---
title: "Ariel Atom Successor Will Be a 1200-Horsepower Electric Hypercar"
description: "Zero emissions meets 0-60 in 2.4 seconds."
date: "2017-08-22"
modified: "2017-08-22"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Constantine"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-constantine"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/13722/ariel-atom-successor-will-be-a-1200-horsepower-electric-hypercar"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "ariel"
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Hypercar"
  - "News"
  - "P40"
  - "sheet/metal"
---

# Ariel Atom Successor Will Be a 1200-Horsepower Electric Hypercar

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/08/ariel-atom-v8.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

This is it, the age of the electric performance car. After the beloved [McLaren P1](<https://www.thedrive.com/supercars/1225/mclaren-p1-wags-its-tail-goodbye>), Ferrari LaFerrari, and Porsche 918 trio of hybrid hypercars came out and showed the world that electric power was the key to shocking performance figures, car companies started rolling out [prototypes](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/11293/next-honda-nsx-could-be-an-all-electric-hypercar-slayer>) like hot cakes. Even the smaller companies like Ariel are willing to get their feet wet - famous for its track-proven [Atom](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/408/chris-brown-likes-ariel-atoms-apparently>) and trail-happy [Nomad](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/3684/drive-wire-the-ariel-nomad-is-simply-badass>), the company's flyweight chassis are the perfect match for a 1200-horsepower electric motor, don't you think? Ariel's glad you do.

Rumors of a [hybrid-electric successor to the Atom](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/4290/ariel-mulling-a-hybrid-atom-with-nsx-inspired-honda-power>) have been circulating the web since mid-2016, and now we have confirmation that such a monstrosity exists. ​[*Autocar*​​​ broke the news](<https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/world-exclusive-ariel-launch-world-beating-supercar-1180bhp>) Tuesday that the all-new Ariel P40 hypercar will go into production in 2020. The car will apparently make 1180 horsepower and 1328 lb-ft of torque from an electric powertrain, rocketing it to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds. It's set to weigh about 3500 pounds come standard with four-wheel drive, with a rear-wheel drive model also planned.

The P40 stems from a joint project between Ariel and the UK government to produce a reduce-emissions performance car. This unfortunately means that the car will be limited to a top speed of 160 mph, but the performance specs indicate it could do well beyond that, potentially dethroning the [Bugatti Chiron](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/13558/unwrapping-the-first-customer-bugatti-chiron-in-the-u-s>).

Although the exterior isn't even complete yet, the car is set to officially debut at the end of August.

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