Ariel Atom allowed but Caparo isn't?

PeteRoy · November 15th, 2007, 7:34 PM

Why Top Gear removes Caparo T1 even when it's road legal?

Ariel Atom is as comfortable as the Caparo it seems so why is Ariel Atom stays on the board?

Speedtouch · November 15th, 2007, 7:41 PM

As they said, their rule is not whether it is road legal, but whether it can go over a standard British speed bump. Which the Caparo can't, while the Ariel can. Simple.

And if you saw the show, shouldn't you have been listening aswell? As in listening to Clarkson saying exactly what I've just posted.

Ford Prefect · November 15th, 2007, 7:41 PM

because the atom has enough ground clearance to get over a small bump or something...

edit: beat me to it...

anyway I´m pretty sure you couldn´t drive the caparo on the ring, as you´d tear up the bottom pretty quick...

STrRedWolf · November 15th, 2007, 7:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

anyway I´m pretty sure you couldn´t drive the caparo on the ring, as you´d tear up the bottom pretty quick...

I think it'll do that by itself on any flat road.

Lilleput · November 15th, 2007, 8:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STrRedWolf

I think it'll do that by itself on any flat road.

It's called active downforce images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

WirelessMonkey · November 15th, 2007, 8:04 PM

Speedbump test, caparo cant get over one, atom can.

TomCat · November 15th, 2007, 8:15 PM

That's kind of a lame rule. Since when is the Power Lap Board about practicality?

bartboy9891 · November 15th, 2007, 8:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

because the atom has enough ground clearance to get over a small bump or something...

edit: beat me to it...

anyway I´m pretty sure you couldn´t drive the caparo on the ring, as you´d tear up the bottom pretty quick...

The Radical SR8 got around in the quickest time, and that is almost a full inch lower to the ground. The Caparo has a ground clearance of 2.8in and the Radical is 1.97in.

upyourego · November 15th, 2007, 8:31 PM

Sleeping Policeman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_bump

Ford Prefect · November 15th, 2007, 8:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartboy9891

The Radical SR8 got around in the quickest time, and that is almost a full inch lower to the ground. The Caparo has a ground clearance of 2.8in and the Radical is 1.97in.

so where´s the radical on the board? images/smilies/blink.gif

LurkerPatrol · November 15th, 2007, 9:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomCat

That's kind of a lame rule. Since when is the Power Lap Board about practicality?

They've always said, that if you can't buy/use a car on the road it can't go on the board, like the AM DB9 racer for example, or the Renault F1 car. If you cant go over a speed bump, then you can't really take it out of your garage and go out for a drive.

I'm sure you can but that's the logic they're going by.

Scoop · November 15th, 2007, 9:13 PM

The boy are right the caparo is not a proper road car, it can't go over speed bump, the undertray always falls off it blows up in a ball of flames every 5 minutes, and u need a racing driver suit and helmet everytime u want to go to the shops. In that sense the atom is a lot more practical.

BerserkerCatSplat · November 15th, 2007, 9:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartboy9891

The Radical SR8 got around in the quickest time, and that is almost a full inch lower to the ground. The Caparo has a ground clearance of 2.8in and the Radical is 1.97in.

...and the Radical was taken off the board immediately as well. I'm not sure what your point was.

LoneWolf · November 15th, 2007, 9:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LurkerPatrol

They've always said, that if you can't buy/use a car on the road it can't go on the board, like the AM DB9 racer for example, or the Renault F1 car. If you cant go over a speed bump, then you can't really take it out of your garage and go out for a drive.

I'm sure you can but that's the logic they're going by.

Yeah, when you think about it, it's actually quite a good way of seperating race bred from road breds.

I live in London, so if you'd have that T1 here, you wouldn't be able to get it out the garage (seriously).

bartboy9891 · November 15th, 2007, 9:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BerserkerCatSplat

...and the Radical was taken off the board immediately as well. I'm not sure what your point was.

Ford Prefect mentioned the Nurburgring, I wasn't talking about the Top Gear Track. He said he you probably couldn't drive the Caparo around the 'ring because of the low ground clearance. But the car that got the quickest time was even lower.

Steve Levin · November 15th, 2007, 10:01 PM

I'm not entirely sure that an Atom would get over a speed bump. While the nose would clear, I'm pretty sure the car would actually high center on the tub which hangs pretty low to the ground. If you look at this image where I've intentionally skewed the exposure to try and highlight it (since there's shadow and a black tub, but you can see it) there just isn't a lot of ground clearance there.

http://www.interceptor.com/~thumper/atom-light.jpg

worxman02 · November 15th, 2007, 10:14 PM

I know that the Atom can get over a speed bump, as one of the owners on the Atom forums took it cross country and he seemed to do fine. I dont think any of the other owners on there have issues with speed bumps.

http://forum.atomclub.com/

IceBone · November 15th, 2007, 10:16 PM

You can see here that it's actually quite tall. And it's tall enough to get over a sleeping policeman by the looks of it.

http://rosscp.zentest.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10004/009.jpg

lueyyou · November 15th, 2007, 10:21 PM

There's a Youtube video which shows a bunch of atoms driving through London I believe and they go over several speed bumps with no problems.

Steve Levin · November 15th, 2007, 10:28 PM

It may look tall in that photo, but that's because the whole car is pretty tiny. The center of the wheel hub is just about 12" off the ground. The bottom of the tub is just about 5" off the ground, max. That's 1" of clearance off the standard speed bump assuming zero compression.

Trust me, you'll pound the heck out of it if you're not very very careful...and even then. Marginal.

I know that when I drove one I got one wheel into a surprisingly low depression in the paddock and the tub touched down.

Steve

November 15th, 2007, 7:34 PM	#1
PeteRoy Joined: Apr 20th, 2007 Last Online: July 11th, 2009 Location: Israel Age: 25 Posts: 18 Car: Suzuki Baleno (dad's car) Rep Power: 0	Ariel Atom allowed but Caparo isn't? Why Top Gear removes Caparo T1 even when it's road legal? Ariel Atom is as comfortable as the Caparo it seems so why is Ariel Atom stays on the board?

November 15th, 2007, 7:41 PM	#2
Speedtouch Joined: Jul 30th, 2006 Last Online: 7:35 PM Location: Kent, England Age: 17 Posts: 4,130 Car: '99 Kangoo 1.4 (Parents) Rep Power: 86	As they said, their rule is not whether it is road legal, but whether it can go over a standard British speed bump. Which the Caparo can't, while the Ariel can. Simple. And if you saw the show, shouldn't you have been listening aswell? As in listening to Clarkson saying exactly what I've just posted. __________________ ^My Flickr^

November 15th, 2007, 7:41 PM	#3
Ford Prefect Joined: Dec 10th, 2006 Last Online: 4:56 PM Location: Munich/Regensburg Age: 26 Posts: 1,279 Car: MINI Rep Power: 27	because the atom has enough ground clearance to get over a small bump or something... edit: beat me to it... anyway I´m pretty sure you couldn´t drive the caparo on the ring, as you´d tear up the bottom pretty quick... __________________ Last edited by Ford Prefect; November 15th, 2007 at 7:46 PM.

November 15th, 2007, 8:04 PM	#6
WirelessMonkey Joined: Jul 26th, 2007 Last Online: November 11th, 2009 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Age: 17 Posts: 746 Car: 2009 Renault Clio GT. LFS Status: Rep Power: 39	Speedbump test, caparo cant get over one, atom can. __________________ R888 Tyres are Immoral. The law according to Jezza Twitter Account

November 15th, 2007, 8:15 PM	#7
TomCat Joined: Dec 11th, 2005 Last Online: 5:56 AM Location: Arizona Age: 25 Posts: 4,173 Rep Power: 70	That's kind of a lame rule. Since when is the Power Lap Board about practicality? __________________

November 15th, 2007, 8:31 PM	#9
upyourego VIP Joined: Nov 12th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Jersey, Channel Islands, UK Age: 28 Posts: 1,140 Car: Never learnt to drive Rep Power: 41	Sleeping Policeman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_bump __________________ --------- Ryan Morrison howtobeageek.net

November 15th, 2007, 9:13 PM	#12
Scoop Joined: Oct 12th, 2007 Last Online: November 4th, 2008 Location: Constanta, Romania Age: 20 Posts: 39 Car: 2003 Daewoo Matiz LFS Status: Rep Power: 0	The boy are right the caparo is not a proper road car, it can't go over speed bump, the undertray always falls off it blows up in a ball of flames every 5 minutes, and u need a racing driver suit and helmet everytime u want to go to the shops. In that sense the atom is a lot more practical. __________________ I met The Stig

November 15th, 2007, 10:01 PM	#16
Steve Levin Master of Disaster Joined: Jun 7th, 2006 Last Online: 6:57 PM Location: Sunnyvale, California Posts: 1,072 Car: Spec Racer Ford! Rep Power: 51	I'm not entirely sure that an Atom would get over a speed bump. While the nose would clear, I'm pretty sure the car would actually high center on the tub which hangs pretty low to the ground. If you look at this image where I've intentionally skewed the exposure to try and highlight it (since there's shadow and a black tub, but you can see it) there just isn't a lot of ground clearance there.

November 15th, 2007, 10:14 PM	#17
worxman02 Joined: May 1st, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Posts: 51 Rep Power: 15	I know that the Atom can get over a speed bump, as one of the owners on the Atom forums took it cross country and he seemed to do fine. I dont think any of the other owners on there have issues with speed bumps. http://forum.atomclub.com/ __________________ "All you do at art school is drink and pursue women"-Richard Hammond "I am the only real man on this show"-James May

November 15th, 2007, 10:16 PM	#18
IceBone Experienced Crash Test Dummy Joined: Jan 14th, 2007 Last Online: 7:14 PM Location: Slovenistan Age: 25 Posts: 9,301 Rep Power: 186	You can see here that it's actually quite tall. And it's tall enough to get over a sleeping policeman by the looks of it. __________________ Bridge to Gantry time: 11:07

November 15th, 2007, 10:21 PM	#19
lueyyou Joined: Jan 23rd, 2007 Last Online: November 17th, 2009 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 105 Rep Power: 12	There's a Youtube video which shows a bunch of atoms driving through London I believe and they go over several speed bumps with no problems. __________________ "Am I a pencil? Am I a cauliflower? Am I a nuclear power sta-- I'm a gearbox! Oh, heavens, I'm gonna swap some cogs around!"

November 15th, 2007, 10:28 PM	#20
Steve Levin Master of Disaster Joined: Jun 7th, 2006 Last Online: 6:57 PM Location: Sunnyvale, California Posts: 1,072 Car: Spec Racer Ford! Rep Power: 51	It may look tall in that photo, but that's because the whole car is pretty tiny. The center of the wheel hub is just about 12" off the ground. The bottom of the tub is just about 5" off the ground, max. That's 1" of clearance off the standard speed bump assuming zero compression. Trust me, you'll pound the heck out of it if you're not very very careful...and even then. Marginal. I know that when I drove one I got one wheel into a surprisingly low depression in the paddock and the tub touched down. Steve

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