#2: 2012 Ariel Atom V8 500
Ariel Atom V8 500
Our second-fastest car is one that reverts to the equation of our earliest entrants: Strip as much weight and space as possible, ditch the radio, climate control and windows, leave the cockpit wide open, and strap the largest possible engine to the back. We’re talking about what is perhaps the most insane adult go-kart ever made: The 2012 Ariel Atom V8 500.
This barely-legal road car weighs 1,212 pounds but covets a comparatively massive 3.0L V8 which makes around 500 horses. This mythical power-to-weight ratio allows the Atom to get from a dead stop to 60 MPH in just 2.3 seconds. But although the Atom 500 may look like nothing more than a massive motor strapped to a rollerblade, it doesn’t exactly eschew creature comforts nor basic features.
The Atom features proper flappy paddles linked to a magic SADEV six-speed sequential gearbox that can make shifts in about 40 milliseconds – faster than any Lamborghini in production. That means there is, quite literally, never any appreciable drop in power until you decide to throw in the towel because your cheeks have fallen off your skull.
But mechanical prowess is not the Atom’s only hidden forte. Its fully-adjustable wishbone suspension was built in partnership with Lotus, while inboard, pushrod dampers keep the Atom lasering through any corner without breaking a sweat. This is astonishing engineering for any company, no less one that has so few employees, you could probably count them on your hands and toes.
The Atom is so fast, in fact, that it can make zero to 100 and back to zero in just 10.88 seconds. Although the Atom may not hold title as #1 on our list, it is currently the all-around fastest car on our list by a mile, making it (in our humble opinions) one of the most truly remarkable cars ever built.
