Video drag race: Ariel Atom 3.5R takes on Yamaha YZF-R1 and Monster Energy Citroën DS 3 Rallycross

25 March 2016
Feature

We've brought together three accelerative pioneers for our latest quarter-mile shootout: the Ariel Atom 3.5R, Yamaha YZF R1 superbike and Monster Energy Citroen DS3 Rallycross supercar. With respective power-to-weight ratios of 471, 723, and 536bhp/tonne, it's definitely a numbers game, but the winner may surprise you. 

The Atom's 245bhp, the Yamaha's 128bhp and the Citroen's 590bhp may hint at a winner, but these outputs are of little importance when you consider the differences between the three diverse road and track weapons. Watch the video, and see for yourself which competitor comes out on top.

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Deputy 2 April 2016

Next week...

A Nissan GTR versus a Honda C90 moped.....

(Autocar lost a lot of my respect with this one. I have a 2015 BMW S1000RR with launch control and I weigh under 11 stone. Next time, just call me instead please......)

Marc 6 April 2016

Good one. I still can't

Good one. I still can't understand the choice of bike for this, Autocar describe it as controversial on their twatter feed? It isn't. I have an MV Agusta F3 675 and weigh about the same as you and had no trouble dispatching an 996 turbo in some childish antics at the weekend on a section of the A5 in Leicestershire from a standing start.The S1000RR is in a different league again. My Cagiva Mito 125 has no trouble with modern hot hatches and that has all of 30 bhp.
JJ BLADE 29 March 2016

Kawasaki H2R

£40,000, out of the show room, if guy martin had used one of these instead of that mildly tuned BMW s1000rr, or even a moto GP bike, David Coulthard would have been left trailing in the F1 car on the drag race that he just edged. If You had used one in this test, the result would not be what you like, so you put a fat guy on a 20 year old restricted R1 and called it a match, a bit like entering a three legged Donkey into the Grand National.
Pound for pound you will never ever get the thrill of a superbike with anything on 4 wheels.
JJ BLADE 29 March 2016

Reality can be manipulated

https://www.facebook.com/automoto.TF1/videos/10153600216667857/