Ariels’s fiery little Atom is the quintessential pocket rocket of the automobile world, a mad little barebones car that outperforms almost everything else on the planet and offers bucketloads in terms of thrills and driver involvement. Now the Somerset-based manufacturer has turned its attention towards something even better, a motorcycle called the Ariel Ace!

Ariel’s new toy is built around bulletproof Honda components (like the Atom), with the Japanese firm also supplying a 1237cc four-cylinder engine mated to either a manual or dual-clutch transmission. The 170 horsepower it makes lets the bike hit 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, before topping out at 264km/h.

Our notion that Ariel is targeting the average sportsbike rider rather than the hardcore speed head is the fact that a number of variations and combinations is possible, like different seat heights, handlebars and bodywork, along with a bunch of fork and peg options. Set to launch next year, prices for the Ariel Ace are rumoured to be in the region of GBP 20,000 (or 125,000 dirhams in local-speak) depending on specification.