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Rating

Verdict A blast of fresh-air motoring at its frenzied best

Look at the picture of the Ariel Atom. Those tubes you see are its chassis, so what we have here is the world’s first exoskeletal car. A sort of beetle-cum-Pompidou Centre.

Because there is no bodywork, it weighs less than 500kg, which in automotive terms is an ounce. It uses the 220bhp VTEC motor from a Japanese-spec Honda Civic Type R. So that means you’re getting 440bhp per tonne, and that’s about 100 more than you get from a Lamborghini Murciélago.

Obviously it has lousy aerodynamics, so the top speed is about 135mph, but the time it takes to achieve this is mind-boggling: 0-60mph, for instance, is dealt with in just 3.5sec.

Maybe the front is a little bit floaty and the brakes could be a touch more powerful. But with the engine air intake trying to suck my left ear off, and the wind wreaking Jamaica-style havoc with my hair, I kept bursting into spontaneous laughter. You would too.

This really is just a chassis, an engine, four wheels and a surprisingly comfortable plastic seat.

In terms of sheer thrills, the Atom is easily a match for the Porsche Carrera GT, and that makes its £19,999 starting price (for the 160bhp version) look almost ludicrously low. That’s yet another reason why I have no hesitation in giving the Atom five stars.

Current price £23,000

Price when tested (Sep 2004) £24,000

Engine 1998cc, four cylinders

Power 220bhp @ 8200rpm

Torque 145 lb ft @ 6100rpm

Transmission Six-speed manual

Fuel/ 0-60mph 3.5sec

Top speed 135mph