Ariel Atom news - Atomic war - 2007

The KTM X-Bow versus Ariel Atom shootout is one we've been looking forward to all year.

And, with the X-Bow arriving in the UK next spring, trust Ariel to revise its awesome Atom in preparation for the biggest face-reshaping exercise since Leslie Ash's last trip to the doctors.

While the third-generation Atom may look near-indistinguishable from the current version, Ariel has made a whole bunch of revisions that should make the exoskeletal two-seater even more extreme to drive.

Chief among these is the upgrade to Honda's latest two-litre iVTEC engine, as found in the new Type R.

Still available in normally aspirated form or supercharged all the way up to 300bhp (though an Ariel spokesman admitted to us that the top-of-the-range version could be putting out as much as 320bhp), performance should remain uncharged but low-down responsiveness has been improved.

The four-pot sits within a slightly wider chassis: overall width is up by 60mm while there is an extra 10cm of elbow room. Although Ariel says that every tube in the chassis has been revised, you'll be struggling to tell the difference - the return to twin exhausts is your best bet.

The Atom's suspension has been tweaked, too, with the option of 10-way adjustable dampers for better on-road stability. Oh, and there's a baby wind deflector to 'reduce pressure on the head while driving at speed' which, we fear, could reduce the potential for comedy face-rippling moments.

Better than the X-Bow? We'll find out early next year. What we do know is that the Atom will weigh in cheaper: the 245bhp naturally aspirated version costs just under £30,000, while the 220bhp X-Bow will set you back just over £37,000.