When I purchased my S1 I thought I’d keep it for a year or so, after 17 years it still engages me in a way no other car can. I’ve driven an Atom and you are 100% correct Jack, it’s brutal, but you seem to be more of a passenger than part of the car. With an S1 you and the car almost seem to become one and it’s almost instinctive in the way you drive it. Great video again Jack.

I've owned a few large displacement sport bikes through the years and when you got on the Atom, I recognized right away the sensation of brutal acceleration and what you described so well. When get get into something that fast with an open top, it does mess with your brain where it can't keep up with the speed. You do get used to it though. But few cars will give you that experience. In many ways though I found it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow- at least on public roads and around traffic.

More lotus content, please!

Would love to see the Elise compared with a Caterham also which i think is a mid way point between an Elise and an Ariel Atom.

"If you are seeing this, I am not in jail. Yet." Good to see you, Jack!

The Atom's bonkers! Had to rebuild the motor in one for a friend several years ago, so got to drive it a bit too. Bonkers! The whine from the Jackson Racing supercharger is fantastic, and the redline is mental! Just feels like it will rev forever if you don't lift off! Love it!

Another great video! One other thing about the Atom. If you drive it in traffic you will be amazed how many pebbells get thrown up directly at face height, at least on roads in Arizona. A full-face helmet or a good dental surgeon are going to be needed. :-)

I was fortunate enough to drive the S1 Elise shortly before it went on sale to the public. It remains one of the most memorable and enjoyable driving experiences I’ve had. The delicacy, balance and communication through the controls was exceptional. Most importantly it was *fun*!

There is something unique about the Elise S1, like a Mozart symphony. It's all in its place, unique and perfect. You change a note, everything collapses. They significantly improved it in the latest versions, more powerful and easy, more equipped and comfortable. But the more they improved the "car", the less"Elise" it was. It was the response of a question nobody made: "what car would be perfect to somebody riding a Ducati 916?". The S1 is utterly unique, something of which you love even the drawbacks, just because they define it no less than its advantages.

I have an Elise S1 111S tuned to over 200bho, and a Caterham SV (the bigger chassis) with 225+bhp. I love both, but need to sell one, and I think it'll be the Caterham. In my view the Elise is a better all rounder; it's 200kg heavier, but more economical, more comfortable....just more practical, but still a really wonderful meld of performance and handling. I used to race but have stopped competition these days. Another factor is that I could build the same Caterham today, but the limited number of Elises built is dropping all the time as people crash them, so the good ones that remain should increase in value way beyond the Caterham. I sold a Renault-Alpine A110 Gordini in 1999 for £13,000, now worth what, £60,000? Same with a 1964 Alfa Giulietta Spider; I won't do the same with the Elise!

Fantastic insight Thank you, Jack & James 🙌

A good report and honest comparison of the 2 cars. I’ve got a sport 160 and after long period of it being broken at the back of the garage have fixed it and am falling in love with it all over again. They are little cars that really get under your skin and become a passion. Enjoy 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

IMHO a Caterham is the next rung up on the extremity of driving machine from the Elise. A Caterham (with a windscreen & side screens on) is more hardcore than an Elise, offering a more brutal but ultimately a more involving driving experience than even an Elise, but a Caterham without a without a widescreen is another level again & takes things onto a par with an Ariel Atom. In summary, a Caterham is an convenient 4 wheeled ‘motorbike’ of sorts, but an Elise is more of a car, albeit an ‘inconvenient’ type of car. There is a difference. Jack, perhaps you should pitch a Caterham (especially a K series) against your S1 - that comparison might test your loyalty to the Elise more than with an Atom? Both were contemporary rivals back in the 90’s…..

Great video! Inspired comparison of two of the most extreme machines around!

Wow… just wow!!!👌I have to say the commentary on this film was excellent… trying to describe the sensations you were experiencing was superb! I want one now!!!

Your Spot on Jack great video. Horsepower isn’t everything.

Great comparison video! Most enjoyable and interesting.

Great to see, fab video as always, cheers Jack.

Hi Jack having owned a Atom 3.5 and 4 I can say that it takes a while to get used to and master the cars. You really need a few weeks at least to really start to get the feel of them. I do agree that the engine dominates the experience it’s a bit like going out for a fight every time you drive them and hoping you are going to win. That’s all part of the appeal in my opinion. I have done a Europe trip in mine and it was great you can cruise along in them as the Honda running gear is smooth at low speeds. Hope you get another chance to spend some time in one again try the 4 next time the torque is insane!

Judging by that moustache you've been driving the 308 too much. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣

Wow that is crazy. For parts of the video I thought the background was CGI, it will take me time to adjust to that view of the open cockpit car. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

I've just sold my Atom 3 supercharged and got an Exige S3 coming. I loved the Atom to pieces as it really is like nothing else to drive, the amount of attention it gets from passers by and other motorists feels like being a celebrity! I had mine for 6 years and I think it took me about 2 years or road and track driving to even start getting used to the sensory overload it gives you. They are extremely twitchy on the limit though and your comments about feeling like it could send you into a hedge at the slightest wrong press of the accelerator are 100% accurate! I am looking forward to having a weekend car that I don't have to check the weather forecast every time I want to go out in it though. And lotus's handle so well!

4:11 This is like comparing apples to cannon balls! If I ever have to give up crotch rockets I'll have an Ariel for sure - thanks to introducing me to this, Jack!

Great video and textbook use of "on that side of things" 👏

That Atom is one mad "car" but i still have a huge soft spot for the elise s1 - Thanks for doing this Jack, really enjoyed it.

More power isn’t always better! I much prefer the Elise as a road car

I love my S1 Mine is a 160 and the extra power is good I have just done a 700 mile road trip just for the fun

Try a Noble M12. Its like an Elise with more power. I think you would love an M12

Thanks for the video. I can't speak for the 3.5 but you may have had a somewhat different experience in an Atom 4. After driving mine 500 miles on the road it occurred to me that I had never seen the F1 style gear change lights on the steering wheel come on despite driving it pretty briskly. I actually thought that they weren't working. When I took it on track I was able to actually use it beyond 5000 rpm and discovered it was working. The point being is that with the turbo engine in the Atom 4 you can drive it off boost and it's a very quick road car. You've also got the benefit that you feel that you are going faster than you are. Then you can take it on track and it has at its disposal the brutal performance you refer to and brutal really is the right word. Getting close to the redline on a regular basis on the road in a car that will do 0-100 mph in 6.8 seconds with no driver aids whatsoever would be imho completely irresponsible. So I see it as two different cars in one: a brilliant, immersive experience on the road and a complete monster on track. I absolutely love it :)

Great video, the Atom is an incredible vehicle.

I've never been convinced by the Atom, it's always seemed too track car to be a realistic road car for me.

Jack, great job on the Atom. I guess the next thing up the automotive food chain would be an AC Cobra. Good luck!

Great video! Perhaps a fitting comparison for an Atom would be a Seven, which is more hardcore than an Elise/Exige, lighter and whose engines can be tuned to mental ptw ratios. I once was considering a souped-up Seven but then after trying I went for my S1 for pretty much the same reasons you mention, outside the track it was just a more enjoyable package to me.

Big up James 👍

The Elise is so much more useable in terms of driving fun with decades of chassis refinement and for use on road so gets my vote - although the Mk 1 Golf convertible heading the other way @ 6 mins in would be a contender in the hearts BHP, handing and fun equation for about the same money 👍

Thanks Jack, 2 great cars in their own ways, but difficult to compare. You haven't hit your hand with a hammer enough yet whilst fixing it, to bond with the Atom!🙏

Don't bet on it. The Bugatti Royale that is in the Henry Ford museum was in a junkyard waiting to go in the crusher, When a expert on Classic cars bought it to rescue it.

If I was in the market for an extreme road car that you mainly take to the track I really fancy the BAC Mono. Engineering marvel compared too the brutal Atom. Twice the price though with half the number of seats. All makes the Elise seem like an absolute bargain. If I was looking for something around £30k I'd jump straight back into a 981 Cayman S. Loved that car. Fast enough to be thrilling, great handling, sounded awesome, practical & economical on a run.

Jesus that second gear looks savage.

Hi Jack, as you mentioned the Atom is like a motorbike with 4 wheels. I think therefore if you were wearing a helmet the driving experience would be better because you don't get distracted by the wind blowing in your face.

I had considered an Atom but the feedback I kept hearing about the driving experience was similar to what Jack described ... almost too brutal to be fun and the wind noise overpowers the senses. In the end, I went for the Elise as the more "practical" car, though those words aren't often used to describe an Elise. It is still my favorite overall car driven to date as well and not sure I'll ever part with mine.

Track day in the Elise. It will amaze you!! Even a long track like Donnington it will keep up with some serious cars. (22nd aug evening session if you need a camera Elise 🙂)

Would love to see a bunch of "Hot Hatch" reviews from back in the day 👍

I am a larger guy, and I test drove a series 2 Elise (I think- I think they never sold an S1 in the US where I am), and getting into and out of it (admittedly with the top on) took some significant acrobatics! Maybe the S1 has easier ingress and egress.. but ultimately that is what kept me from getting one and going instead with an S2000. Amazing to hear you describe the S1 as practical! (Compared to Ariel Atom of course).

The Atom is simply a 4-wheel supersports bike - you really DO need a decent helmet, plus protective gear -unless you're just pooling around!! But then, you'd have bought completely the wrong car!!

On the ragged edge I suppose the Atom may be more fun (It's practically a 4 wheeled motorcycle.) However the Lotus is definitely the better overall driver's car IMHO. Thanks for sharing 👍

Your description of the Atom sounds a lot like the first time i jumped out of a plane, such a sensory overload you're not sure whether you're enjoying it or not 😂

You mention that the atom is rear engined and thats why it can put its power down so well but the elise has exactly the same layout. Also you describe the atom as pointy but its infamous for understeer so a bit disappointed you couldnt elaborate more on that. Video was entertaining though, as usual!

I haven't driven an Atom but I owned big motorbikes. I guarantee the Atom isn't like a 4 wheeled motorbike. The dynamics are totally different. On a bike you are part of the machine. Your body weight and position is all part of the mechanics. It's a totally different experience to driving a car. Sit in a stationary car and it doesn't fall over. Try that with a bike, lift your feet up and see what happens.

That Ariel Atom is as beautiful as a radio transmission tower.

It would be interesting to see you put a well sorted MGTF160 in a comparison test, with a similar power plant and body type I think it would highlight the dynamics of the Elise and what makes it so special. Is it just about the weight or is there far more to the Lotus package.

I was happy at the outcome of this 👍

For me, the Elise is a "drive to the track, drive anywhere" car where the Atom is a "drive to the track, drive home" car. I'm sure the Atom would be a blast on the track, but I can't imagine "living" with one.

Elise=fantastic car Atom=fantastic toy

I have been taken out once in an Aerial Atom on a charity track day at Dunsfold, brutal acceleration but I could not believe the stopping power or corner speed, I had a VX220 turbo at the time and I thought that was fast and hardcore which was like a comfy cruiser in comparison.

I wanted to buy an MR2 after having one 20 years ago, but the prices have gone over what I can afford at the moment. Would be interested in you reviewing one of those. I had a lovely mk2 rev 1 na tbar.

Both amazing cars, but I'd take the Elise. You can drive the Elise every day in all situations, all weather, and it wont ruin you financially or physically.

Enjoyed this! But I think your camera needs updating.

I’m interested to know what your take on the experience with the Atom would be if you were to do it again with the helmet on? I hope I can have a car worth lending to you one day… maybe VTEC S1. I’m sold on S1… the look of the 308 makes me so weak but the look on your face when you are driving the S1 tells me everything I need to know.

Loved watching that Jack, I've always thought the Atom would probably be too much for the road! .... I'm pretty sure they did a V8 version also , now the would be the definition of a widow maker I would of thought?!!

Perhaps the Aerial is best left for track days? What has happened to the Frogeye? Did it sell and what have you done anything about finding that £15k car you previously mentioned?

I’ve driven an older Honda engined atom, without a supercharger and even that was a beast, but I can’t stop thinking the s1 with a buzzy Honda k20 would just be so rewarding. Having had a couple of k20 engined cars and putting together a k24 mk3 mr2 at the moment, gives away my love for the Honda lumps

What road was this filmed on? (I'm relatively local (Berks-Oxon border) and this looks like a great road to take the motorbike..

Can one of your friends get a Nomad next? Then you review it.

Imagine 1000hp in an 800kg car and Mr Hamilton and co are asking for more 😳

The Atom makes the Lotus/Caterham 7 look like practical transport.

Sounds more like a fun track car

The honda k series fits in the elise. Add an ebay turbo, and its good for 500hp.. with abit of investment, a supercharger would be easier to drive and create a monster.

Now drive the Alpine A110!

Although there is no direct comparison, I think I’d just get a motorbike. Even more extreme performance but in many ways even more practical as you can squeeze through traffic and easier to park.

That's easy the Elise ,mind bending power and silly 0/60 times are irrelevant in a road car .A nimble B road car with dare I say a bit of comfort is the way to go

Have you driven an Alpine A110 yet? The comparison of that to the Elise is a bit more Apples and Apples

You can put the shopping in the Elise and when you get home it'll all still be there, that's one thing.

basically a two-seat formula car for the road. Helmet de rigeur if you don't want bugs in teeth

A Vauxhall vx220 may be an interesting comparison or the Renault sport spider .

Would be interesting to see the Atom compaired to a 2-eleven or 3-eleven or a 340R the Elise isn't track focused in the same way.

for a car for the public road any thing over 350 is borderline uncomfortable, i ran a 575 rwd jag, and found myself at warp speed far to often , i got the same body with 340 awd, and am way happier ( as is my licence ) it was always close to the rear breaking traction when driving spiritedly, ( with the traction on way to many nannys ) i can exploit the 340 awd to my hearts content , even in the winter i know its sacralige but 235bhp less and awd is a way better car for me . this modern hp race is just silly

I have a 996 C2 which is as a car much more capable than I am as a driver. I also have a bike - BMW K1300R and the comparison between these two must be something like you experienced with comparing Atom and Elise. With the K1300R there comes a point in sensations that I sort of can not follow anymore. Maybe with more practise. The bike can do something like 11 000 rpm but Ive never gone over 8500 because my brain simply refuses. At that point I feel I can not understand what is happening. It is truly so brutal. I think the bike goes faster from 100 to 200 km/h than the Porsche from 0 to 100 km/h. And then you have all the wind, having to hold you on the bike and try to understand the rate the scenery attacks you. It’s a bit too much for an old geezer.

Although the car may be mental to drive, it is extremely impractical in terms of day to day use. What happens when you are out and about and typical British weather happens ( ie it start chucking down rain. Not so much fun then I will wager. It may be a fun track toy but at least your Elise has a roof. Has it occurred to you to put the same Honda supercharged engine in your Elise? What other mods can you make to your Elise that could increase the horse power. If I were you I would keep your Elise.

Not to mention it looked a perfect day weather wise for the Atom, anything less would have detracted even more😑

I do wish that you would drive with at least one, if not both hands on the steering wheel ... All it takes is a rut in the road ... and there you are gesticulating like an Italian as you sail into a ditch.

The steering will be influenced by Camber, Toe in or Toe out setup.

The Atom is a purely fun, extreme but mostly impractical car, for those of us who can't afford to run more than one four wheeler. That said, does your friend not feel somewhat short changed that it isn't the previous 500 BHP V8 version, with an engine made from two built up Suzuki Hayabusas ? As the saying goes, may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb !

The Atom is more motorbike than car,it’s way more impractical and makes a great track day car,I would have both if I could.

The ORIGINAL Best driving car best HANDLING, most involving lightweight car has to be a lotus /caterham seven.

Owned a S2. Very good suspension. Built a streetlegal Cobra with no windscreens. Watch my vid. 900kg and a built SBC with 470 hp@7000. Blip the gas, coast, blip. Absolute effortless fast driving. Ariel and Lotus suspension are much more advanced. Motors suck in both.

Whose going to go to Tesco's for bread and milk in an Atom? Not apples and apples - the Atom is a track car at heart.

I have a Lotus Elise s220 CR, could you explain to me the driving differences between s1 and s3? unfortunately I have never had the pleasure of trying an S1. I had 2 Elise but always s3 before the 1.6 136 I kept it 1 year but I was not satisfied with the engine so I took the s220 CR. that's great

👍

Nice one Jack. You could always go for the budget Atom, and get a kit car copy. I would say the MEV Rocket would be a good choice. I have the more common MEV Exocet. So it’s front engine mounted based on the MX5. Mine is turbo charged… kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eryHfbGA0LzLnaM.html

I managed to keep up easily with an Elise S1 round a few roundabouts in my 944 S2 and then left if for dead on the dual carriageway 211BHP vs 118BHP will win out in the end.....

"its brutal" , nah, that will be the V8 atom, don't forget to pack a spare pair of underpants for that test.... are you any good at riding a motorbike?, couple of bike tests wouldn't hurt... old vs new, that sort of thing [anybody got a hayabusa turbo he can borrow] keep up the good work

i dont know why ariel doesnt make an caterham 170r competitor for circa £20,000-25,000

If I have a helmet then no doubt I will choose the Atom

The original Atom had a 1.8 NA Honda, it was probably more enjoyable to drive that one that is overpowered.

would take 4c over any elise any day, its handling and driving beats that elise

Ariel is a track tool really

I would have the lotus more practical

Onestamente le amo entrambe, anzi ci metterei pure una radical, perché no?

Elise s1 is the only car I regret selling. ☹️ The delicacy, feel and balance is beautiful. Used it daily, all year round in North Scotland, did about 30k miles 😀 I’m 6’4”, who says they’re not practical?!