Normally, you won’t see sports cars leave the pavement, with their low ride height and fragile body kits, but some brands don’t often stick by this rule. One such example is the aptly named Ariel Nomad 2, which is almost completely redesigned from the ground up, inside and out. Fun fact, only 3 parts were carried over from its predecessor, reflecting just how much work Ariel put into this extreme amalgamation of an off-roading sports car. It now features a larger tube chassis, with an increased diameter that ought to increase torsional stiffness by over 60%. That’ll provide exceptional structural rigidity, and it even includes built-in rollover protection, too.
I wouldn’t want to crash something this expensive, but I’m somewhat more confident that it’ll stand up to a hard frontal impact. Yet, despite how hardcore the Ariel Nomad 2 looks, they’ve made a concerted effort to make entry and egress a lot easier, featuring a larger opening. The longer wheelbase ought to offer you more cockpit space, as well. Further attention to detail is made thanks to Ariel’s use of a three-stage finishing process and a powder coating lacquer to make the “bodywork” more resistant to the rigours of high-speed off-roading. It’s rather clear that Ariel has learned a lot from the previous Nomad, which also goes into tuning the engine.
High-Speed And High-Powered Off-Roading
The Ariel Nomad 2 is powered by a Ford-sourced 2.3-litre turbocharged engine, which is good for 305bhp and a pretty healthy 518Nm of torque. Those are impressive figures, more so since Ariel has tuned this powerplant to perform well on and off the road. This much power should help haul you from 0-60mph in just 3.4 seconds, before topping out at 134mph. Interestingly, Ariel lets you change just how much power to deploy thanks to its three-stage adjustable ECU map. So, with these engine settings in mind, you can pick between 260bhp/385Nm, 302bhp/451Nm, or go with the full 305bhp/518Nm. You could also adjust the traction and launch control.
For Ariel, adding more power to the Nomad 2 isn’t enough to ensure maximal performance. As such, they’ve put a lot of focus on recalibrating the suspension. It has been revised with anti-dive and anti-squat geometry, which should help reduce unwanted weight transfer under hard acceleration and braking, as well as maintain optimal tyre contact. The wheelbase has also been lengthened by 48mm, just as the track was increased by 50mm, to help with better high-speed stability when you’re off-road. On top of that, with a departure angle of 64 degrees and an approach angle of 48 degrees, it should handle even tougher off-road trails pretty easily.
The Most Extreme Off-Road Buggy Imaginable
That’s not all for the Ariel Nomad 2’s suspension, either. You’ll now find a whole set of K-Tech coil-over aluminium dampers as standard, or you could optionally get the Ohlins TTX dampers, which feature a larger reservoir and three-way adjustment. Elsewhere, the Nomad 2’s braking system is 40% bigger than the outgoing model, with optional AP 4-piston callipers and 290mm vented discs. This package further comes with a hydraulic handbrake, which would be nice for pulling off Scandi flicks in your Nomad 2. In addition, you have an adjustable ABS system, with on and off-road settings available. Believe it or not, the new Nomad 2 has a lot of aero, too.
Ariel has engineered a raised ram-air intake, which comes with a dual off-road filtration system to handle dirtier off-road conditions. As part of Ariel’s feedback gathering, the cooling capacity has been increased, courtesy of a radiator that’s two-and-a-half times larger, so you should be able to stay on or off-road for longer and go even harder. There are so many little details that I’ve missed, from the small vertical fins to direct more air into the intake to the adaptable rack system for carrying extra luggage. Regardless, if the idea of a go-anywhere sports car appeals to you, then orderbooks for the Ariel Nomad 2 are open now, priced from £67,992 (incl. VAT).
