The Ariel Atom is one of those examples of a mighty oak of a supercar growing from a little acorn. Originally starting life back in the mid 90s as a student project by then Coventry University student Niki Smart known as the LSC (short for Lightweight Sports Car), it soon graduated from its academic roots with a premiere showcase at the British International Motor Show in Birmingham in 1996.
It finally went into production in 2000, and immediately won fans, particularly those who were fond of its evocation of the old classic Lotus motorsports cars - particularly where its shared simplistic design principles were concerned. But don’t let the appearance of this one fool you by any stretch of the imagination.
For whilst it resembles a go-kart more than a supercar, in some cases it outpaces the speed rankings of many of the best, tanking up to 155 mph and accelerating from 0 - 60 mph in a turbocharged 2.8 seconds. It’s certainly not a drive for the faint hearted.
The Atom is a lightweight track weapon that you can test drive at a variety of locations throughout the nation. You might test your skills at Oulton Park's tight turns, Silverstone's straights, or Dunsfold Park, the site of the Top Gear test circuit. Each of the track choices will allow you to experience all the Atom has to offer, regardless of where you are in the UK.
We also offer a variety of experiences that will allow you to compare the Atom's performance to that of its considerably larger and more powerful supercar siblings. On our variety of combined Blast and Thrill packages, you could take on a Ferrari, Porsche, or even an Aston Martin alongside the Atom. You will be able to drive up to six supercars of your choosing, including the Ariel Atom.
The Atom is one of the more interesting cars in the TrackDays fleet, and while it doesn't have the luxurious leather seats of an Aston Martin or the stunning looks of a Ferrari 458 Italia, it doesn't need them because it was designed with one purpose in mind: to provide the ultimate driving experience. You'll agree that a drive in the Ariel Atom track day is unlikely to disappoint anybody after former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson hailed the event as "the pleasure of my life."
All of our fantastic driving day packages, which make excellent presents for any motoring enthusiasts and allow you to push the Ariel Atom to its maximum, are listed above. You may either purchase an open gift certificate or reserve a specific date.
How can I make a reservation for an Ariel Atom driving experience?
We aim to make booking your trip as simple as possible for you. You may either purchase an open gift certificate for one of our Ariel Atom driving days or book straight onto a date from our constantly updated Events Calendar.
If you don't find any dates for your preferred experience on the voucher page, please contact our Customer Service team, who will be able to provide you with the most up-to-date availability.
We always welcome Group or Corporate reservations for our packages; further information on how to contact us for this can be found on our dedicated Corporate Experience Days page.
Our gift vouchers are typically valid for 10 months but please check yours specifically - as certain offers have shorter or longer expirations. We will normally state if a driving experience is for junior drivers - but this is not always possible. If the driver fails to meet the requirements regarding licence; age; weight; height - they will be unable to drive the vehicle. If you are unsure about any details our customer service team are always on hand Monday-Friday to assist you.
The Ariel Atom has been decorated in numerous awards and honours from the motoring press since it first rolled off the production line. It won Track and Race Cars magazine’s 0-161-0 km/h test in 2005, easily beating off the Ford GT and Porsche 911 Carrera amongst others.
The following year in 2006, at the 0 - 100 mph challenge at the Birmingham NEC for Autocar magazine, the Atom accelerated to 100 mph in 6.8 seconds, and then back to 0 mph in 3.8 seconds - setting a new indoor speed record.
All experiences are subject to availability. The most recent information on dates when an event may be available can be checked by looking at the calendars on the website, or when you have activated and logged in with your voucher. Please note not all spaces are shown online so if you cannot see spaces for your event please call or email for dates. We will do our best to secure your preferred choice of event, venue and date, but to avoid disappointment book as early as possible, especially for peak times such as weekends and the summer months which book up very quickly. Do not purchase an experience for yourself or as a gift that has a choice of venues if you or the person it is for are only able to travel to one of the choices. Once you are booked, you are bound by the terms and conditions of the event host of which a copy can be made available upon request. In most circumstances, a cancellation cannot be made once a date has been booked.
When booking by phone or online you should not make arrangements in connection with an Event until you have received your final booking confirmation stating your date and time (this does not include the automatic purchase email you receive that confirms what you have just ordered). Your final confirmation will usually arrive within 48 hours of making the purchase. For voucher redemption see 'voucher conditions' below. Where specific elements of an Event such as vehicles or equipment are not available due to mechanical breakdown, we reserve the right to make reasonable substitutions on the day. If this is not possible we reserve the right to cancel the experience at short notice.
Voucher holders must make a prior booking and receive confirmation in order that an open voucher can be redeemed. We recommend that when you have chosen your experience you redeem your voucher at least 21 days in advance of taking your selected experience. We do not guarantee availability on all events, even if the date is showing, so if a chosen event is full or you cannot find a suitable date during the validity period of your voucher then the credit can be used towards an alternative event. Do not arrive at a venue expecting to be able to use your voucher without making a prior booking and receiving a booking confirmation. Trackdays.co.uk will not be held liable for any costs incurred in such circumstances.
Unless stated otherwise, vouchers are valid for one person only. Where necessary a top-up payment can be made to increase the value of a voucher to book a higher priced event. Note that during the out of season months the price of experience may change. If the price of the event is lower than the value of the voucher the remaining credit will be held for use until the vouchers expiry date. We recommend booking as early as possible as you must have undertaken your experience before the expiry date printed on the front of your Voucher. All vouchers will be valid for use up to the expiry date displayed, but after this date, vouchers will automatically expire and cannot be reinstated under any circumstances. Trackdays.co.uk staff are not responsible for reminding or informing customers when a voucher is due to expire. A voucher holder may book a date which is outside of the expiration date displayed on the voucher but must extend the expiry of their voucher for an administration fee. This must be processed before the original expiry date. Voucher credit cannot be used for extension fees or to pay for booking protection.