The Ariel Atom is unlike most other cars on the planet. Aside from its direct competition that includes the likes of the BAC Mono and KTM X-Bow, it's hard to directly compare it with other cars in its performance class. But the Atom is very different from, say, a Ferrari. While the latter is an indulgence in both performance and Italian luxury, the Atom is a bare-bones street legal wonder machine that's also capable of smoothing out any facial wrinkles. The top of the line supercharged V8 model has a top speed of 175 mph and can do 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds.

Just think about those numbers for a moment. They're downright incredible. The Ariel Atom is perhaps the clearest definition of Lotus founder Colin Chapman's "add lightness" philosophy and it's just a wicked all-around good time. Is this car the best definition of a 21st century British sports car? Probably.