Ariel clone

[Positron]

Looks like a go cart that you won't get ejected from when you hit a bump. Never understood why they don't strap kids in going 120mph.. I guess they've come a long way since a Brigg's lawnmower motor.

[AtomJohnny]

http://www.hyperracer.com/

Do you think they took any styling Q's from the Ariel.

While the hyperracer.com website says, "1998 - Jon Crooke makes the first 'napkin' sketches of the Hyper PRO Racer, a concept he has had floating around in his head since the mid eighties".
You might wonder how accurate that claim is when you know the people behind the Hyper Racer were once associated with the Australian Ariel dealership. But I understand that the Hyper PRO Racer concept was conceived before the association took place.

I bought my car off Hyperstimulator, from one of the people who is now one of the current owners of the simulator manufacturer.
At the time the company was acquired it was believed the sister car of mine would become available at a very low price. I had hoped to do a deal that would have seen an Atom 1 chassis in the US and myself with a spare Rover K engine.
Unfortunately the car was removed from the company assets at the last moment. No idea as to where it is now.



The Hyper Racer is supposed to fit as a product between karts and racecars. Safer than a kart if you flip and cheaper to run for a race season than a real race car.

[Jon Crooke]

http://www.hyperracer.com/

Do you think they took any styling Q's from the Ariel.

Hi all,
I thought I would respond to this thread with an extract from the Hyper Racer web site FAQ page.

The Hyper PRO Racer bears some resemblance to the Ariel Atom. Is there a connection between the companies?
Yes there is a connection of sorts. The Hyper PRO Racer was designed in 1998, two years BEFORE the Ariel Atom appeared on the market. The Ariel design team had no knowledge of the PRO Racer design while they were creating the Atom design. It was just a case of two independent design teams having a good idea at the same time.The PRO Racer was designed specifically for racing and unlike the Atom, provides proper roll over protection, lower torso protection, a safer cockpit environment and structurally sound seat belt mounts.
As for a connection, the Hyper PRO Racer co-designer, Jon Crooke, liked the Ariel Atom so much, he brought the first two Atom's off the production line, and he and Hyper co-designer Dean Crooke, were responsible for refinement development of the Atom’s suspension and the cooling system development for the Atom 2.

During the negotiations in 2000 that we had with Simon Saunders regarding the distribution of the Atom in Australia, Simon was presented, in front of witnesses, with a sketch of the PRO Racer dated 1998 as part of our disclosure responsibilities. Both parties agreed that there were no conflicting issues regarding the designs.

I hope that clears up any misconceptions anyone might have had on that subject.

Also in this tread there has been talk about the small wheels. Again I would like to quote our FAQ page;

Why the small wheels?
Answer - so YOU can afford to go racing. The choice of 6 inch rims, and tyres to suit, is fundamental to the design philosophy of the Hyper PRO Racer. The single most expensive consumable on a race car is tyres. To be competitive in any category you must spend money on tyres, The 6” tyre used on the PRO Racer is a quarter the cost of Formula Ford tyres. For most people this is the difference between driving or sitting in the grandstand.

Jon Crooke
Co-designer
Hyper PRO Racer

[MadMaxAtom]

I have driven cars on short diameter tires and found the steering quite touchy,although manageable at the speeds I encountered (under 80mph) It would be interesting to try one at over 100mph...I still think a model just a tad bigger, on 13" wheels,Hayabusa powered, (or gsxr1000rr) would be ideal..

[Jon Crooke]

I have driven cars on short diameter tires and found the steering quite touchy,although manageable at the speeds I encountered (under 80mph) It would be interesting to try one at over 100mph...I still think a model just a tad bigger, on 13" wheels,Hayabusa powered, (or gsxr1000rr) would be ideal..

The question is - "ideal" for who? It's fortunate that there are already many cars/categories that cater for people that can afford to run cars with Busa motors on 13' rims. However the Hyper Racer is not for those people. The Hyper Racer has been designed to allow the fans that have traditionally watched from the side lines due to lack of sufficient budget, to now compete. And not only compete, but compete on a sustainable basis- year in, year out. At Hyper Racer we believe it's a noble undertaking to 'enable' those less fortunate in the financial area, to to join the financially blessed in this sport we love. And even more noble when they punish the odd Busa on 13" wheels.

Jon Crooke
Co-designer
Hyper PRO Racer

[Positron]

It looks much safer than a traditional kart, I like it.

Heck 13"'s would an improvement to the A2..

photo%u002525281%2529.JPG

[MadMaxAtom]

$31,000 is NOT chump change.(plus shipping and any added options,like tyres) The Hyper Racer has rod ends,brake pads,rotors,chains,sprockets,shocks,engines,clutch ,transmission etc etc that wear out...and unless you are supplying these replacement parts for free,the low cost of racing one goes out the window.Not to mention crash damage repairs. If you want an inexpensive track car,you buy a Miata for $5-10K. The Hyper,if used for auto racing competition, will be classified in formula or spec racer classes,where it won't stand a snowballs chance in Hell of being competitive. Your own website says a formula Ford is faster,and they can be had in the $10-15k price range all day in the States. Compared to the Karts available here,the Hyper is very expensive,underpowered and heavy. As far as "punishing" a 'Busa powered 13" wheel track car (Radical) maybe on a small tight kart track with speeds under 80mph., but on any real road race track,NFW. So...who is the ideal buyer of a Hyper Racer? A fan sitting in the stands,bitching about a $4 hotdog is NOT even going to consider a $31k track toy. I do sincerely wish you the best of luck,though..

[Jon Crooke]

$30,000 is NOT chump change.(plus shipping and any added options) The Hyper Racer has rod ends,brake pads,rotors,chains,sprockets,shocks,engines,clutch es,transmissions etc etc that wear out...and unless you are supplying these replacement parts for free,the low cost of racing one goes out the window.Not to mention crash damage repairs. If you want an inexpensive track car,you buy a Miata for $5-10K. The Hyper will end up in auto racing classes where it won't stand a snowballs chance in Hell of being competitive (formula and spec racer classes mostly) Your own website says a formula Ford is faster,and they can be had in the $10-15k price range all day in the States. Compared to the Karts available here,the Hyper will be very expensive,underpowered and heavy. So...who is the ideal buyer of a Hyper Racer?

Hi Max,
Thank you for bring up some interesting points, as it gives me the opportunity to clarify some misconceptions some have, regarding the Hyper PRO Racer.

1. "$30,000 is NOT chump change....you buy a Miata for $5-10K."
Yes and you can buy a 1930 Austin 7 Racer for $50K and a Formula One car for $30M and in the future you will be able to buy a secondhand Hyper Racer for $5-10K. Conversely you will spend a lot more than $10K on an as-new race winning Miata. The point I'm making is that we should attempt where possible to compare Apples for Apples. Did you not know that the Hyper Racer will punish a Miata.

2. "The Hyper Racer has rod ends,brake pads,rotors,chains,sprockets,shocks,engines,clutch es,transmissions etc etc that wear out ..... the low cost of racing one goes out the window."
The enemy of speed and component wear is weight. Just imagine a race car so light that it goes 5 years of non-stop racing on one (1) set of brake pads. Replacement cost $150 total for all four corners. Imagine a race car so light that it will do a seasons racing on one (1) chain and set of sprockets. Imagine a race car that will do 4-5 full race seasons between engine rebuilds and with a full engine re-build cost of $1500-$2000. Imagine a race car so light that brake rotors NEVER wear out. No need to imagine anymore. You can now buy one.

3. "The Hyper will end up in auto racing classes where it won't stand a snowballs chance in Hell of being competitive."
No. The Hyper PRO Racer races in its own one make category. Or in in hillclimb/speed events in the FIA Formula Libre up to 500cc class where nothing else will - to use your words - "stand a snowballs chance in Hell of being competitive."

4. "Your own website says a formula Ford is faster,and they can be had in the $10-15k price range all day in the States."
As mentioned above, in the future you will be able to buy a secondhand Hyper for $5-10K. Apples for Apples. AND don't forget the running costs - with a FF that's a whole other world. Like a WHOLE OTHER WORLD. And at smaller club circuits and hillclimbs the PRO Racer is substantially faster than a Formula Ford.

5. "Compared to the Karts available here, the Hyper will be very expensive,underpowered and heavy."
A new 250 Inter Superkart in Australia will set you back $50,000, almost twice the price of a new Hyper Racer. (Apples for Apples again). And the running cost - that's if you can keep it running - are in the 'oh save me Lord' bracket. It is a 'given' that at fast flowing tracks a fast 250 Superkart is a devastating weapon. It's also a devastating weapon if you hit something or somebody as many widows over the last 20 years will tell you. Driving around at those speeds on what is essentially nothing more than a skate board with an ice cream container (seat) nailed to it, is not most peoples idea of a survivable environment. However, on tighter club circuits and hillclimbs the Hyper Racer, with its FIA approved safety cage, can be a very formidable tool. At the 2011 Top Gear Live in Melbourne, the Hyper PRO Racer made one of Australia's fastest 250 Inter Superkarts look very ordinary. http://www.hyperracer.com/hyper-race...s15_march.html

6. "So...who is the ideal buyer of a Hyper Racer?"
The ideal buyer is someone who chooses his race weapon based on 'new for new' prices, tiny ongoing costs, performance for the dollar (purchase and on-going), a requirement for a tiny support infrastructure and the need to drive the best handling car in the world.*

Jon Crooke
Co-designer
Hyper PRO Racer
*Driving History. Formula 2 (Aust Champion), Group A (Holden Dealer Team), Aust F1 (Formula Holden), Formula Ford, Formula Vee, Superkarts 250 Int, Sprint Karts.

[MadMaxAtom]

"Did you not know that the Hyper Racer will punish a Miata." Not a $30k Miata track car..........."The Hyper PRO Racer races in its own one make category" Not in the States it won't..................The Hyper Racer is the least expensive "new" race car..however, it will only be "new" just before the first race. Unless you are making money racing,most everyday track people buy what they can afford,and this means used. ........................ I like your spunk, Jon!

[Jon Crooke]

So who buys the new cars?