Atom 4 - Spec and Discussion

[CAG3D]

Pete, white frame, carbon panels.
VERY good choice!


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[markwetherall]

The cooling on the 3.5 is fine.
My friends just ran there 3.5 at ascari race circuit for 500 miles over two days at temps of around 36c.

Do you have read what I had wrote??
But thank you for proving that what I wrote is true.

The idea behind it is good, but will certainly only work on the race track.
Here the speed is always high and enough air will be pressed in.
On the normal road and in the city it looks completely different.

No one will really know yet. Let's wait until a few of the cars have been delivered and run in the heat then we will know once and for all. Very different setup to the 3.5 air intake and very different engine

[atomiser]

Do you have read what I had wrote??
But thank you for proving that what I wrote is true.

The idea behind it is good, but will certainly only work on the race track.
Here the speed is always high and enough air will be pressed in.
On the normal road and in the city it looks completely different.

I asked, 90-95c on track even with air pressing in you are working the engine alot more in the 7 to 8.5 rpm every few secs.

At idle or slow speeds in baking pitlane, the engine temp soon drop below 90c according to them

Clearly on all cars, revving the engine in a hot climate at low speeds will cause problems.

YouTube is full of videos of mainstream cars revving engines at low speeds getting hot and bothered and even catching fire!

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[Peter255]

Pete, white frame, carbon panels.
VERY good choice!

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Seen a few cars, yours, the factory demo 3.5R etc and Ben's old car with a similar scheme. Looks good on Atoms IMO.

Can't wait.

[IanG]

Is the fan of Atom 4 attached behind the radiator?
rangerover and mini were overheated in summer because Japan is hot in summer.
My 3.5 is a hot country specification and has two radiators, but if Atom 4's radiator works efficiently, would it be better to have one?

Looking at this picture it looks like the fan will be mounted on the backside off the radiator

[Curves Junkie]

No one will really know yet. Let's wait until a few of the cars have been delivered and run in the heat then we will know once and for all. Very different setup to the 3.5 air intake and very different engine

No one??
Ariel have to know it and test it before.

I hope it is not your new AA4 that runs in the heat or even catching fire.
Don't misunderstand me I'm living in the EU/Germany and I'm not able to buy and drive the new AA4 road legal here. So what I discuss about is maybe your problem in the future - not my.
If your AA4 will be only a track tool -- all is fine.

Clearly on all cars, revving the engine in a hot climate at low speeds will cause problems.

YouTube is full of videos of mainstream cars revving engines at low speeds getting hot and bothered and even catching fire!

Sorry I live in Germany and drive a lot at the alps and there is not a hot climate.
So look at the Corvette C7Z06 she have a massive temp problem at road and track. Look at the front and you know why.

Looking at this picture it looks like the fan will be mounted on the backside off the radiator

I think you are right.

[Peter255]

Ariel have been running test mules for over 6 months now prior to customer cars. They have had ample opportunity to test the cars extensively in a variety of conditions.

This will be on top of extensive simulations of the air flow and thermal properties of the new engine.

If you live in a hot climate or intent on VERY heavy use buy the "high performance sports core radiator" or speak to Ariel about a "hot country" option (which they have offered in the past).

I would be shocked if the new comprehensively redesigned car has issues with cooling. It has after all gained negligible power (3%) over the outgoing model. I would hope the cooling to be more effective, not less (irrespective of the type of use).

Overheating does not worry me, but if your worried over a specific usage profile, call Ariel to discuss.

[ooinaru]

Don't misunderstand me I'm living in the EU/Germany and I'm not able to buy and drive the new AA4 road legal here.

Afaik the AA4 will have EU homologation.

[robfitz]

Carbon panels looked good:

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Pearl white chassis:

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Cat on the standard engine that is removed on the 350:

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TomTom install was neat

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Couple of other colours - bronze painted and blue gel coat:

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Gunmetal chassis:

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[cvjoint]

I'm skeptical of the better cooling on the Atom 4. The ducting is indeed very good looking. This should help maximize inflow, however the Atom 3 has a more open nose cone to begin with. Which one is going to work better, more surface area for inflow (Atom 3) or better air capture but less surface area (Atom 4)?

But, even if the inflow is overall improved, it will only help if inflow was a problem to begin with. The bottleneck might be outflow or the core, who knows.

Most importantly, the Atom 4 is a single port head. It's similar to the K24 that is used in the Nomad. These engines put a lot of heat in the coolant. I switched from a 230 hp K24 to a 300hp K20/k24 combo with 4 port head and cooling improved substantially despite the big power gains. I doubt any sort of ducting or core improvement can offset the extra heat put into the coolant by the single port head.

As soon as I can run head to head against an Atom 4 on track I'll try to make a comparison.

[Peter255]

Carbon panels looked good:

Pearl white chassis:

Nice! But I am biased!

Thx for posting.

[speedmachine]

The cat is positioned against the bulkhead, thats gonna be a pain in the ass to switch off and on for mot...

That is so good on the 3.5, takes 5 minutes to swap

[Peter255]

The cat is positioned against the bulkhead, thats gonna be a pain in the ass to switch off and on for mot...

That is so good on the 3.5, takes 5 minutes to swap

The scenario is different this time. You need to buy the 350 upgrade to run a decat. You cannot just decat the car and run the stock map. The 350 upgrade comes with a different downpipe with removable sports cat. I believe the cat / decat section is relocated on a 350 upgrade car for easy of access.

Or something like that.

[Curves Junkie]

Ariel have been running test mules for over 6 months now prior to customer cars. They have had ample opportunity to test the cars extensively in a variety of conditions.
This will be on top of extensive simulations of the air flow and thermal properties of the new engine.

I don't deny that your statement is incorrect and certainly Ariel did all these tests surely but I had done some search in the internet and here at the forum, but sorry I haven't found some information from the factory itself what you wrote here. So help me/us and tell me your source.

If you live in a hot climate or intent on VERY heavy use buy the "high performance sports core radiator" or speak to Ariel about a "hot country" option (which they have offered in the past).

Sorry that's not the point.

I would be shocked if the new comprehensively redesigned car has issues with cooling. It has after all gained negligible power (3%) over the outgoing model. I would hope the cooling to be more effective, not less (irrespective of the type of use).

Overheating does not worry me, but if your worried over a specific usage profile, call Ariel to discuss.

Hm, I don't understand your thinking - but this is not important.

You have an AA2/300 and the weather forecast tells that you get a hot day tomorrow - so check it yourself - if you are really interested.

Pick up a cardboard and close this two "windows" at the nose cone, with the third cardboard close the underside to the radiator. Look at my car.
Now you have, nearly the same air duct, like the AA4 have. Almost all the air flows through the radiator now.
.

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.
In the past you always drive on normal roads not on the track with your AA2. Make your own test and I'm sure after that you know and understand what I'm talking about.
I had made this test today with my AA3/300.

If you are not really interested - so never minds - I'm sure that [mention]HenryJS[/mention] reads here, even if he doesn't give an opinion at the moment, and instructs all the Ariel engineers to check the situation before the new car is delivered.
This is what I want.
You all get a great car for track and road and Ariel factory doesn't have to worry about having to pay for warranty claims.

Afaik the AA4 will have EU homologation.

Source please.
At the German Importer website there is no information about that and [mention]HenryJS[/mention] never confirm this here.
I'll be surprised, but very pleased and happy, if we could buy the AA4 in all countrys in the EU.

But, even if the inflow is overall improved, it will only help if inflow was a problem to begin with. The bottleneck might be outflow or the core, who knows.

The outflow is the real problem too. The air duct raises up the airflow speed but after passing the radiator the hot air accumulates there at the metal wall before the steering rack. My feet were cooked at the test today. At the moment I have no idea, maybe a air baffle behind the radiator or a aero trick at the side of the nose cone.

As soon as I can run head to head against an Atom 4 on track I'll try to make a comparison.

You can do a test with your old car now.

------
I'm really stunned. There are so many people here who are technically adept and everyone is silent here.
According to the motto: "Trust me its magic."

[phil4]

I'm really stunned. There are so many people here who are technically adept and everyone is silent here.
According to the motto: "Trust me its magic."

That's not really on is it....

You've seen the picture of behind the nose cone, and Henry has stated:

the idea is the 'scoop / snout' picks up the air, slows it down and expands it (in turn cooling it down) then it passes over the radiator...

The scientific principle that Henry eludes to is correct, and the picture taken by the third party shows exactly how that is done.

The intake portion on a 4 is noticeably wider than the 3, and with the above, should provide the radiator with cooler, slower moving air.

And if that's not enough, just as with the 3, and it's "hot country radiator" you too can buy a sports core or similar for the 4.

Why does it not bother me? Because a) I've just sold my Atom, and b) I don't live in a particularly hot country.

So do I think it's magic? No, do I trust Henry? Yes. Do I think it'll work in the UK... for sure. In a hotter country, I expect so. But really, not my problem.