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So a bit over a month from my birthday I get to drive the ariel atom that was bought for me as a track day experience, so I thought i'd do a review of the day, car and company that provided the whole experience for you guys to have a read through while eating your dinner.
So the day hits me in the face with a damp sponge to begin with, but I keep my head positive as after all I will be driving one of the fastest accelerating road legal cars.
Upon arrival to longcross test track in surrey its still drizzly and I was amazed at the amount of people attending the day for their supercar experience. In the region of 250+ all wanting to plant their right foot down in some expensive metal!
So the company I had booked the day with are called '6th gear', and their livery was everywhere I looked, but luckily they had bought along some fantastic machines to watch scream down the track. In the form of ferrari was a 360 and 458. Labourghini had two gallardo's and the very wide mercialago. Aston with two dbs's. Audi with the R8, and ford with a focus rs.
Slightly away from the exotics packed in a corner was a radical sr7- I think, and two ariel atoms.
Excited about driving, I headed straight for the driver sign on, upon which I was told would I like to purchase a insurance waiver. In this case it ment for £25 I would be excluded from paying any excess in the event of a accident, any damage, scratch or complete write off, or if I chose not, it would be the 1st 5k that I was liable for! In the current track conditions I thought it best to take it out, although I felt it was a con to make more money as its not really a choice you can weigh in the differences.
Anyhow before they let you loose in the car of your choice they show you round the track, which as mentioned earlier was longcross. Basicly its a normal two lane road with no runoff, tight sweeping hairpin banked turns, a good long left into a good straight, and a stop junction halfway through which I thought was mad, but luckily, they had put cones up to stop you driving off down the sliproad towards the M3!
So after the demo with the track fresh in my head, I lined up in the queue of people waiting for the atom.
And waited......
Waited some more.........
Still waiting...... But I'm next as that guy in front put his ticket in just before me.
No, still waiting......
Finally, me, and on goes the helmet with intergrated mic and earpiece and in I jump, well clamber over the scaffolding and slide into the seat. My instructor tells me some info about the car.
''this is the ariel atom 300'' - really, I thought i'd booked a spa day!
''it has no mechanical aids'' -we like, can feel car better.
''no abs''- yes we've established that.
''the power to weight ratio of 669bhp per ton''- thats better news
''and all the power goes to the rear wheels, so you will only be using 4th and 5th gear!'' - wasn't really paying attention as was too busy admiring the blue glow from the dials and wanting to get moving.
Anyway, the clutch was light under my foot, and the car was easy to get moving, although the acceletator was stiff but extremely sensitive coming onto power and off.
So I'm waiting to come out of the pits in 1st and mr instructor is adamant that I'm not allowed to floor it or I will be sent straight back in. I am unhappy with this as was looking forward to the under 4 second 0-60, albeit it is damp and that would not be possible, I still wanted to give it a little push through the gears.
So we have to crawl out, 2k revs, ''change gear'', 2nd 2k revs, ''shift'', in 3rd 2k revs, ''shift''- what the hell is this- a sunday drive!? In fourth now, doing about 60mph round some sharp corners, feeling the cars responsiveness and brilliant grip I push on through the sweeping bends. The atom hugs the road beautifully, I could only just feel the front starting to push out, but it was a damp track. Round a few more bends before checking for traffic at junction- joke,
Then onto the long sweeping left to straight. I push on the power gently not to over step the limit while following the turn, ''change gear'' - just over 3k and into 5th! Not really exploring the cars potential, but hey ho, foot down if he's being like that. 2k revs foot on floor in 5th, the supercharger humming, its a lovley smooth pull, 5k revs, bloody hell he's letting me open it up! Charger really screaming now as I hit 100 and have to back off due to the fact to stop you enjoying yourself, they put cones as a chicane so you can't full bean it down the straight! Back on the power now, delivery is fantastic up to 100 again heavy on brakes for hard left. Go to drop into 4th and get a handslap telling me ''no!, stay in 5th!''
Boring! I'm now dribbling through the bends in 5th about 2k revs, yes it is quite quick but I'm barely on the throttle and dont really feel like I'm driving. Through some more bends back out onto the long left. Again go to drop into 4th to get revs higher as turn before long left is slow and revs are at 1500, but I get shouted at again! Progressive throttle through the bend then down hard as straight opens up. The car absolutley flies and I just wish I could feel it more by using the gears.
Still after another lap or so really getting to know car and even in 5th I'm punching through the corners, ready to open her up for my last lap and some bint in a phat mercialago is wafting along at 60 odd. With no room to overtake because of the cones and with being in 5th I had to plod along behind hoping that because I've been held up, i'll get another quick lap in. No luck, told to drive into pits. Gutted.
So overall a good experience, but I definatly won't be doing it with '6th gear' again, as even after I thought about the damage waiver and thought they dont actually let you drive car fully and with the instructor constantly at you, you can't really go wrong, so theres no point having it, just a way to make more money on top of the £80 intial ticket. Or whatever experience you have chosen. I did get a hotlap in the focus rs, good fun but nothing really compares to the atom.
So I finish with a warning to anyone who may be thinking about something like this, to choose wisely at track location and company supplying vehicle.
And also a reccomendation for the ariel atom as if I had a reasonable time staying in 5th round a track in the damp, imagine what its like in the dry!
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any pics? Longcross used to be used for rallies but it's no longer available so you had a rare chance to drive it.
