Car shows like putting together eclectic comparisons. Take Top Gear for example, who once compared a Mitsubishi Evo against a main battle tank, and routinely pits sports cars against extreme sport athletes. Still, I’m not sure any comparison I’ve seen to date is as odd as the one in the Auto Express video below, which compares a Mugen-tuned Ariel Atom to a Mugen-tuned Honda CR-Z. In fairness, they’re not running the cars side-by-side on a track, nor are they using both for a rush-hour commute. Still, comparing the Atom to the CR-Z is akin to comparing an ax to a crate of dynamite: both will take down a tree, but in very, very different fashion.
The Atom remains one of the world’s premier track-day terrors, but Auto Express shows clearly that you don’t need to trailer it to and from track days (assuming you don’t suffer from kidney stones, that is). The Mugen CR-Z is much more entertaining with a supercharger to boost output to 200 horsepower, yet it still returns up to 40 mpg if driven carefully. Perhaps that’s the most shocking part about the video: in the not-too-distant future, there will be hybrids that enthusiasts can actually learn to love.
Source: Autoexpress You Tube Channel, via Autoblog
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
