By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, eBay

Ariel Atom not exciting enough for you with its 300 hp supercharged Honda four-banger? Well how about a 4.2-liter Audi V8-powered exo to get your gears turning? Boasting around 340 hp from its 40-valve engine, the Velocity EXO carved its corner in the market with radical looks and more diverse engine options.

We’ve seen (and certainly appreciate) all the different iterations of the Atom, from the supercharged Honda models, to the John Hartley-designed 3.0-liter V8 and turbocharged Honda Type Rs. But the child in all of us relishes the idea of a brutish V8 strapped in the back of stripped-down hobby car. And just like the go-karts of your childhood, this Velocity exo is sure to put a smile on your face.

The custom steel chassis diverts from the Ariel Atom formula entirely, and while it’s a bit less “smart looking,” it makes a wild visual statement all its own. In this 2018 model, the 40-valve Audi engine sends its 340 or so hp to the rear through a Porsche Boxter five-speed transaxle. QA1 coilovers are used on all-four corners with Wilwood brakes, and this car sports an aggressive set of C7 Z06 wheels.

The interior is a cut above what we’d expect to see in an exo, boasting a Holley digital dash, simple yet effective upholstery, Braum racing seats, side panels to keep all your limbs inside and even cup holders. You’ll want to be sure to keep a lid on those drinks though, as I’m sure you prefer your morning coffee in the cup and not on the floor, or filled with little rocks flying off from those sticky meats.

Beyond the standard stuff, there are some nice features built into this car, including LED lighting and USB ports, a locking safe in the interior and front and rearview cameras. The car is even pre-wired for an Escort radar detector — how convenient…

If you do some digging around on the web, you'll find that Velocity EXO cars appeared on the market in 2016 and sort of disappeared by early 2018, with a high concentration of its cars in the Colorado area. Seemingly defunct now, we were able to find a forum entry from February of this year from a user named Fat_Dog_Designs stating that they had purchased the Velocity company and they were working on new and improved models utilizing LS engines and Tesla electric motors — exciting stuff.

The Velocity EXO here on Craigslist is a nicely-equipped car that asks $32,500. The value of these does seem to hover around the $30,000 range, so this one isn't too far off the mark. Given that your average used Ariel Atom 2 asks around $40,000, this car does offer a significant cost savings.

Check out the Velocity EXO here on Denver Craigslist.