Atom vs RS
07-19-2011, 02:31 AM
#20
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Given all the maintenance woes it may already be a junk heap after that!
Anecdotally I just haven't seen an Atom complete a whole day's track events. Ever. Owner starts the day with everybody else, misses the first two sessions coz the mechanics have to fidget with the car. He finally makes it out of the pitlane and does one and maybe another half session before something INVARIABLY breaks down, gearbox, engines and what not...
Statistically I think my hometrack has seen more Atoms pushed back into the pitlane than Atoms coming in on their own power
Anecdotally I just haven't seen an Atom complete a whole day's track events. Ever. Owner starts the day with everybody else, misses the first two sessions coz the mechanics have to fidget with the car. He finally makes it out of the pitlane and does one and maybe another half session before something INVARIABLY breaks down, gearbox, engines and what not...
Statistically I think my hometrack has seen more Atoms pushed back into the pitlane than Atoms coming in on their own power
My Atom has 13K miles and has done dozens of track days, without a single failure. I know several (crazy) people that have driven Atoms from coast to coast without problems. Atoms certainly have some shortcomings, but my experience indicates reliability & cheap running costs are it's strenghts (not to mention pace).
07-19-2011, 06:02 AM
#21
Rennlist Member
If you're seeing Atoms in China, they're made there and not sold anywhere else.
My Atom has 13K miles and has done dozens of track days, without a single failure. I know several (crazy) people that have driven Atoms from coast to coast without problems. Atoms certainly have some shortcomings, but my experience indicates reliability & cheap running costs are it's strenghts (not to mention pace).
My Atom has 13K miles and has done dozens of track days, without a single failure. I know several (crazy) people that have driven Atoms from coast to coast without problems. Atoms certainly have some shortcomings, but my experience indicates reliability & cheap running costs are it's strenghts (not to mention pace).
Case in point, Ariel China entered two cars at our Zhuhai track day this past weekend. First car went out on Saturday for maybe ten laps, overheated and then retired. Second one flat out broke down in the middle of the track and redflagged everyone while it got towed back. They weren't see again Sunday. Naught for two...
I'm very tempted to look into Atoms but they gotta get their act together here... Perhaps as an owner you could pass that along the right channels...
07-19-2011, 12:25 PM
#22
Instructor
There's 2 people within a few hours of me whom imported Atoms into Canada (in pieces of course), then assembled here and titled as kits.
I'd love to have one, got to ride shotgun in one. The only thing I'd do is swap out that rubbish GM engine and put the K20 in
You don't need the twin busa engine to make it fast or fun.
GT3/RS is a much more complete car of course, but if the funds were there I'd have multiple GT3 variants, Lotus 2-eleven, Atom, etc etc.
I'd love to have one, got to ride shotgun in one. The only thing I'd do is swap out that rubbish GM engine and put the K20 in
You don't need the twin busa engine to make it fast or fun.
GT3/RS is a much more complete car of course, but if the funds were there I'd have multiple GT3 variants, Lotus 2-eleven, Atom, etc etc.
07-19-2011, 01:20 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
"Top Gear" does not hate Porsches. Quite the opposite, actually...there is a thread on the 997 board currently with a video comparing May's and Hammond's personal 997S's.
Clarkson doesn't like 911s. Fair enough; to each his own.
Clarkson doesn't like 911s. Fair enough; to each his own.
07-19-2011, 01:32 PM
#26
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+1 Hammond and May like the 997s et al and drive them themselves, JC has always been highly derisive of the 911 for about as long as he has been on TV, although even JC himself was quite complimentary of the 997 GT3 in one of his videos...
07-19-2011, 02:21 PM
#27
Burning Brakes
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Clarkson's main job is to entertain. He gets a rise out of people by saying sarcastic stuff about 911s. We then talk about it and him.
Once in a while he actually makes insightful comments about 911s (all cars actually) but they are mixed in with the British snarkiness and people are too pissed off to listen to the good points because their holy idols got made fun of.
The Atom sounded fun on paper and TV shows. We had a bunch of people import them into here and after two years most of them don't want to talk about them. Most of those cars are on their third owner after two years. Same can't be said about GT3s. People do sell their GT3s but usually to make room for the newest one.
From observations locally if you want a visceral open race car you get a Radical and have fun and if you really want to be the fastest guy you get a Stohr. Radicals do need some fussing but they run and the owners have a blast. Stohrs need a bit more fussing and definitely require track support but they don't get passed by anything other than other Stohrs.
Once in a while he actually makes insightful comments about 911s (all cars actually) but they are mixed in with the British snarkiness and people are too pissed off to listen to the good points because their holy idols got made fun of.
The Atom sounded fun on paper and TV shows. We had a bunch of people import them into here and after two years most of them don't want to talk about them. Most of those cars are on their third owner after two years. Same can't be said about GT3s. People do sell their GT3s but usually to make room for the newest one.
From observations locally if you want a visceral open race car you get a Radical and have fun and if you really want to be the fastest guy you get a Stohr. Radicals do need some fussing but they run and the owners have a blast. Stohrs need a bit more fussing and definitely require track support but they don't get passed by anything other than other Stohrs.
07-19-2011, 03:27 PM
#28
Radicals are awesome. Within 15 minutes you can be up to an engaging and invigorating pace. It takes some time to use the downforce though and to brake properly. But I drove one for a weekend and loved it. Gonna google the stohr...
Ok, just googled. How much do they cost?
Ok, just googled. How much do they cost?
Last edited by BBMGT3; 07-19-2011 at 03:29 PM. Reason: Google..
