CarBuyersNoteBook

Ariel Atom 500

British sportscar-maker Ariel has uncovered its upcoming Atom 500 and suggested it will cost at least $160,000. The present Ariel Atom 300 is already one of the best-performing cars on the road, even with its fairly modest four-cylinder engine. However, the Atom 500 will contain a compact V8 producing some 500 horsepower.

This supercar won’t come cheap as the anticipated $50,000 cost of its custom-developed V8 engine alone will drive the price of the limited-edition Atom 500 to about triple that of its four-cylinder counterpart. A few lucky buyers will get to experience 0-60 in about 2.5 seconds which is fast enough to keep pace with the Bugatti Veyron, which at ten times the price makes the Atom look like a real bargain.