Ariel Motor Company made a name for itself back in the good old Top Gear days when the Atom rearranged Jeremy Clarkson’s face and now their off-roading creation known as the Nomad has been given a little upgrade.
The original Ariel Nomad came packing a Honda-sourced 4-cylinder 2.4-litre engine which was tinkered with to produce 235 hp (175 kW) and 300 Nm of torque. A supercharged version followed by the end of 2015, taking the output to 290 hp (216 kW) and 340 Nm. Fast forward to today, Ariel has prepared an even beefier version of its go-anywhere vehicle and called it the Nomad R.
The 2.4-litre K24 Honda engine has been removed and replaced with the K20Z3 unit from the old Civic Type R but Ariel added their own supercharger to suit their product. Thanks to this, it produces a healthy 335 hp (250 kW) and 330 Nm, enough for a sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3 seconds before topping out at 195 km/h (121 mph).
That power is sent to the wheels via a Sadev six-speed, close-ratio sequential gearbox adapted from the Atom V8 and Atom 3.5R models.
The list of goodies is comprehensive as it includes everything from adjustable Bilstein dampers to a pair of new lightweight bucket seats. It also boasts a limited-slip differential working in harmony with the RWD system for ultimate tail-happy experiences in the mud.
If you are keen on one, you better act fast as they are only making five units with each costing £64,500 (approx. R1,3 million), excluding value-added tax.
