Ariel Working on a New Titanium Chassis

The Ariel Atom is preparing to receive some big updates for the next generation. The company announced that the next-generation sports car will be built on a new, titanium chassis that will weigh about 40 percent less than the current tubular-steel frame, resulting in the whole vehicle weighing 8 percent less than the current one.

Next to being lighter, the future titanium chassis will be stronger than the current chassis and will deliver the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal.

The new chassis has been developed in cooperation with Frome-based Caged Laser Engineering and when the development is finished, Ariel will initially offer it as a limited-edition model. After that, the new titanium chassis will be offered as an option to the entire range.

Along with the new titanium chassis, the future Atom will also receive a naturally aspirated Honda engine and a few other light components that could help reduce the total weight to less than 500 kg (1,102 pounds).