2008 Ariel Atom 3

Originally the product of a very small manufacturer from Somerset in Britain -- just seven people make up its staff -- the Ariel Atom 3 is made under license in the US and Canada by Brammo Motorsports, which began producing the car in late 2005. Regardless of where it's made, however, the Atom is often billed as one of the most unique high-performance car ever known: the tubular chassis not only supports the car but replaces the nearly entire body that would be used on nearly any other vehicle. This exposes virtually every component to the elements, from the front brakes to the engine, but also drops the car's curb weight to just half a ton -- making it far faster and more nimble than most supercars. In some regions, including parts of the US, the Atom is road-legal and can be driven to and from the track.

The Atom is considered something of a celebrity car and counts Tonight Show host Jay Leno as well as Top Gear reviewer Jeremy Clarkson among its fans.

That's in no small part due to the sheer power-to-weight ratio afforded by Ariel's engine choices. While the Honda Civic i-VTEC engine from the UK version can alternately be replaced with a GM Ecotec powerplant in North America -- the same engine used in many budget Chevrolet and Pontiac cars -- various tuning options can boost the speed of cars with either engine well above that of just about anything on the road. Brammo will fit a basic car with a factory-stock 145 hp Ecotec engine but will supercharge either that or the Honda engine to varying degrees, culminating at 300 hp with 250 pound-feet of torque. With so little weight to move around, the Atom at this maximum trim level can generate 600 hp per ton; that's more than even the 1,001 hp Bugatti Veyron (which nets 481 hp/ton) and is enough to catapult the car to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.

The use of run-of-the-mill engines also has the unique upshot of dramatically reducing the costs of reaching this speed: while the exact costs of a top-spec model vary widely based on performance packs, a base car currently starts at well under $50,000, or a fraction the price of far slower exotics.

Trim levels

The first choice prospective Atom buyers will face is whether they want pre-assembled models or to build the cars themselves from kits. The latter option is more difficult but is also the only way to drive the car somewhere besides the track: an optional road-going pack usually has to be installed to meet US safety regulations for lights, protection, and even rear-view mirrors.

In addition to the road pack and the powerplants, which include 205 hp and 245 hp variants, drivers can deck out the Atom with any number of performance enhancements. The transmission is Most of these involve carbon fiber: the fenders, mirror housings, nose, race tub, and even the instrument cluster panel can be replaced with the ultralight material in place of the usual fiberglass. It's also possible to upgrade from a five-speed manual transmission to a six-speed, select competition-grade seat belts, and add a rear wing for extra downforce.

For the few comforts available in such a minimalist car, the Atom can also be equipped with improved seats, a 12-volt power port for accessories, and billeted aluminum for both the handbrake and the pedals.