Ariel Atom

[totalburnout]

Have you guys ever seen one on the road? I wasn't aware that they were street legal, but we ran over to Bucks county, PA last Sunday and there was a plated Atom that was driving behind us.

random thought.

 

[Briansol]

they are NOT street legal in the US. but they are in the UK and other places.

 

[TurboMirage]

seen a few myself, and at CART events with "dealer" plates on them.

 

[92stoccord]

I've seen one on the road. Plated. Idk how.

 

[SlushboxTeggy]

I've seen one on the road. Plated. I assumed it was legal. I'm sure there is some kind of kit car loophole that owners can jump through.

 

[DarkHand]

Either that or people are putting their street car plates on them while they drive around to avoid attention.

 

[GSRCRXsi]

i thought they were legal in the US if they had all the lights and blinkers and shit?

 

[TurboMirage]

edit:

nope. not road legal at all...


HOWEVER

http://www.andysatom.com/legal.html

 

[Briansol]

they don't meet crash protection requirements or something.

im' sure there's loop holes and kit cars and 'repair' plates and such to drive it around.

if you can afford 100k car, and import it, you can afford to find a loophole too

 

[civicious]

Dealer tags. That's how.

 

[phunky.buddha]

I thought that the latest rev 3 was US legal? It's now being built by TMI Autotech in a building at VIR. Rev 3 started production in 2011/2012, so the one in the Andy's article could easily be an earlier revision.

 

[phunky.buddha]

Yup. Just read more- his has the supercharged Ecotec engine, which means it is NOT a rev 3 Atom. All rev 3 Atoms come with K24A2 engines.

 

[K2e2vin]

There's definitely a legal version because someone in NC has one(registered/driven on the road); it's possible it came in as a kit though. Then again, these are legal here too:

 

[Fernpatch]

There are two atoms running around my area that i see about 1 or 2 times a month. Both of them have WA plates. I keep hoping that I will find one at a gas station or see one when i have time to follow them and see if i can chat them up a little as i think they are the ecotec models but i would love to know for sure.

 

[totalburnout]

Yeah, this one was PA plated. We always said that you can put up a cardboard box in PA and call it a home...

 

[92stoccord]

You can pretty much buy a car for the title in OH then modify it however you see fit. It's amazing to me that something is illegal here, and legal in the country we fought for our 'freedom'. Our forefathers wanted us to have Ariel Atoms, it should be a crime to disallow.

 

[Briansol]

because liberals.

 

[BigJ]

You forgot to blame obama.

 

[Briansol]

isn't he a liberal?

for real though, it's only not legal because it's 'not safe' or 'not visible' or doesn't 'meet emissions'. All shit tree huggers ar eon about.


I know full well that if I drive that thing on the road, a semi will roll over me like a gokart.

and that's the risk I would take.

but they won't let me. they need to make me safe.

F U!

 

[SlushboxTeggy]

But hey, how many states do you not have to wear a helmet in? Doesn't make sense.