere seconds for the Atom (either version).

My point? Quarter mile testing just shows off a vehicle's power-to-weight ratio. A high terminal velocity merely indicates a high power-to-weight ratio more than anything else. A better test of any vehicle is to just hold down the accelerator until speed stops increasing. In general, more efficient vehicles will take a lot longer to reach terminal velocity. They may also blow away vehicles with 10 times the power-to-weight ratio. As a great example, the gas Atom probably has well over 400 HP per ton of weight. I doubt terminal velocity is much over 175 mph, probably less. On the other hand, take something like a TGV Atlantique. Power-to-weight ratio is roughly 22 HP/ton (540 tons, 12000 HP). Top speed is something like 225 mph although I believe in regular service the computer cuts the motors out at 200 mph. 1/20 the power per ton, but higher top speed. Don't ask about ¼ mile times, though. I think terminal velocity is maybe 55 mph and elapsed time about 28 or 29 seconds. Certainly not material for the drag strip. Of course it really hauls a$$ at the high end which is where the fun is.

 

[CougTek]

I don't think a 300HP electric motor is feasible right now for vehicles the size of the Atom. A 300HP engine working with bio-diesel would though. Think about the torque of that thing!

Another interesting thing to try would be an Atom with four electrical wheel motors.

 

[time]

Reminds me of watching Kenny Roberts at Laguna Seca. ... The Ali of bike racing...

I can't let this go without pointing out that the hype surrounding Roberts is far greater than the reality ever was. Although obviously a great racer, I think it's a bit much to liken him to Ali.

With five world titles, Mick Doohan is probably the best of the modern era. Valentino Rossi (current World Champion) on Mick Doohan:

"Mick Doohan had a different riding style from me, he didn’t use so much corner speed, so he had less of a problem with settings. He used to slide and go, like a real 500 rider. I think I’m now quite good on 500s, but I’ve seen some of Mick’s data readouts and, f--k, he was very fast. It was him that made the difference, not the bike."

 

[Santilli]

Time,
Fair enough. Only guy I saw go that fast was Roberts. Only saw a couple races. Any idea what his record was?

S