Crack the Atom and stand well back…

There seems to be a bit of trend happening at the moment for ugly ducklings being transformed into beautiful swans. Caterham are attempting to achieve this with the evergreen Seven. A startling transformation into a high tech bathtub called the Aeroseven. And very pretty it is too. Lashings of carbon fibre and, in true Caterham style, not a lot else.

Now there’s been another outbreak of swan upping across ‘the pond’.

Some cheeky designer chap called Fardees Rezvani has had the temerity to take our other home grown guided missile, the Ariel Atom, and throw away what little bodywork it has. Which is a little like telling a Chippendale to lose the thong.

Since it was never exactly over-endowed in that department (the Atom, not the Chippendale), losing the few body panels it had has left a blank canvas.

Cue Mr Rezvani who has re-endowed the Atom with a body that’s a cross between a scaled-down Lamborghini Aventador and a Stealth fighter. So quite promising, really.

Of course like the Atom they haven’t bothered with the practicalities such as a roof. Nor has the base model doors. They’re extra.

Enter the Beast! Well that’s what they’ve called it and quite a beast it’s likely to be. The Atom is hardly a slouch (who can forget the Top Gear video of Mr Clarkson’s face being re-arranged when testing it at speed) and even with this new designer outfit it’s still somewhat rapid: 0 – 60 mph in 2.9 seconds for the Honda powered (NGK sparked) 300 Beast.

Price-wise, it is a tad more expensive than the car it’s based on. UK prices have yet to be announced, but in the US they’re talking $119,000 for the base Beast. Or should that be the debased Beast? As we said before there are some extras you can have: doors are one, along with various other racy bits to make it even quicker (if you dare).

Of course, in sunny California where the girls are warmer, the lack of roof will not prove an issue. But in Sunderland on a wet Wednesday afternoon, that lack of cover could be a little tedious. But as they say, no pain no gain.

Regardless, we’d quite like to get our hands on one and take it for spin. To the South of France might be nice. Luggage? Nah pants are for wimps. Just get in and drive.