Ariel Atom V8 vs 600bhp rallycross Citroen DS3 vs BMW HP4 superbike drag race - autocar.co.uk

Which is faster? An Ariel Atom V8 track day toy, BMW HP4 superbike or a rallycross Citroen DS3 with 600bhp?
Here we have three completely different ways of going extremely quickly in a straight line. Time for a drag race then. So what are the contenders? There's the one-wheel drive BMW HP4 superbike, which arguably requires the most skill to extract speed from but has a ludicrous 757bhp/tonne power-to-weight ratio. Then there's the two-wheel drive Ariel Atom V8 with 748bhp/tonne and the Citroen DS3 Rallycross car with only 577bhp/tonne but all-important four-wheel drive. Oh, and did we mention it's wet?
What would you like to see go head-to-head in our next drag race? Let us know in the comments below
New videos are uploaded to Autocar each week. Don't miss a single one. Subscribe now: smarturl.it/aut...
WATCH NEXT:
Ariel Atom 3.5R vs Yamaha YZF R1 vs Monster Energy Citroen DS3 Rallycross supercar goo.gl/uFHDNe
1200bhp Litchfield Nissan GT-R vs 205bhp RC Express Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R goo.gl/GUpXMx
McLaren MP4-12C vs Honda Civic BTCC racer vs Honda Fireblade British Superbike goo.gl/ocpm6e
Visit our website at www.autocar.co.uk
Read Autocar's Ariel Atom review: goo.gl/nbUc1U
Read Autocar's Citroen DS3 review: goo.gl/AXfPGQ
Autocar, the world's leading motoring magazine and website, delivers industry-leading news, the most in-depth car reviews and opinion from our team of experts. Our presenters include some of the world's top motoring journalists who have unrivalled access to the world's fastest, rarest, most exotic and most exciting cars on some of the world's best roads and race tracks.
Follow AUTOCAR here:
LIKE Autocar on Facebook: goo.gl/mWG2I5
FOLLOW Autocar on Twitter: goo.gl/DSAnav
FOLLOW Autocar on Instagram: goo.gl/N2Id68
+1 Autocar on Google+: goo.gl/h6UHVu
Check out our full video catalog: goo.gl/xHxfRA
For car reviews you can trust go to What Car? and subscribe: goo.gl/ThfmVK

[@xXDigitalLeoXx]

7:00 Is when the drag race starts.

[@kenaylebarbare883]

Thanks buddy, you saved me seven minutes!

[@tlv6666]

Thank you

[@potatoavacadonion1025]

Thanks

[@marekdziecio6563]

Thanks!

[@someguy5035]

VIP

[@AdventureCayman]

All of that money to test these vehicles and they couldn't just postpone for a dry day. The video is pointless on such a wet track.

[@man_in_a_pram356]

Why, do you only go out if it's dry and sunny?

[@AdventureCayman]

+Man_In_A_Pram - With a topless car or streetbike? Yes, absolutely.

[@JosephMorganMedia]

+AdventureCayman Yeah i agree man. But people have schedules and lives. and the date was probably set way in advance. sucked it had to be a rainy one. if anything the bike would do even better.

[@patthonsirilim5739]

you do relies that wet is the only chance that rally car have any chance in hell of taking on that bike and even then it still lose out

[@Pstaines439]

You do know it's filmed in the uk eh? Waiting for a sunny day could take months

[@pdub1247]

Drag racing in the rain???? Brilliant!!! Next up Drag racing in a blizzard!!!

[@Chasiraw]

LoL!!!😂

[@patthonsirilim5739]

no matter what condition the bike will still win

[@BadBoyV1]

+hongsaikruw Elite Race!

[@Outland9000]

Why not? They are all on the same bit of black top so who gives a shit.

[@mikehunt1528]

Hahaha... thanks for the chuckle :)

[@TarisRedwing]

that bike doing wheelies in the rain and pulling away...absolute mad man lol

[@ARWAIRSOFT]

Eto Hige Gamer Culture have to be a mad man to sit a hp4 anyway

[@TarisRedwing]

ARWAIRSOFT I heard the hp4 bikes are fast

[@droceretik]

Did you? My goodness, where did you hear that?

[@Enorbs96]

I like how they're more worried about the car's traction than the bike's.

[@FourWheelMotion]

Test done by Autocar.

[@tnelliott2447]

@@FourWheelMotion ya the bitches like to talk about the cars and all that, it’s a over the top excuse to say they are scared but don’t wanna say it. Mean while the biker just shows up with his big balls and puts it down.

[@adied_2001]

@@tnelliott2447 can't agree more on this. i own a 200cc and even that takes balls to ride on a rainy day 😶

[@ilmaio]

The thing is: the BMW has launch control and traction control. And weights nothing. Needs more or less 50% of the traction to match any car. As a matter of fact, as soon as the bike shifts in second and open the throttle the race is over. The Atom has no traction control, just 500 Hp on 550 kg. For sure you don't risk to fall from the Atom, but among the three vehicles it is the one more affected by the catastrophic lack of grip of a wet, cold tarmac with cold tires. She's literally on oil.

[@ajinkyathorat7502]

@@ilmaio Completely disagree, car is pretty low even cruiser without launch control launch better than bmw motorcycle there is no excuse for that.

[@johntechwriter]

Ridiculous to do this in the rain but all the more credit to the motorcycle rider who had the skill and the balls to control that BMW on a wet track.

[@StreetKingz4Life]

Next video do it in the snow to prove a point geniuses...

[@Raez_XL]

Ikr

[@keyboardwarrior327]

The Citroen would win, I'm guessing.

[@Ben-ph3gb]

So will a 2020 jeep Grande Cherokee

[@iliketacos6067]

Bwahahahahahahahahahhahaha

[@AbzAden]

“ it’s a bit damp today...” the most British thing you can say lol

[@colinstace1758]

It's a bit damp every day 🤣

[@dunboozin]

Worried about 2 wheel drive and the BMW only has one.

[@MehrdadNaderi]

stupid how they always do tests on wet days why???

[@slaphead99uk]

because England

[@LegacyOfFear]

Because of pre-booking cars & drivers months in advance. They have to take whatever weather they can get.

[@MehrdadNaderi]

LegacyOfFear i understand all of this, but why 90% of the videos done in rain. No way this can account for that.

[@Frost640]

....clearly you've never been to the British Isles....

[@ironpirites]

The UK is like Ireland. It is always raining, about to rain or just rained. As a bonus I give you the seasons in Thailand, hot, hotter and hottest.

[@Maxim.Teleguz]

7:00 minutes is when the race starts.

[@SethBergile]

100 mph in 1st gear!!! That is so cool! What a great time to be alive Gents!

[@Trollygag]

That's amazing the HP4 is that fast in the wet. It is a full second quicker in the quarter in the dry.

[@Patriiiiick]

It's so impressive the bike did so well with such a small tire footprint in those sort of conditions.

[@dielaughing73]

I think the pilot can take a lot of the credit for that

[@dinozorman]

@@dielaughing73 ive ripped some bikes. and damn... he was flying.

[@fahrimuhammad3144]

Atom: 20% drag race 80% wheelspin

[@loveplane737]

and get crashed during corner in real racing 3

[@samblack5313]

100% slower than a stock bike.

[@jeffallinson8089]

All three of those machines have insane performance! I'd love a drive of the Atom!!

[@fpstina]

nothing says fair test like CAR vs MOTORCYCLE in the wet/cold...

[@shaunroberts6025]

nothing is a fair test between car and bike period. no matter the condition.

[@fpstina]

well this vid takes that statement and pours water all over it, nice and wet!

[@forrestfire12345]

seeing as the motorcycle would have been at the disadvantage but still won, why complain?

[@samblack5313]

Bike was at a huge disadvantage and still won. Probably costs less than the rear wing on that atom as well.

[@darkstars101]

Why would you not postpone if 2/3 vehicles are nearly incapable of performing in the rain?

[@Jumanji0028]

+darkstars101 because its england. the next sunny day could be next year

[@notafanboy250]

+Rory hahahaha

[@WPTUNED]

why do this in the rain?? it's like wallpapering a shed in a typhoon!

[@lynxxlynxx]

He explained at the end, that they made the runs also in dry conditions and they looked the same.

[@Louie9000]

lynxxlynxx no they said SLIGHTLY DRYER it's still raining anyone with eyes can see the rain

[@lynxxlynxx]

Long story short: if you ever have to race an atom, just piss on the track and you'll win.

[@pioneerAv]

Will Palmer why would you wallpaper a shed??

[@harryconover289]

Both conditions are good to see I would have liked more in the dry despite there shallow comment at the end

[@ToxicReaper7]

Is it always raining in UK? Every single video its either damp or its pouring.... Stop whining guys. Even in the dry, the result would of been the same. The Ariel Atom will not pass a BMW HP4 after 100mph. The bike would just fly by afterwards. And rain does affect the bike greatly also. I think it would affect the bike the most actually, with such a small contact patch to the ground. The Ariel atom really fucked up the start though. Probably too much rpm's at launch or just too much gas.

[@cern1999sb]

It went as expected for me. RallyCross cars are notorious for being incredibly quick off the line, but the incredible power to weight ratio of the Superbike means it can maintain really good acceleration for longer. The Ariel Atom is an incredible car, but due to a lack of traction and power compared to the RallyCross car, it was bound to be left behind in a drag race.

[@The_Hunter879]

7:00 is what u want

[@KBBF3]

Did he say 100mph in 1st gear on the BMW!?

[@dr_kellogg]

welcome to the world of motorcycles.

[@cptskellern]

Yep! Most sport 1000cc's will do that, mate ;)

[@zippysworld]

We only change gears to give us something to do ;)

[@KBBF3]

LOL! well me to to some extent, but I eventually have to go to 2nd once I hit 50

[@thespeckler1]

The old EXUP was not shy of that when it was launched.,

[@zakid6989]

Motorbikes are fucking awesome They accelerate so quickly and the top speed is hell fast and the handling is so good too Motorbikes ♥

[@rouslant]

Problem is that death comes fast on a bike.

[@samblack5313]

@@rouslant Don’t ride on the road. Closed circuit only.

[@JohnDoe-ld4fo]

In dry conditions a bike would have been a second faster on a 1/4 mile easily. And in dry conditions on a curvy track probably the Atom would prevail, or at least have been a worthy adversary. Nice acceleration for the Citroen, but again, two purpose built car compared to a stock motorbike.

[@Marquelspeedy]

1/4, 2/4, 3/4 and a 4/4 mile drag race the bike wins hands down in dry weather. Stop hating.

[@GamersTrashTalk]

Marquelspeedy as a biker myself, i could not agree more. It's simply lighter and more power to one little wheel, and with the right rider, a superbike is almost unbeatable. Not to mention the gears.

[@TheGribbleNator]

+Csaba Torok Not true whatsoever. The only cars that stand even a remote chance against a bike, are four wheel drive with 800-1000 hp. So much horsepower that you will probably go broke trying to achieve it. Do you at least understand why? Ugh...probably not... Notice how the bike only has two wheels, and how only one of them is powered? Notice how the tire is curved, and only sits on, at max acceleration, maybe the size of a playing card worth of rubber? See, that's called a traction disadvantage. Put this in the rain, and it only gets *worse,* not better, you fool. A 4wd car has four traction points, *all of them producing power.* That's a HUGE advantage against the bike. But, what you people don't seem to understand is the power to weight ratio. You can google it if you don't understand that.

[@JohnDoe-ld4fo]

hondac55 Try to understand what I wrote. You got it completely wrong so don't try and explain things when even simple words are to complicated to understand.

[@TheGribbleNator]

"In dry conditions a bike would have been a second faster on a 1/4 mile easily." Yes. The bike wins. "And in dry conditions on a curvy track probably the Atom would prevail, or at least have been a worthy adversary." Nope. Bike wins. "Nice acceleration for the Citroen, but again, two purpose built car compared to a stock motorbike." What's your point? Why does it matter if it's a stock bike? Why does it matter if it's a multi-purpose car?

[@jimmyohdez]

Is it always raining in the UK?

[@a34rwl]

Yes

[@vtrmcs]

Yes

[@everythingcars4078]

Yes

[@lupo0144]

Nope....

[@JeffreyT129]

In where I live (Manchester), yes... ALOT

[@corneg5126]

Kudos to the dude on the bike in the wet. Well done mate!!

[@yucannthahvitt]

Everyone in the comments says they want to see this in the dry, but the order would be the same. The wet weather gave the bike the biggest disadvantage and the atom would still have traction issues on a dry track and accelerate slower than the rally car.

[@bladeboy2041]

Agreed, I expected the bike to get murdered in the wet. Can't believe how far the atom got left behind.

[@jezza941]

the Ariel Atom would DEMOLISH all of these in a 1/4 mile in the dry, it goes 0-60 in 2,5 Seconds in the dry, and the RallyCross car does the same, and the bike. but the Ariel is so fucking strong once you get over 50-60

[@yucannthahvitt]

jezza941 Wrong

[@jezza941]

Yucannt Hahvitt Correct

[@Marshall498]

jezza941 You're right about the Ariel and having a wicked fast 0-60 but the HP4 does 0-60 in 2.2 seconds. And the Atom V8 does the 1/4 in 11.4 second...the HP4 runs it in 9.47 seconds.

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

All bikers new the answer before it even started. The bike is a relatively stock item and only about 50% more powerful than a typical sunday morning bike, the cars have been super refined etc but still can't win. Imagine if you tuned the bike (any bike for that matter).....?

[@Damon945]

yeah you can get cbr1000rr turbo kits that will get it up too 250hp

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

Damon Stock That would rip the arse out of anything four wheeled!

[@CaptJofaz]

Since we're being imaginative, imagine if there were corners.

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

CaptJofaz Harsh! But fair.

[@themango7601]

And if you add the New, road legal, Kawasaki Ninja H2R, which has 322 HP into the equation, you realise it is practically unbeatable by any road vehicle

[@stanleysimmonsreactions9056]

Why would you do a standing drag race in the race with an AWD car vs RWD? Should do a 60mph roll race to be fair.

[@Dansk55]

Bikes are just better end of story! 7:05

[@777weaponX]

What happens on a rainy day for the bikers? Plus cars have entertainment systems and air conditioning. CARS FTW!!!!

[@Dansk55]

Supzor Notice, I said bikes are better not having only a bike is best. A great majority of bikers own a car especially here in the states, its obvious!! I myself own a G35 coupe so please next time read, reason and then reply. Thanks

[@777weaponX]

***** ya but how can you justify your statement on bikes being better when you can ride a bike only when certain conditions are met with. The car of course can be drove around any time any where any condition. Overall cars are the best and bikes are just stupid.

[@Dansk55]

Supzor I like both methods of transportation but I prefer the biker over my car; much more fun and requires more skill on the track. But you, you say bikes are stupid? When did I ever say cars suck/stupid? You're not an enthusiast but just another bigot. Sorry but that's the truth.

[@777weaponX]

***** I was never a bike enthusiast but I do love cars. Simply put when i see a bike i just see another two wheeled machine with the same structure. When i see a car i see the curves that differs each car and the beauty of each car. Lol seriously how do you see a difference in one bike to another in design. Except for the Indian bikes, they are irrelevant anyway.

[@mikemulvany3325]

That was loads of fun, thank you! If you repeat test, yet in dry conditions, what are the order/ time results?

[@AndyInTheUK]

All good fun, but no car gets close to a bike on a road. I used to love going to the office on the 600cc bike, at 25mph on the M25. This was 25mph faster than all the cars.

[@OnceIWasBooker]

16 grand superbike destroyes over 400 grands worth of cars :D

[@putablook]

+fresky74 have the same race on mars and then say that. No shit, sherlock

[@tscooter22]

+OblivionGaming The fact that any car is close to or faster than a motorcycle is amazing. I really don't think it's worthy of a celebration. It wasn't long ago that high performance cars wouldn't even have a chance at keeping up with a bike. Btw, I've owned a GSXR-750, so it's not like I'm against bikes.

[@invictuscrown4026]

+fresky74 Actually when I saw it, the bike rekted again with the spike tires

[@gizzync1525]

+tscooter22 autocar are always in the wet to favour the cars.

[@spacecadet35]

+OblivionGaming Wait until they hit a corner.

[@MD-jp5oc]

It doesn't matter if it was dry or wet. The bike would spank them both either way.

[@911gpd]

Start the video at 7:04 You're welcome.

[@ridingwithsam]

That BMW will beat a veyron so this is pointless

[@FourWheelMotion]

In the wet?

[@boltmix7294]

@@FourWheelMotion No And in general

[@Mostcarpiot]

@@boltmix7294 no in 0-420kmh

[@topisiintovaara6579]

Mostcarpiot but this was about quartermile

[@zachrankin429]

No point in racing a super bike unless you have at least 800 hp

[@clio2rsminicup]

I take the Citroën Rally-cross there, not because & even I am French and proud of it, but because it's too cold in this video in England, to drive out! ^_^

[@alistairherrett2509]

the bikes power to wight is just insane. the rally cross is so insane. the Ariel just can't compete to something that weight as much as a car engine but has more power than most cars! what a cool race... also the bike does accelerate a lot faster in the dry..

[@benjyboba]

Bye bye cars, in the WET! OMG! WITHOUT TRACTION CONTROL" and the bike don't have a turbo charger.

[@paulsmith1981]

£16,000 bike trashes mega expensive sports cars.

[@erlends248]

Bikes are faster in corners too, except for f1 cars..

[@primerecording2337]

^^tru

[@BigPundo]

True, but you get more from a car than you do a bike

[@Alpine_Joe]

***** I would ! If you spend 200k on a race car and get beaten by that distance, mate ... that's a trashing !

***** and let's not forget, it was on wet floor, they should have tried on dry floor and see how much better the motorcycle performed.

[@jeramiemaddox1974]

That guy on the bike is absolutely amazing! Look how straight here was taking off!

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

ariel atom seems just like an expensive play-toy in this damp wet weather, and even on dry surface it loses to the other 2, as shown in the end, amazing to see how fast that DS3 rolls trough the gears, but what i find the most impressive is that the HP4 was able to accelerate so fast of the line with no launch control or traction control... i had the idea that the HP4 was gonna be slowest off the line and ending very close to the DS3 but this is downright astonishing... power/weight/grip ratio and the gear ratio's is what told this story

[@HowlerBikeVlogs]

yes and this dude isn't using them, did you even listen? he knows it's on the bike and he knows it would give him an even bigger advantage, but he is not using those electronic aids, switched them off.

[@aljosaskrabelj8412]

Howler Launch control on production bikes are still crap. Even on HP4. Check few tests. That is why he had to run without them. And that is why he was so fast. Good bike rider. Traction control is good on the track. For max acceleration in dragr race... you are still better withaout them. If you are good rider ofcourse.

[@750VFRRules]

zRouth Pity they can sort out the rough/jerky running on my R1200RT.

[@umaxen0048]

"Due to the lack of sunshine and common sense, we will always test supercars on a wet track or during heavy rain." The Queen of England...

[@steve5825]

Interesting result, given the wet track I didn’t expect the bike to win. Even it the dry I thought it would struggle against the £200k rally cross and using the fact the Atom only has rear wheel drive is a bit lame...which wheel drives the bike and with a much smaller contact area on the tyre??

[@morganjohnson0112]

put a h2r out the against the hp4

[@Miley-RayStewart]

+Morgan Rides there are Videos the new RR full model (thich is basically the hp4) did even win against the h2r.... horsepower is not everything...you also Need to get it onto the ground...and even if not...id agree it is really fair to compare Turbo charged with non charged...do the same to make them compareable...i slightly remember that the hp4 weights less than the h2...but the h2 is longer...i guess when both will be supercharged it really would be a Close call ^^

[@sizzlechestmcmurphy4365]

+Morgan Rides Put a Lightning LS-218 against the H2...

[@ShitJitsu]

h2r is a bonkers machine

[@kieronwheeler3087]

"I don't see how anything could be faster than this Atom" Gets left behind like he wasn't moving.

[@mrsauce9307]

lmfaoo

[@ilmaio]

The rally car isn't faster than the Atom. They have just proven the existence of wheelspin.

[@kieronwheeler3087]

@@ilmaio Yeah. I know. The Atom is rear wheel drive, very light, and on semi slick tyres. The rally car is 4 wheel drive, still fairly light, and has better wet weather tyres. I just found it funny that he made that comment before getting absolutely mullered.

[@alextaylor8776]

Try a bone dry day and a good driver like Tiff Needle in the Atom and then we will see who smokes who.

[@kieronwheeler3087]

@@alextaylor8776 I don't think there'd be a lot of difference between the Atom and the bike in the dry. The bikes traction control, launch control, and anti wheelie systems would have all been activated as soon as the rider touched the throttle. Plus bikes accelerate really quick. As in stupidly quick. As in my 20 year old 1/4 ton 600cc sports tourer will do 0-60 in under 4 seconds, and hits 100in just over 10 seconds, my 20 year old 600cc sporty commuter will hit 100 in under 9 seconds. And that BMW weighs less than either of them and makes more hp at the wheel than both of my bikes at the crank, combined. That is a seriously quick bike, and on a dry road, with a good rider, and less electronic interference, it would leave most cars standing.

[@martymcflaite5831]

Excuse me Sir, where can I find a dry track? USA: 500 miles away Germany: 200 miles away France: 100 miles away Italy: 50 miles away Spain: next road exit UK: choose different country

[@RotGodKing]

Was anyone surprised by that?

[@InexorableOne]

Not shocked, the power to weight ratios on those motorcycles is (I've owned a ZX10 that put down 163 RWHP) absolutely incredible. The only hope I thought might have given the cars the edge is the wet weather. I AM surprised that rear wheel held up like that.

[@thomas.861]

i realy expected the atom to smoke em all

[@tothethreshold.9965]

Thomas de Boer Atoms aint actually all that quick, i have managed to out run one last year on my £600 20 year old RF 600. Which is by bike standards a slow old bus.

[@LarsAgerbk]

I thought the Atom would win and the bike would come in last

[@sabugo26]

in dry conditions, the bike will always win unless the driver make a mistake, but on this conditions is all up to the driver and if he had a wheelie then it was game over and the DS3 would have win

[@dudeofrude]

Great to see a 17 grand bike out classing £100,000+ cars as usual. I see so many people having arguments on here about which cars can beat bikes etc but the fact remains you can pick up a 150+mph motorbike for under a 1000, you'd have to spend much more to find a car that'll do that

[@skynet091287]

On the upside you don't have to wear ridiculus leather clothes and get wet when it rains in (most) cars.

[@dudeofrude]

skynet091287 Fair point but ill take speed over fashion any day. Besides I like dressing like a power ranger everyday. ... childhood dream haha

[@scottwebb9078]

skynet091287 After buying the bike, I can still afford a car...

[@aaronthummel460]

Except either of those cars could SPANK pretty much any bike on a roadcourse. It's really comparing apples and oranges.

[@HowardSupra]

Adam Holt I'm a car guy, but really, that's the best argument I've ever seen for owning a bike lol.

[@cypherpunk12]

I don't like track only it when they do races with road legal vehicles vs track only vehicles. What is the point I mean a 10,000hp drag car will smoke them all but you can not drive it for a long drive on a public road. just 1/4 mile and you need to spend many hours rebuilding the engine. Even if you put all this running gear in a rad legal DS3 (road legal until the cops pull you over) the engine would need to be rebuilt every 100 miles or so.

[@abymathew295]

from where did this Quarter mile cocept came from...Why dont all these people run a full 1 mile drag...quarter mile is toooooo short to prove the full pottential of any vehicle..i belive.

[@brohvakiindova4452]

i guess it's meant to be about fastest acceleration since most cars that focus on acceleration might reach their top speed at half a mile (another drag concept) the top speed would make a lot more difference so you might win even though you didn't shift gears as good as your opponent... say your oponent reaches 250 at a quarter mile and can't go much faster but you reach 250 at half a mile and can speed up to 350 you would still win on longer distances

[@samblack5313]

Especially a bike that is designed to go 350kmh.

[@johnrice8786]

Rain.....One of the reasons I left England many years ago.

[@Gochsener]

I know how it is. you get the vehicles for one day (which you plan weeks or months before) and you have to work with whatever conditions are present at that day. ofc dry weather would have been better better, but that's how it is.

[@PhaedruS007]

Fer fook's saik gents- can we do this again with the modern versions of these rigs on a DRY DAY??

[@jonathankey6444]

Paul Hinman how about a light car shootout. Ariel Atom 500 vs BAC Mono R vs Dallara Stradala

[@samblack5313]

@@jonathankey6444 Not keen to be humiliated by 2 wheels again, car boy?

[@jcaled24]

Why does everyone want to see this in the dry? Did the bike not win by enough for ya already? People act like the two cars were the only ones disadvantaged by the slick conditions. And everyone from the UK needs to just calm down..people are saying your countries weather is shitty, not you. You guys are great... the rain there just sucks ass tho.

[@psttech4290]

the weather here is shit lol, even in the summer when its hot its still shit because its so bloody humid

[@CiaranM01]

paul torton The struggle lol

[@psttech4290]

CiaranM01 haha I know, suppose it could be much worse, could be in Iraq right now lol

[@micglou]

Well in the dry the Atom would've at least beat the DS3 because normally it is a faster accelerating car.

[@psttech4290]

micglou I don't think it would, the ds3 will do 0-60 in 2 seconds in the dry, above 80-90ish the atom would be quicker but not up to that point

[@douglasmiranda662]

Hello, is there a table for tire measurements. Example 100hp: 185mm, a proportionate reference?

[@mtube620]

Bring in the Kawasaki H2R, the factory 300 HP motorbike

[@MatthewDiesFirst]

***** yay a bike :/

[@mtube620]

TheJollyOldPear yup, bikes are more fun too.

[@MatthewDiesFirst]

***** lol no

[@mtube620]

TheJollyOldPear lol, what fun sitting inside an enclosed metal box?

[@MatthewDiesFirst]

***** nice air conditioning/heating you have straddled on that motor bicycle in your tight leathers with your helmet and uncomfortable riding posture that you can't move from.

[@Stealthbong]

Bikes will always piss on cars. Come rain or shine.

[@Cain353]

Jonnie Park That's probably why bikes are much faster on a track... Oh wait.

[@Ihelpanytime]

McBaron They are fast with a fast rider, the average superbike with a good rider can do 1;55 on monza chicanes which is faster than Laferrari... and 2;30s on spa franchorchamps which is faster than P1... but stupid riders will do 2;20+ on monza and 2;50+ on spa. Bikes require more skills, a lot more practice and balls.

[@mariek6993]

Not always.... a-hole.

[@DepakoteMeister]

Only in a straight line, add in some corners and it all changes, which is why the lap record at most tracks is held by a car.

[@Hari5g900]

Sure, until you come across a corner.

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Is it possible to have worse conditions to do this? No snow or ice available?

[@DolleHengst]

Ask yourself this question: which one's closest to a bullet? It really comes down to that kind of physics. The bike has the lowest inertial mass, the best aerodynamics, and the best power to weight ratio.

[@HowardSupra]

right on 2/3, the bike actually has pretty bad aero... Gotta remember there's the rider with somewhat loose clothing and everything flapping in the wind.

[@renragged]

HowardSupra Good point. Imagine that bike with a fairing that covered the rider entirely...

[@Kett_22]

and u can give full power at the start with the bike :P

[@MatthewDiesFirst]

HowardSupra I read that as "fapping in the wind"... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@BucketWheat]

But the bike will "Top Out" sooner than the cars... mainly because of a "gentlemen's Agreement" between Manufacturers not to exceed 300Kph or about 186Mph... And a bike at those speeds becomes VERY Dangerous in the hands of anyone but an EXPERT rider...

[@enzofudo7872]

i would STILL pick the atom over the other 2 !

[@vincentwieser]

over the rally car really? I guess every man to his own but rbh I would pick the bike

[@enzofudo7872]

why so agressive ding dong? it's imo like the man said 'to each his own'

[@nocensorship8092]

+Enzo Tatsuro on a racetrack with a good driver it probably would roast the others..

[@jettechristensen4014]

+Enzo Tatsuro id pick the bike.

[@hermanstokbrood]

Me too, and sell it to buy me a great car and bike.

[@sundeepbhat7]

I have been fortunate enough to own an HP4 - I can vouch for a fact that its a beautiful beast - its monstrously fast and incredible gentle in the way it imparts that acceleration - it is not an understatement that it just might be the best motorcyle ever built. I can say that in 2019.

[@scottwiler8881]

would like to see dry track to see what Ariel atom would do come to America

[@samblack5313]

I agree, take away the excuses. Run the bike against it over a 2-4km in the dry, so when it gets obliterated worse, car potatoes can conjure up some different excuses. Car dudes acting like there wasn’t a wet surface for the vehicle with the smallest contact patch, and straight up sleet for the atom. It’s sad.. take the L. Cars are for commuting.

[@billyashton6550]

skip to 7.00

[@kvogel9245]

How would they compare on a track with actual twists and turns, on a dry day?

[@samblack5313]

Testing a superbike over 400m in the rain is just about the least favourable conditions for any vehicle I can think of.

[@aemmelpear5788]

Try it with the new Ninja H2, would love to see that :D

[@samblack5313]

*4 wheel denial intensifies*

[@FordyHunt]

Why even bother in the wet srsly

[@_mephistophele4968]

Cause they want let cars win... On this channel is normal. Sh! T bike haters

[@thehowlingterror]

Didn't even have to be a top of the range bike to win. Cars are fun but bikes moreso. *unless it's cold and raining :-)

[@moviebod]

So I have just cancelled my Autocar subscription and have bought a bike!

[@KirksAudioSanctum]

Do you always film these in the rain???

[@Ksilva2]

hey Autocar would u fancy do these 3 along with a GTR & P100D?

[@TheOneandOnlyFab]

Unless you build a fucking monster of a car you cant beat a motorbike. Theyre lighter and faster.

[@TheOneandOnlyFab]

if you mod a H2R you won't able to catch it.

[@googlewontgetmyname2139]

Fabian Glynan What does a motorcycle have what a car doesn't have? Speed... The only thing's speed... Cars are safer, have 4 wheels, more luxurious, 5 seats, and another book full of reasons

[@TheOneandOnlyFab]

Jelle Koorn That's the whole reason of their existence.. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. What I was saying was, Motorbikes are faster than cars.

[@PeterChatteris]

Jelle Koorn I suggest you stick to four wheels ... wouldn't want to hurt yourself

[@paulstevens9409]

Jelle Koorn Your right jelle, cars are just better, cooler, you dont have to explain why. Bikes maybe faster most of the time but not many people care about bikes. If I throw a rock off a cliff it will go faster than a lot of cars but who cares? Its just a rock

[@MadMax74656]

Citroen owned that bike for few seconds,my car can give me shelter,can drive me,my gf,my 2 cats and a lot of stuff,can look great and can smoke a lot of competition of the road.compare to that,bikes are lame. The only thing you can do with bike is get killed more easier.

[@ghostassassin1107]

Yeah, a few seconds until the bike passed it. I prefer cars over bikes, but motorcycles still have their place too. I would be considered ignorant if I was talking shit about them for no good reason.

[@MadMax74656]

Charles Johnson Agree with you.

[@BluePixelGaming]

It's not just about speed. I have both and I use the car for comfort, practicality and when I can't be arsed to use the bike but the bike has more going for it than just speed. It's hard to explain why they are soo much fun to ride so you'll just have to try one yourself some day. :)

[@z3hrenato]

BluePixel You're right, but i think that our friend "MadMax" here just doesn't have the balls for it xD

[@MadMax74656]

I like the shape of cars better and car can protect you and nurture you better XD,but yes,thats true too,i dont have balls for it XD

[@CaptainHurricane]

Who ate all the pies ? The Citroen driver !

[@adamcurtis83]

i can't believe this even made it to air. .....zzzzzzzzz in that weather

[@adamcurtis83]

Lol, hardly...I own a Porsche...

[@JC-cv4ut]

Adam Curtis ur a noob in a boxster

[@Jamie-Z]

What a sad waste

[@WizzRacing]

Might as well put oil in one lane and run a test to see whom the fastest is.

[@bundlesofjoe]

just wondering what the oil on the bike is up front?

[@joer5057]

Left is clutch, right is front brake

[@venusreena2532]

Beaten by a super bike again..in the rain no less..

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

Good thing it was wet out or the Bike would have totally destroyed the cars !!!!

[@stuarth43]

kudos Mr rider, i think most would think that is is easy to keep the bike going straight

[@TheJason434]

DO THIS IN THE FUCKING DRY!!!

[@RotGodKing]

Its the UK. Its always damp. Ha

[@TheJason434]

CosworthsMerryMen No

[@ruandeyzel]

HP4 will be even faster in the dry

[@2010HarleyDynaFXD]

In the dry the bike is even faster 1/4-mile: 10.3@144 mph stock. If you put a Front End Lowering Strap you could easily get it in the high 9's in the quarter mile it keeps the bike from pulling the front wheel up from binding "compressing the springs at launch to keep the front wheel on the ground" technically you need a car with over 1000hp per tonne to keep up with a liter bike.

[@NathanMian]

2010HarleyDynaFXD Amen Brother!

[@imhoman8423]

eww where the fuck is this? you picked the worst day of the year for a dragrace. Or is it always like this day? Its fucking depressing

[@Wolfenkuni]

you obviously never watched Top Gear.

[@imhoman8423]

Karl Wolfenburg yeah I see its british now. It doesn't air around here ;) god it sucks there. piss poor weather smh

[@JasonX2]

You are a terribly ignorant individual.

[@imhoman8423]

why? because I dont watch hot gear? hahaha or because your country sucks?

[@JasonX2]

No,

[@keyboardwarrior327]

Autocar has made a better case for buying a motorcycle instead of a sports car than any other KZbin channel I've ever seen.

[@soyuncomando]

how I hate the uk weather!!!

[@TheDecidingBullet]

i wanne see this when dry

[@delongedoug]

We'll need an automotive show from a less shitty country then.

[@andyenglish3646]

***** Shitty country because it rains quite a lot. What a retarded comment. What amazing country do you reside in then?

[@ajinkyathorat7502]

@chrisutubeism Complete bullshit statement there a lot perkowski in Germany, you might want edit that comment.

[@ROOKTABULA]

"Oh... it's raining. Guess we'll have to reschedule." "You think so?" "Well yeah! Who wants to watch a drag race shootout that means nothing due to conditions?!". "Yeah.... good point. Man! Do I feel a bit stupid" - Conversation that shoulda took place.

[@jaybrewster2475]

Do you honestly think that nobody considered rescheduling?

[@ericgeorge5483]

On a twisty track the Atom would murder the other two.

[@snackbarsnackbar1657]

disagree the bike gets the best launch, and if the track is right the tires become glue, the corners would be the bikes best friend. the atoms real wheel drive would not allow it to grip at an apex it would slide out trying to keep pace.

[@snackbarsnackbar1657]

because the rear is to light on the atom.

[@ericgeorge5483]

There must be a video on here that will prove my point

[@spacecadet35]

+Eric George There is. Top Gear raced a 300hp Atom against a superbike. the bike lead into the first corner. It was the only time it lead.

[@ericgeorge5483]

spacecadet35 I rest my case then; thanks for that.

[@hoseinqadam]

There are a lot of ignorant persons in this comment section. Its a bloody rally vehicle obviously a bike would beat it. The bike is in its element, put them off road and you would see what the rally car was built for and why its so expensive.

[@colintiller8325]

Adam Hosein do rallies only take place off road then?

[@hoseinqadam]

Colin Tiller My point was to put a rally vehicle against a rally bike.

[@colintiller8325]

but since rally cars are specifically designed for both on and off road competition, and can be set up and fine tuned for either your point is moot. that car was specifically set up for that challenge. suspension, engine, gearing, tyres, etc.., all fine tuned for the event. basically it was as good as it's possible to make it for a tarmac stage, and it was still beaten by the bike! don't get me wrong, modern rally cars are fucking awesome, I'm a big fan, but generally speaking, any litre plus sports bike can usually spank most of the opposition. now, stick that bmw engine in a motocross frame and take it off-road against the car, THAT would be worth seeing!! ..........IF you can find someone with balls big enough to ride it!! :)

[@PerhapsToast2]

+Adam Hosein and the rally cars are not setup for top end speed.. they have short gear ratios

[@andyelliott8027]

+Colin Tiller The BMW S1000RR was slower round the Top Gear track than the Ariel Atom.

[@DJDoger217]

Wait... the Arial Atom is clutch manual with paddles?

[@ShogMan]

This, I agree, is stupid on oh so many levels. A wet drag race? OK, include it in the video - but please - alongside a dry race. As a superbike x-racer, but still track day rider and instructor - I can say with a bit of gearing change and suspension lowering, the bike would have made another cruise ship length on those cars. Almost every Superbike made will break 100 mph in 1st gear STOCK! This crap is just silly - and I'm silly for spending time commenting on it. Best regards!

[@patski123]

NISSAN GT-R TUNED .. i wanna see that against them :D

[@alexburnsdown4524]

The Nissan GT-R Alpha 12, please :b

[@Marshall498]

Alex Burns Down Why? Just so the HP4 would obliterate that too?

[@TheFurryNazurah]

Justin Marshall obliterate,not so much.i reckon they would be close,but the HP4 would still take it.

[@Marshall498]

Ok an HP4 runs a 9.6 in the 1/4 and a GT-R runs a 11.6...That's over 2 seconds faster in a 1/4. Which in racing terms means...obliterate. The only car to come close to a HP4 in the 1/4 is the new P1 McLaren which runs a 9.8 in the 1/4...and you can buy 54 Hp4s for the price of a P1.

[@DzuhLRenu]

The GTR would still get poopooed on its too heavy Ken Blocks Fiesta beat an AMS GT-R Nismo Pack. Its just too heavy. I would like to see Speed Factories Honda Civic vs The HP4

[@gorillaninja78]

That’s why I love sport bikes!

[@schwantz037]

If the rally car driver lost 5 stone he would go faster. #whoateallthepies

[@sendesilva6324]

fuck the hp4!!! omfg what a bike, my next bike haha

[@MadBarbax1]

Got one already, get it, you won't be sorry!!!

[@thomasip9938]

HP4 is exclusive...

[@sendesilva6324]

no money bros hahaha. id need a fair bit of coin even if i sell my r1

[@Snark900]

Stupid video, fastest IN THE WET with dry track tyres on the Atom. The Atom that gets from 0 to 100 in 3.2 seconds against a rally car that the driver states does 0 to 100 in 5 seconds.

[@Dreadzedan]

he means 0-100mph in 5.0 secs you noob, no kph, atom does not go to 100mph in 3.2 that is almost f1 territory. Please Google rally-cross cars and get the statistics before posting if you cannot understand what is going on here. DS3 XL’s two-litre turbo engine develops 545bhp and 800Nm of torque. Its acceleration isn’t far off that of an F1 car, covering 0 to 100kph in 2.4 seconds

[@Snark900]

limited production Ariel Atom 500 V8 with a 500 bhp (373 kW; 507 PS) made from two Suzuki Hayabusa engines. and weighs 550 kg Sorry I was wrong about the Mph But I was wrong about the time as well it was less than 2.3 seconds, so I think my point stands, Noob

[@BTrain-jw3uk]

Michael Weston That's hardly an excuse. The bike is running DOT race tires as well...

[@Snark900]

Yes the bike is amazing in being able to get power down, but I was only commenting on the cars ad how the video was a bit like trying to race f1's on a wet dirt track and then complaining they were crap. Now this race in the dry would be great and I think the bike would spank both but to see how close the cars were would be good.

[@ferrumignis]

Michael Weston Did you watch the video to the end? Even in the dry the Atom was lagging behind. It's a great car without doubt, but just outclassed in this test.

[@TheMrktd1]

I have a 1982 Kawasaki GPZ1100...........2 valves per cylinder...........108 hp.........1/4 mi. 11.5 sec @ 118 mph...... Cost....3200 dollars. Citroen Rallycross DS3......1/4 mile 11.1 @ 125mph................200-300 thousand dollars??? Laugh my fucking ass off......

[@9163353259]

Until the point comes where you have an accident and crash into a tree. You'll be fine, but sore in the rallycross car. Whereas in the bike they'd have to collect you in pieces.

[@TheMrktd1]

Mercedes Fan Vids Thats fine. You be safe in your car now, honey. Let me know when you can afford 300000 $!!!!

[@9163353259]

TheMrktd1 I'm completely sure I'm safer in my 2000 E-Class any day, in any conditions than on a bike. I love bikes, don't get me wrong, but a car is undeniably safer. I am a huge fan of bikes, and I love riding my brother's Honda Shadow, but I feel a whole lot safer in a car.

[@TheMrktd1]

Mercedes Fan Vids Guess what......of course cars are safer! Duh. This is about speed and the money it takes to go fast in a car compared to a bike. This is not about airbags!

[@BucketWheat]

Mercedes Fan Vids If you want "safe" buy a TANK... 0 to 60 in a couple of minutes... If you want ACCELERATION on dry pavement, with a street-legal vehicle that does not cost $100,000 to a Million or more...buy a "SuperBike" of a liter or more! On a race course, most Lap Records are held by 4-wheeled vehicles because they can slide and sometimes even corner faster, because they have FOUR large contact points rather than 2 small ones... but for FIERCE acceleration for a much smaller investment...get a SuperBike! Even my "mild" Yamaha FZ1 -- with a Yoshimura full exhaust. Power Commander 5 EFC, and a few other small 'tweeks' -- is putting over 155 rwhp to the ground with a bike&rider weight of about 650 pounds. 1/4 mile is very close to that 10 second mark! Total investment -- about $8500 NEW [last year model still on showroom floor] and about $1700 in the pipes, PC5, and 'extras'...so just about $10,000... Want to get TOTALLY CRAZY?? Add a Turbo for about $3000 and run 300HP!! The Bugatti will still run higher top speed...at least on the street...because a bike gets so unstable -- and susceptible to cross winds and such at those speeds. But acceleration to 200+ will still go to the bike...

[@billduke251273]

0-100 in 6 seconds on a rainy day is amazing for a bike.

[@Cardiakk]

You can't take your friends on a ride with your HP4 though, unless it's a female of course.

[@chmoduk]

I hate passengers anyway, especially the ones that don't lean with you hehe.

[@J3TPILOT]

that's the point though. I'm not a taxi!

[@XxBLOODZILLAxX]

Cardiak real sport cars have two sits too 77

[@Cardiakk]

XxBLOODZILLAxX What are you saying?

[@Cardiakk]

chmoduk It's fun to take your friends on a ride every once in a while. I'm not talking about giving them a ride to work or anything.

[@lonewolf3564]

too much blah blah blah, not enough racing