Yeah, I had already taken all of this into consideration.
I have never driven on a track (except with karts) and am not sure if I ever will, even if I buy a sport's car. I know there are a few tracks around here though, so I just might some day try it out. The main issue I have with tracks is that they will inevitably wear down the car and thus become an expensive hobby.

Now, this said, I still very much love to drive and so does my girlfriend. Moreover, we live in an mountainous area with sinuous roads which is perfect for fast-paced driving without necessarily speeding that much. We also happen to live next to the German boarder and we basically spend as much time in Germany as in France. Their high speed limits are usually very high and their "autobahns" have no speeding limits at all!
Call me greedy if you want, but with conditions like this I am extremely tempted to get the fastest car I can afford.

Comfortability and practicality are of course the main set-offs in this case. I definitely need to test drive the beast before trying to forge myself a realistic opinion.
There's no snow here in winter and it doesn't get that cold. I think I could probably drive it with a proper jacket, granted that I also get the windshield.
I don't understand however what's the problem with driving the atom in the summer? Only reason I can fathom is that the sun is far too hot where your friend is at, but at least here everyone is driving with roadsters the whole summer long. If it's the plastic chairs which are the problem, since I guess they get burning hot in the summer, that won't be an issue because I would most likely replace them anyway.

If things would go awry for any reason, the Atom after sale is fortunately excellent. Most atoms outside of the UK are sold for the same price they were bought new even after a few years of use.

Motorcycles are my first love. Loud, fast, dangerous and completely impratical. Like an Ariel Atom, but $60,000 cheaper.

For sheer exhiliration, bikes wins hands down. They're a lot faster than the Atom. Big showboat wheelies are way more exciting than any tire spin that the Atom can deliver. Stoppies are well... stoppies! You can't do that in an Atom either. You can get the track day fun of the Atom in an $11,000 liter class bike and the grand touring luxury of a 370z touring/sport for $38,000. Together, they are still $21,000 less than the Atom.

The Atom just doens't make sense to me unless you already have your sedan, your utility vehicle, your sports car and you're looking for a track day toy!

I completely agree with you, so you shouldn't be surprised if I told you that before I even considered of buying a sport's car I wanted to ride a bike.

Unfortunately, as I've said, I have a girlfriend :owned:
As Jeremy Clarkson put it, if you've never ridden a bike, it's most likely you will hurt or kill yourself with one if you buy one. Atom is the closest you can get to such a ride without the inherent risks.

In the winter if you get stuck in slow traffic the rain beats down on you and the seats pool water. The wind gets in underneath and your legs freeze.

In the summer the seats are uncomfortable and sweaty. Sure it's nice to drive around top down in a sports car but at least then you have the option to blow a little A/C in your face if it gets really hot. Just take care not to park in the sun as when you return you will fry in the seat.

The Atom isn't the most stable car at speed, it's built with a short wheel base for improved turn-in response. I don't know if I would trust myself blasting down the auto-bahn at 140-155 mph with no nannies to help you out if you hit a bump mid corner. The Z doesn't accelerate as fast obviously but it too is capable of 155-160 mph in stock form. The convertible Z will likely be out next spring in Europe and the styling looks pretty nice.

If you track get the Atom. If not get the Z. Good luck on your purchase!

You want the atom PERIOD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA

Ah ok, I can definitely see the problem there. I am rather a rustic person, who loves the rain and even enjoys the cold weather (snow in particular). So, whatever the conditions are, I think I would certainly embrace them because in my way of thinking discomforts often make you feel more alive than anything else. I am not a masochist, but I do enjoy for example doing sports until I feel extreme pain, especially in a rainy cold weather.
However, my girlfriend, while not a total wimp, would definitely not like to get stuck in those situations you mentioned!

Heh. Last week I was opting for the Atom, this week I would rather go for the Z.

Whichever I will ultimately go for, I would probably not often ride at +120 mph. It's the acceleration and maneuverability that is the thrill!