Australian Atom - are we getting close?

[wisp]

[quote="xr_ated"]
So why don't we have an Atom in Oz?
[/quote]

I believe I've mentioned it before and it's good to see OWI confirm as much.

[quote="OWI"]
..........the ADRs make it difficult and expensive to get interesting cars in (which is why the Australian high volume vehicle manufacturers pressured the Aus government to force low volume importers and manufacturers to also meet the ADRs - it's protectionism).
[/quote]

Someone I know that is associated with Hyper, the original Ariel Australasian importers, was told that regardless of what was rectified on the car at would never be allowed to comply.
The reason Caterhams are able comply in Australia is most likely because they are assembled there. This creates jobs and opportunities for local suppliers that aid the Australian economy far more than an imported, fully overseas manufactured, product.

[OWI]

[quote="wisp"]
Someone I know that is associated with Hyper, the original Ariel Australasian importers, was told that regardless of what was rectified on the car at would never be allowed to comply.
[/quote]

There may have been problems with certain, er, 'personalities' in DOTARS but overall the system is unbiased - they made it nigh-on impossible for everyone. The bad part about the ADRs is that if you don't comply, you can't get in. But the good news about the ADRs is that if you comply, they can't stop you. All the personalities in DOTARS can do is make your life more difficult - eg. delay tests - while you're trying to pass.

[Walrus]

Not possible to register an Atom in Aus for road use?
Another reason not to return...
Porsches double the price than in Europe
top tax rate 45%
police speeding controls everywhere
s'pose there's still the weather...

[WorkingOnIt]

[quote="Walrus"]
...
s'pose there's still the weather...

[/quote]

And where else do you have to brake for wombats.

[Bruce Fielding]

Around where I live, you have to watch out for these little cuties:

[Clare]

Swiss beavers!

[Walrus]

I often have to dodge deer and wild boars on Mont Ventoux, sometimes see the occasional fox.  Think I need a Roo bar...

[wattie]

So it's the last day of our hols and we're in the back of a taxi near Sussex Street, Sydney on our way to lunch at Kings Street Wharf when suddenly Kel points and shouts "Look, Look!!!"

And there on the other side of the road is a red Atom coming towards us!!

What's the chances of that   An Atom owner seeing one of only, surely, the few Atoms in Oz- on the road.

For a start, I thought they're non road legal here and there didn't appear to a camera/tv crew in tow in a support vehicle.

So, who were you driving it?.....how did you manage to get it on the road?.....and does that mean it's legal in OZ now??????

Cheers Wattie and Kel Down Under

[wisp]

What's the chances of that   An Atom owner seeing one of only, surely, the few Atoms in Oz- on the road.

Very rare. It's probably the one and only road going car there.

For a start, I thought they're non road legal here and there didn't appear to a camera/tv crew in tow in a support vehicle.
So, who were you driving it?.....how did you manage to get it on the road?.....and does that mean it's legal in OZ now??????

They are not road legal unless Ariel are keeping their biggest secret in 10 years. But there was one, red in color, that could be hired from the Supercar Club and you could get a 12 hour permit to drive it on the road.

[apollyon25]

Looks like shortly after this the Supercar Club was tied up in court and then dissolved.
An Atom apparently was then for sale (now vanished) and web url for scc returned to the pool.

[wisp]

[quote="apollyon25"]
Looks like shortly after this the Supercar Club was tied up in court and then dissolved.
An Atom apparently was then for sale (now vanished) and web url for scc returned to the pool.


[/quote]

Wonder what's happened to IMG. It's almost 2 years since they put up the news item on thier site that read....

15th March 2009
NEWS - International Motor Group has been appointed as the distributor of the Ariel Atom 3 to the Australian market. We are extremely excited about this amazing machine. Over the comming weeks we will be launching a new website dedicated to the Ariel Atom. For more information on the Ariel Atom visit the Ariel Motor Company website.

[wattie]

Guess the car we saw in OZ was the last member of the supercar club makin a quick getaway from what's been posted! 

cheers Wattie  and. Kel (currently in the alps..skiing and falling over!)

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="wattie"]
Wattie  and. Kel (currently in the alps..skiing and falling over!)
[/quote]

Whereabouts in the Alps?

[wattie]

Les arcs you around?
Cheers wattie

[Bruce Fielding]

Nah. Too far away... and it's France! Don't like skiing in France. Mortgage your gran and come to Switzerland!