Watching the new Top Gear, the Stig drives an Ariel Atom V8...

Cam42 · 02-12-2011, 12:14 PM

http://www.arielatom.com/specs/atom-500-v8

Around the track in 1:15.1, beating the previous fastest car (the Bugatti Veyron SS).

OOOhhh wow.

mulletman · 02-12-2011, 01:37 PM

It also barely beat a bike that you can buy for 14 grand. How much does that car cost again?

Watching the bike go past the car on the straight with the front wheel in the air was awesome....

Just saying.....

Nice car, though. Looks like fun.

doulos14 · 02-12-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Phantom Mullet

It also barely beat a bike that you can buy for 14 grand. How much does that car cost again?

Watching the bike go past the car on the straight with the front wheel in the air was awesome....

Just saying.....

Nice car, though. Looks like fun.

Agreed, but how many people can ride a motorcycle like that? most people can't even drive a car like that, let along go knee down on a superbike

***Art*** · 02-12-2011, 06:30 PM

And how many people want to ride a bike like that? Not me.

**scared2mosh** · 02-12-2011, 10:08 PM

How are you watching the new season?????? I didnt think it was on yet

***Art*** · 02-12-2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scared2mosh

How are you watching the new season?????? I didnt think it was on yet

Not America. British. It is on.

mulletman · 02-12-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doulos14

Agreed, but how many people can ride a motorcycle like that? most people can't even drive a car like that, let along go knee down on a superbike

Answer: The same number of people who can drive a car like that to it's limit. To operate an extreme-performance car at it's limit isn't really any easier than riding a bike fast. The stakes are just a bit higher on the bike. I'd like to see lap times of the two vehicles, driven and ridden by local club-racer guys. The newest wave of superbikes are getting MotoGP style electronics, so it's getting easier and easier to tame the beast and go fast. It's not like the old 500 2-smokes than constantly tried to kill you. With the MotoGP bikes, you see guys diving into corners, snapping the throttle wide open, and letting the electronics sort out the exit. Not recommended, but possible.

As a side note, that track is bumpy as heck, and the bike was on what appeared to be cold tires. Most high performance motorcycle tires offer next-to-zero grip when cold... And to be honest, it didn't even look like he was pushing that hard, likely due to his tire issues. He wasn't knee-down at any point that I saw. And to put a bike and a car on the track at the same time? Hah. The rider is busy being scared to death of getting run over.

It's Top Gear. They can't let a bike win. Clarkson hates bikes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

And how many people want to ride a bike like that? Not me.

I dare say that car offers the same amount of practicality and creature-comfort that the bike does. A car with an open exo-skeleton and no windshield isn't much more than a bike with 4 wheels. The only difference is one tips over when you stop, and the other one you sit with your feet out in front of you. To be honest, I bet survivability isn't much different either....

Actually, I would say the bike has a practicality advantage, because you can get it serviced at any local dealership.

This is a vastly superior car/bike comparison. You can skip the drag race part of the vid.... it's just predictable. The Duc in this vid is slower than the S1000RR Top Gear used. Both of which are slower than the Desmosedici RR that Ducati released a couple years back.

Ferrari 458 Italia vs Ducati 1198S Comparison Video - Motor Trend Video

Edit: They blab about the bike taking more talent to ride in this video as well.... I suppose that's why they had to go find a GT2 champion driver to lay down the time in the car, and Top Gear had to go get an ex-F1 driver for their lap. lol.

Excluding Formula 1, bikes are faster than cars. The world is as it should be.

**scared2mosh** · 02-12-2011, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

Not America. British. It is on.

I knew that's what he meant.

Cam42 · 02-13-2011, 07:03 PM

It's on BBC America, new ep tomorrow

**scared2mosh** · 02-13-2011, 08:47 PM

awwww yyeeeaahhhh

mattslope · 02-15-2011, 02:42 PM

finalgear.com has all the new episodes (British, US, and others) the day they air. BBC America is on about a 2 month delay.

Cam42 · 02-15-2011, 09:00 PM

I don't think they're that bad anymore, are they? Most things premiere the same day that they did in the UK.

mattslope · 02-15-2011, 11:29 PM

BBC America is on roughly a two month delay at present.

**redbaron** · 02-16-2011, 09:46 AM

yeah they just aired 'new' episodes monday that premiered in the UK around christmas.

Cam42 · 02-16-2011, 03:19 PM

Huh. I guess it's different for different shows, then. Because this year's Doctor Who Christmas ep aired on Christmas on BBC America

Anyway, I love how they introduced the new Stig.