Car-Vid Classic: TOP GEAR AND THE ARIEL ATOM

In 2004, Jeremy Clarkson made the destruction of his own face seem like such fun

While there are many moments that could be considered “classic” from the Clarkson-based revamp of Top Gear that made its debut in 2002, it is arguably Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Ariel Atom that stands above them all.

The original Top Gear ran from 1977 to 2001 before being cancelled by the BBC, with former presenters Clarkson and Andy Wilman teaming up to pitch the revamped 2002 version, with Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe presenting, while Wilman slipped into the producer role. James May replaced Dawe in the second series and by the time Clarkson reviewed the Atom in 2004’s fifth season, the new Top Gear had found its groove and was well on its way to becoming the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut it would evolve into.

The Ariel Atom was a fraction older than the new Top Gear, making its debut in 1999 powered by a 1.8-litre Rover K-series engine; it had evolved into the

Atom 2 in 2003, which was powered by the Honda Civic K20A Type R engine. By 2005, the Ariel Motor Company was offering the supercharged option that Clarkson would famously exclaim made the Atom “so quick it can destroy your entire face”.

Of course, this claim was accompanied by the now-famous footage of the wind generated by the brutal acceleration of the supercharged Atom dramatically distorting Clarkson’s face, providing the screen grab that would launch 1000 memes.

Of course, as entertaining as

Clarkson’s facial contortions were, it wasn’t until the Atom was handed to The Stig (Ben Collins by this time, who had replaced the original Black Stig, Perry McCarthy, for the third season) that you can see just how shatteringly fast it is, with Collins eventually setting the second fastest time on Top Gear’s “Power Lap” board, just behind the Ferrari Enzo and ahead of the Porsche Carrera GT. Not bad for a car that cost £29,000 ($57,000) at the time, particularly considering the Ferrari and Porsche both cost more than $1m.