The Ariel Atom, possibly the ultimate definition of minimalist motoring. A metal framework, an engine and a driver; more or less, that’s it, and for that you pay in the region of £30,000.

For years I spent my free time with my back side suspended approximately 20mm from the ground topping speeds of 80mph in a similar device. Instead of costing the best part of a nice refined Mercedes, a complete brand new device cost about the same as a three year old one litre Corsa. This device of course was a kart. The only down side, compared to an Atom, is that you can’t drive a kart on the public highway.

The idea of a road going kart has bugged me for a while now. It’s something about cheap fun road legal motoring, knowing that you don’t need to spend thousands or tens of thousands to have a great driving experience. On track, there is possibly nothing quite as pure, quite as fun and quite as exciting about a kart. So, why can’t that transfer on to the road? Yes it may be a little stiff and uncompromised (although I’ve come up with an idea for that one) but from the little bit of research I have done, there is no reasons when complying with the SVA regulations, that one could not be built. I just have to get round to designing and building it. Until then I have acquired a new toy, one which may give me an insight in to my own project, an off road buggy.

There are several of these buggies available on the market, some which can be road registered. The one I have purchased, for the princely sum of £200, is not however. Give me a couple of months though (it will probably only take a couple of days work, but I’m being realistic here!) and I am hoping this one will be. The conversion should be relatively simple, consisting of mud guards, head and rear lights, indicators and road going tyres. Of course I intend to do this as cheaply as possible, using generic components and fabricating my own bracketry, so it will end up looking like Frankenstein’s monster, but that’s not the point here.

Currently powered by a little GY6 Honda engine, the finished article is hardly going to be a fire cracker but that is another bridge we can cross at a later stage. What ever, it should be a nice bit of summer fun. I have already been asked by several people what the point is, especially when you can go and buy a ready build kit car for a couple of grand? The answer of course is because I want the challenge, and because I can.

Another hair brained scheme? May be but I’ll have fun finding out.

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Picture courtesy of www.off-road-karts.co.uk