The all-new Ariel Nomad 2 is here. Sell the kids

Can it really be a decade since Ariel introduced what it proudly calls the Atom’s mucky brother? Seemingly so – it was January 2015 when the Nomad was first revealed to a slack-jawed world. Time really does fly. There’s still nothing quite like it, and surely Ariel could keep selling the Nomad unaltered for a good few years yet. But that’s not the way things are done in Crewkerne. This is the company that made the fantastic Atom 3 into the sublime Atom 4, after all – if there’s scope for improvement, they’ll do it. So say hello to the all-new Nomad 2, nothing less than ‘the ultimate go-anywhere sports car’. Get comfy, then – there’s a lot to get through. 

‘All-new’ isn’t just using a convenient marketing phrase, either – just three parts are carried over from the original. The chassis boasts a 60 per cent increase in torsional rigidity, thanks to larger diameter bronze-welded steel tubing designed to be as strong as possible. Ariel says the Nomad 2 ‘exceeds the demands’ of a full frontal barrier impact at 31mph, plus the seat belt pull and rear impact test. This while being easier to get in and out of, more spacious thanks to a 48mm longer wheelbase (plus 50mm wider tracks) and perhaps even wilder to look at than before – thank you intake snorkel.

Plenty more has changed, too. The standard suspension is by K-Tech coilovers made specifically for this car with Eibach springs; Ohlins TTX dampers are available with three-way (rebound, high- and low-speed compression) adjustment or motorsport-spec remote reservoir Bilsteins can be had. All suspension joints are now sealed to prevent dirt getting in, which should reduce wear (and mean there’s no excuse not to venture off the beaten track). Even with the standard set-up, there’s even more spring travel than Nomad 1, plus completely revised geometry that aims to reduce squat and dive, keeping the tyres in contact with the surface more and thereby increasing grip. While also offering improved driver feedback, says Ariel. 

The stock braking system features bigger discs than before (288mm) plus stainless steel braided lines, with the Atom 4’s adjustable AP Racing setup optionally available. Also from the Atom is the possibility of adjustable ABS (including an off-road setting) plus launch control calibrated for all surfaces. Imagine the rooster tails you could make with this launching in the mud. Showing off the versatility of the Nomad 2, the three-wheel options – standard 16-inch, 16-inch Beadlock and 18-inch forged – can be fitted with tyres ranging from road and all-terrain (a Yokohama Geolander is fitted from factory) to off-road and track day. Green laning one day and apex clipping the next is surely the Nomad dream, the true do-it-all sports car. 

It says a lot about just how much has changed that we’re only now getting to the engine. Gone is the Honda K24 that screamed its merry heart out behind the driver’s head, replaced by the 2.3-litre Ecoboost from the Focus ST. But this isn’t a mere engine swap – oh no. Maximum output is now 309hp at 5,850rpm (up from 280hp in the Ford) with peak torque rated at a very healthy 382lb ft, which needs 2,850rpm. Remember the Focus is often praised for the strength of its mid-range as a 1,500kg hot hatch with 310lb ft. The Nomad 2 is 3.4m long and 715kg, with almost 25 per cent more torque – this thing’s gonna fly. 0-62mph is claimed to be 3.4 seconds, with aero improvements eking out a 134mph top speed. However, the Nomad 2 doesn’t have to be cranked to 11 the whole time; as with the also-bonkers-fast Atom 4, three power levels will be available as standard. In addition to the full-face melter, there’s a 264hp/284lb ft setting and one with 306hp/333lb ft, which are probably the ones you’ll need to get the claimed 550-mile-plus range on offer thanks to a new 70-litre fuel tank. Ariel says the torque monster setting is there primarily ‘to achieve ultimate performance off-road’ – you don’t say. It could probably do Dakar with those numbers. 

That’s not totally as silly as it sounds, either, not with a 48-degree approach angle and 64-degree departure one, as well as the stability of the wider tracks. A radiator two and half times the size of before is there ‘to extend Nomad 2’s capability into yet harsher and hotter environments’, while a pre-filter and then three-layer main filter for air going into the engine from the roof scoop should eliminate any crud; there’s even the option of a ‘WRC specification filter for ultra-severe conditions.’ (And if you are very serious about off-road escapades and helping others along the way, a winch rated to 1,588kg is available. As are loads of storage options.)

The turbo four is mated to a six-speed manual and limited-slip diff for the rear axle; those with track driving planned might be interested to know that a) the standard exhaust has been designed with stringent noise limits in mind and b) the Atom’s mega six-speed sequential, presumably with its old-school WRC-style single paddle again, is also on the very comprehensive options list. Those with mischief in mind will probably tick the hydraulic handbrake box – you’ve probably clocked that enormous lever already. 

Though it’s a stretch to call the place you sit in a Nomad the interior, that space has also been overhauled – while retaining the ability to be hosed out, of course. The screen layout and controls are familiar from the Atom, as are the seats, though it’s possible to cram in harnesses and straps for serious mud plugging. Speaking of which, the new electrical architecture for the Nomad 2 includes a Power Distribution Management system, which monitors the electrics without the need for a fuse box and can turn individual circuits off and back on if required. This is said to be handy in ‘very harsh and adverse conditions’. 

So a pretty thorough overhaul, then, to put it lightly. MD Henry Siebert Saunders has called it “faster and more capable than ever.” He added: “The all-new Nomad 2 is the sum of our 25 years of automotive experience, a decade of Nomad feedback and the latest learning from Atom 4… The Nomad 2 really is the ultimate way to go-anywhere, on road or off it, fast!” Sign us up already. Available to order now, prices start at £67,992 including VAT, with Ariel on hand throughout the process to guide the customer through the details. Every single Nomad 2 will be built to order by a single Ariel technician, who’s with the car from bare chassis to final test drive – that’s when their personal nameplate goes on it. No doubt they’re all pretty proud of this one. There’ll be a Nomad 2 at Festival of Speed to gawp at and see which options you’d go for, though a word of warning – there are more than 100 extras available, and the last Atom we drove had the asking price again in additional bits. But then the residuals are great, so perhaps remote reservoir dampers, a sequential gearbox and AP Racing brakes are to be encouraged…