Atom 3 Purchasing Experience Through TMI AutoTech

[kepetersen]

First, congratulations are in order!  I just took possession of my Ariel Atom 3 245 one week ago, and I can't drag myself out of the car.  Yesterday was spent driving in a rain storm of biblical proportion for over two hours to visit my brother - and it was a scream (in a good way).  The anticipation of getting this car exceeded that of any other sports car.  It is simply spectacular!

Having finally received it, I thought some might be interested in the backstory:  How did the ordering process go, etc.?  Well, having considered buying an Atom for several years, I finally reached the point where I wanted a sports car without compromise.  Interestingly, for me that entailed stripping away a lot of what I used to feel were essential elements - almost all associated with 'comfort' and none associated with 'performance'.  (Things like anti-lock brakes, well-upholstered seats, and silly things like a windshield.)

When I was ready to move forward, I spoke with Mark Swain of TMI AutoTech - the US builders and distributors for the Ariel Atom.  Mark is arguably the most knowledgable guy in America when it comes to the Atom (and no slouch on the track, either) and during our first and many subsequent discussions, he gently but professionally steered me in the right direction with respect to options and my many questions about a car I had never seen before (nor would I see one prior to receiving mine).  Mark walked me through the process, and throughout my dealings with him, under promised so as to ensure over delivery.  And that's precisely how it turned out.

I ordered my car in April, it was completed in late-July, and I received it in mid-August (due to a work conflict on my part).  Now, four months for a custom, hand-built car seems pretty impressive to me.  The car has exceeded all my expectations, and I have the sunburned head and arms to prove it (my preferred mode of travel being with goggles only - only highway driving brings out my seemingly tailor-made-for-the-Atom Nolan N43 Trilogy helmet).

I couldn't be happier in this purchase, with much of that satisfaction due to the expertise and professionalism invested by TMI AutoTech and Mark Swain.  Trust me, if you're sitting on the fence about buying an Atom, dive in and make the purchase - who knows when the price may go up?  This car will see many more miles than any other sports car I've ever owned.  

Take a look at my car below; I've already added a couple of mods just to make it 'mine'. And thanks, Mark!  It's everything you promised and more.

[img width=716 height=600]http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u334 ... mFront.jpg[/img]

[CalScot]

Nice write up and welcome to the madness

Nice to see TMI are doing a good job and you were happy with the purchase. Now you'll get to see why all us nutcases on here are missing a few marbles.

All you need now is a few track days and a few 2-3 day road trips where you crank out 1000+miles of backroads driving and you will be even more smitten

[atomathics]

[quote="kepetersen"]
... and silly things like a windshield....
[/quote]

Nice to see you kept it done right  – wickers, no windshield...  Welcome aboard!

[DFGDTT]

Congrats on your purchase, I spoke with Mark today and I should have mine next weekend.

[Wmcmanus]

Congrats and welcome aboard!

[quote="DFGDTT"]
Congrats on your purchase, I spoke with Mark today and I should have mine next weekend.
[/quote]

Same to you!

[Mota Leira]

Congrats! So jealous. I was supposed to get mine by now... the build should start any day now. Can't wait.

[charlie1211]

I traveled from Chicago, IL to pick mine up at TMI on August 20, and spent the next day at VIR on the north track.  Mark and TMI were great to do business with and I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase.  If you have the means, I'd recommend making the trip to TMI to do the collection and tour the factory in person.  By the way, I've been around a lot of manufacturing over the past 20 years and TMI's facility is one of the cleanest I've ever seen.

[DSL]

Hello,

Mark Swain was great to work with , and I got the car almost on time. Quality and fit and finish, attention to detail was great!!

David