Ariel Ltd
Encyclopedia
Ariel Motors Ltd is a Crewkerne
, Somerset
, England
based low-volume performance motor vehicle
manufacturing company.
Founded by Simon Saunders in 1991 as Solocrest Ltd, the name was changed in 2001 to Ariel Motors, although the name change and company have nothing to do with the former Ariel Motorcycles
firm. Ariel Motors is one of the UK's smallest automotive companies, with just 7 employees, producing fewer than 100 cars per year.
The company's flagship car is the Ariel Atom
, an extremely light, high performance car, powered by a Honda Civic Type-R engine and gearbox. The Atom is the world's first road-going exoskeletal
car; it has no bodywork or roof, and is built entirely around the tube chassis, making it extremely lightweight at less than 500 kg (1,102 lb). This means that the high performance supercharged model has a power-to-weight ratio
of over 600 bhp per tonne, at a fraction of the cost of a conventional sports car.
In 2011, Ariel announced plans to produce a high performance bespoke motorcycle from summer 2012, powered exclusively by a Honda
engine. The proposed 200 units per annum will retail at around £20,000 per bike.
Crewkerne
Crewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
based low-volume performance motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
manufacturing company.
Founded by Simon Saunders in 1991 as Solocrest Ltd, the name was changed in 2001 to Ariel Motors, although the name change and company have nothing to do with the former Ariel Motorcycles
Ariel Motorcycles
Ariel Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer based in Bournbrook, Birmingham. It was one of the leading innovators in British motorcycling, and was part of the Ariel marque. The company was sold to BSA in 1944 and the name was discontinued in 1970...
firm. Ariel Motors is one of the UK's smallest automotive companies, with just 7 employees, producing fewer than 100 cars per year.
The company's flagship car is the Ariel Atom
Ariel Atom
The Ariel Atom is a high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England and under licence in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia....
, an extremely light, high performance car, powered by a Honda Civic Type-R engine and gearbox. The Atom is the world's first road-going exoskeletal
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
car; it has no bodywork or roof, and is built entirely around the tube chassis, making it extremely lightweight at less than 500 kg (1,102 lb). This means that the high performance supercharged model has a power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
of over 600 bhp per tonne, at a fraction of the cost of a conventional sports car.
In 2011, Ariel announced plans to produce a high performance bespoke motorcycle from summer 2012, powered exclusively by a Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
engine. The proposed 200 units per annum will retail at around £20,000 per bike.
External links
- www.arielmotor.co.uk Ariel Motor Company Official Website
- www.arielatom.com Ariel Atom North America website
- www.arielmotor.es Ariel Motor Spain website