Ariel Ace 1200 V4 | WILD FILE

It’s not a Square Four, but, yes, it’s the same Ariel. The marque was resurrected over a decade ago, and if you’ve been paying attention you’ve seen it attached to a car. The Ariel Atom has shaken up the four-wheeled world with a stunning power-to-weight ratio and vicious performance, selling 1,800 units over the past 15 years. But it’s all been a means to an end for founder Simon Saunders.

“My idea was always eventually to develop an Ariel motorcycle,” says Saunders, a former designer for GM, Porsche, and Aston Martin who admits his deepest passion is for two wheels. Saunders’ relationship with Honda (Civic engines power the four-wheeled Atom) led them to use the 76-degree, 1,237cc V-4 lifted from Big Red’s VFR1200F sport-tourer, which pushes out a claimed 173 hp.

The Ace’s exoskeletal trellis chassis resembles the Atom, too, and combined with stripping down bodywork has the Ace weighing in around 500 pounds dry. As with the Atom, the two-wheeled Ace will be made to order, allowing customers to tailor riding position, componentry, and even choose between a conventional Öhlins fork or an exotic girder-style front end.

If you have to ask about price, you probably don’t want it bad enough, but expect the Ace to cost around $25,000.