Can someone build me the Arial Atom I want?

In reply to RealMiniNoMore :

I don't think you need a special car so much as you need a special rack for the car. I'm imagining a toolbox and car platform that are connected to jacks that are identical to, or at least very similar to those found on slide in pickup truck campers. You'll want a fairly stout truck and a very light car. Arrive at the track, crank the jacks to the lifted position, disconnect the safety chains/straps, drive the pickup out. Crank the jacks to the lowest position, extend the ramp, and drive the car out. Possible bonus for being a lift for working on the car at the track. 

So what your saying is you want to buy a ramp truck?

79rex said:

So what your saying is you want to buy a ramp truck?

I suport this suggestion. 

Ramp truck with a miata seems closest and easiest.

Transit van with a shifter kart seems most economical. 

Miata (or Atom, really any track day car that is road legal) with a tyre trailer that you just drive to the track.

Might be a bit top heavy

Well in the spirit of this post "Just go buy a trailer and be done with it"

We have a proud tradtion around here of ignoring the op's requests in his requests..

For example"

1.. "I don't want a Miata"  -  Yup he does

2.. "It's not a real truck "  - Yup it is

3.. "I don't want a kart"  - You really do.. what you are describing is a kart....

Two more data points:

1. A Suzuki Samurai fits in a long-bed truck.
2. Jeeps make great autocross cars.

I bet you could fit a Vanderhall back there, tail end first.

Fueled by Caffeine said:

This is a good shot to start from. Now imagine the hubs being just inside the bed sides and wearing Miata space-savers. Yes, you'll need long ramps but people do it with ATVs so they are common. Roll it off, then swap the concave wheels for convex wheels that make the car 2 feet wider. Bolt on the rear wing and front wing and off you go. The frame is 4 x 8, but with wheels and wings, it grows to 6 x 10. Skip the Ford motor and use Miata parts, that way you'll have plenty of options for wheels, brakes, motor, etc. 

Yes, it is a compromise and stupid, but I am bored at work...not sitting in a garage with a welder. :)

Okay, I'll bite. Slow week at work.

Any other design constraints? Target weight? Race class restrictions? Cost? Open/closed cockpit? Creature comforts?

I feel like if you exocet'ed a Honda Beat you'd be right on the money. Maybe stock would even work if you spaced out the pickup's rear wheels under some dually flares and did a little snip snip weld weld to shrink the wheel tubs.

STM317 said:

Where has this been all my life. Bonus if all the sparkplugs broke.

I've seen a Legends car transported in the back of a dually in the bed at Sonoma - it was awesome. Though that has a motorcycle engine....

Would a Formula Vee fit in the back of a pickup... I am pretty sure I got a bug in one one time, but out was harder.

JohnInKansas said:

Okay, I'll bite. Slow week at work.

Any other design constraints? Target weight? Race class restrictions? Cost? Open/closed cockpit? Creature comforts?

I'd assume the Ariel Atom that was mentioned is the benchmark. zero creature comforts, open cockpit, ~1,349lbs weight.

Paul_VR6 said:

STM317 said:

Where has this been all my life. Bonus if all the sparkplugs broke.

I'm sure that cab-off engine work is even more enjoyable when you have to pull the bed off to get the cab off...

This backed into the bed would fit:

55" work?  I mean, yeah, it uses a snowmobile engine, but... (55 inches is the mandated max width for the class, its also 800-850lbs with driver.)

A Formula Vee or possibly a Formula Ford might be made to work too (space savers on the FF)

55 inches is also the overall width of a spridget...