Hi Guys - New Member from Oz

[RedRaven]

Heya guys - new to the board but love what I've seen so far!

I live in Perth, Western Australia - dying for more info on when the Atom will be certified for use on our roads.  Can't be too hard if the Kiwis across the Tasman are already driving them!   Originally I'm from Stroud in Gloucestershire... not too far from Ariel *grins - I'll be in the UK in July/August!*

We just had the last Top Gear episode screened here, with the 300bhp Atom 2 segment.  I read somewhere else today Open Wheeler Imports has had hundreds of expressions of interest from all over Oz. Yikes.

At a guess I'm a couple years away from owning one, but that'll give you lot time to iron out the bugs/quokkas and whatever else fits under the tea tray or in the 'boot'!

Anyway, love what I've read so far and look forward to being Atom-ised in the future!

Rick

[Bruce Fielding]

Hi Rick!

Welcome to the forum...

I'm trying to get the International section a bit livelier, so would you mind if I moved this thread there?

I hear that you can get a car right now (relatively speaking!) if you only want to use it on track. I think if I was anything like serious, I'd get my order in now, and stuff the regs - you're an Aussie, and Aussies are famous for defiance! I reckon that by the time yours arrives, Andrew will have sorted all the approvals and you'll be OK anyway! The multiplier seems a lot, but I seem to remember that a lot of imports to Australia have the same problems - Japanese cars used to get really clobbered!

Whenever that TG episode appears anywhere in the world, demand skyrockets! I reckon Simon should come up with a special 'Clarkson' limited edition as a thank you - maybe complete with wobbly side panels to mirror the big man's neck and cheeks!

[RedRaven]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]

I'm trying to get the International section a bit livelier, so would you mind if I moved this thread there?

[/quote]

No, by all means pop this thread into the International forum!

I'll be back in the UK in July so I'm hoping I'll be able to visit the factory and arrange a test drive there or at a track day etc.

Perth is an ideal home for an Atom; reasonable weather, good roads, and lots of twisties up in the hills here (with a handy pub at the end, of course!) Only a couple of miles from my house is the 'Zig-Zag', an ex-railway track that winds down the hill... its actually a stage in Rally Australia.

I'm a little behind the 8-ball as I'd definitely want it on the roads here... right now I drive an Astra SRi 2.2L... nice hatch but tame compared to even the basic Atom .

I've no idea how far OWI has actually progressed with testing/certification here in Au... but learnt a fair bit off this forum already. 

Got plenty of questions but I'll post different threads for those, if they're not already previously answered.

[Enzothemaddog]

Hi m8,
new here too. Living in Sydney.
Ordering a 245 soon. Cant wait, but its only for track use so cant drive to Perth do give you a go!

[waz356]

Another newbie. This time in Adelaide. Already on the waiting list for a road registered Atom. They are currently undergoing ADR compliance but I doubt we'll see anything until 2007 at the earliest.

[ashsimmonds]

adelaide invasion!!!    not on the waiting list yet but by the look of the latest release of adr by 07/08 and only 25 cars per year i might be better off putting in for a mr fusion delorean.  according to doc brown that's due in 2015. 

[waz356]

yeah, just saw that their only expecting 25 cars/year. add in the time for compliance and it'll still be a 4 or 5 year wait. 

[Enzothemaddog]

But just think of the shock value when you're driving around Adelaide in it....as well as your faces

[RedRaven]

Heya fellas, welcome to the forum!

Yeah, looks to be a bit of a wait for road-going Atoms in Au.  Bugger.

I think the UK factory is increasing production over the current level, once they're in their new factory.  Not sure how amny/when that is happening though.