New Ariel Nomad: 65% stiffer! 50% more travel! Beadlocks!

Top Gear’s favourite little scamp for charging about off-road and getting all muddy is back!
And, while the Ariel Nomad 2 might not look all that different from the collection of scaffolding poles and raised suspension that was its predecessor, only the steering wheel, fuel cap and pedal box are shared with the original Nomad.
That’s right, even the engine has changed, no longer one of Ariel’s go-to Honda motors. Instead, it’s the 2.3-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine from the Ford Focus ST. Which means not only more power, but more torque. A LOT MORE.
Sounds like our kind of car. Over to Top Gear Magazine’s Head of Car Testing, Ollie Marriage, to find out more…
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Nomad 1 & 2 Comparison
04:45 - Nomad 2 Walkaround
06:56 - Conclusion
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[@jdavis13umbc]

Dear Ariel. Make these road legal in Canada (and the US) and I will get one. Nomad is so much cooler than a Polaris Slingshot etc.

[@helpme3748]

they are legal in the states. They must be registered as kit cars. Not every states allow this

[@sweetcorn1968]

Surely it would be better to send the torque to the wheels rather than through the roof.

[@BeleducMartello]

bad for traction

[@aljowen]

Its for when Richard Hammond drives it

[@yoshyoka]

Made my day!

[@user-wt5bf4rw7e]

Unless, and stick with me here, they also put wheels on the roof. We better patent this idea before TG steals it from us.

[@WiggysanWiggysan]

I'm glad that Ollie is keeping this part of the Top Gear name alive. He is a great journalist & makes really good videos.

[@JippaJ]

I hope Ariel fitted the Nomad 2 with a check-engine-light.

[@user-wt5bf4rw7e]

Look over your shoulder, and check the engine. You are not edgy, just boring.

[@user-rc4qh3lp7h]

Putting that Ford engine into the Nomad is a great move, access will be so much easier for doing the head gasket.

[@evoemperor3776]

Hahaha ford fixed the headgasket issue tho.

[@obsidian....]

10 year old meme? Boo

[@nettlegettle3534]

all those ford turbo charged issues have massive issues. it's just not reliable, at all.

[@tdyerwestfield]

Buggies aren't supposed to be precise in their handling, that's part of the fun of them. They're supposed to feel very light at the front, that's why the Nomad 1 was such a joy.

[@larryhouse3776]

Amazing, but ditching Honda for Ford? Hard pass on that.

[@monsterkillsports3499]

Red Bull move 😂

[@triadxtechnologies]

Yep stopped the video at that announcement. No longer interested...

[@SKYWURX]

Yeah... I don't think moving from Mr reliable to Mr "yOu puT THe wrONg gRAdE oF oIL iN iT" wet cambelt enthusiast is going to pan out in the long run.

[@jeffk464]

This is a crazy expensive toy, if you can't afford to keep it running you can't afford to buy it. Maybe get into Legos.

[@larryhouse3776]

@@jeffk464 I hear you. But toys stuck in the shop aren't very good toys. No matter how rich you think you might be.

[@Robcupra360]

Serious £60k is absolutely insane! With cars these days costing similar to this with hugely expensive led lights and infotainment systems and panoramic roofs you can kind of see the cost. In this £60k is absolutely taking the piss!

[@mightyfinejonboy]

make 4-wheel drive, diesel,big rack on the rear and front and roof. would it make a GOOD MILITARY VEHICLE?

[@tebonginc]

"literally one of the best days ever" - sure looked like it.

[@thedownshiftchannel]

Engine kinda feels like a downgrade even though it will feel much more wild with the torque

[@ALMX5DP]

Agreed. I love our 2.0 ST engine but I feel like keeping it Honda K series would have been in keeping it just that much more visceral or engaging.

[@peterknight7880]

Agree. The durability of the honda unit was legendary. Furthermore, I don't ever recall anyone saying even the stock nomad was low on power or torque.

[@liniuxs]

Well thats for sure from honda to ford. It wont last but its cheap

[@JH-jo9wt]

@@ALMX5DP I was convinced they were going to use the new turbo K20C in the Type R........Dallara uses these engines - crap

[@aussie2uGA]

Absolutely, they need to go electric. Instant torque, precision traction at each wheel, the ultimate rock crawler and wheelie puller. Put a small fast charging battery in it as these aren’t daily drivers needing 300mi of range. It would be exciting.

[@korbendallas656]

Hey Ariel add some electric motors/torque converter to the front wheels to make it 4x4 but still keep it light at the same time and only use when you are stuck so you wouldn't need a big battery

[@Eritini.]

It looks like it is straight out of a videogame

[@peterknight7880]

The Nomad has to be my most desired car.

[@stevencahill3628]

not all ariels had a honda lump. the ariel atom 500 had v8 made with 2 busa engine slung together.

[@Duwurf]

First Atom used rover engine, USA Ariels (although made under licence) used GM/opel engines.

[@918_xDx]

does it have an optional swing out bar for its "door"? Would be sweet to have a modular attachment strip on the inside to add a couple waterproof storage pouches maybe a camelbak or as an attach point for a quick canopy for shade/rain ... make it fit in a pouch that wraps the bar for a quasi armrest too.

[@YourMajestyTheKing]

i think that the question is if u use the Prius drivetrain instead, how far can it go with just one full tank. wouldnt that be the ultimate adventurer.

[@garnitan2706]

Great photos of the adventures with the ariel

[@rtravisboyd5013]

This is exactly the video I’ve been waiting for, minus the driving. Thank you

[@MrJenningz]

Oh sweet! What a debut! 🔥

[@Jayt-wj4yk]

2.3 eco boom is in the RS and not the ST isn’t it?

[@PaulMathias1]

Ollie is sliding to my list of favourite motoring journalists, which includes Chris Harris, Harry Metcalfe and Henry Catchpole.

[@robott6696]

I prefer Henry Harry Harris myself

[@dman5640]

Who cares

[@PaulMathias1]

@@dman5640 you, evidently.

[@dman5640]

@@PaulMathias1 ❤️

[@bicyclist2]

I love that the new engine is from Ford, and the fact that it has a manual transmission. I hope that this continues, and that they put many more Ford engines in Ariels. I've only ever seen one Ariel Nomad, just once, about a month ago here in Ohio. I was very surprised, as I didn't think that they were available here in the US. Thank you.

[@dougramsey2991]

Was it a blue Nomad?

[@buckwheater1]

I will never be able to afford an Aerial but as a car lover in general, I would love to see a 4wd version of the Nomad. It would be such an amazing car with so much traction and performance on tap. Can you imagine what it would be like?!

[@texnorthman]

Totally agree, any form of 4 wheel drive on that thing would be amazing, even if it was something as simple as a small 50hp electric motor powered straight off the main engine, no batteries to avoid extra weight. Just enough to stop you getting stuck in snow drifts ;)

[@AtheistOrphan]

*Ariel.

[@buckwheater1]

@@AtheistOrphan Auto correct

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@buckwheater1 - Oh right. I must admit though, ‘I will never be able to afford an aerial’ made me laugh though. 😉👍

[@toolbaggers]

@@AtheistOrphan *Areola.

[@JayDubster]

That looks crackin fun :)

[@andrewcheshire244]

Ariel, we wish you were down under (in Australia)!!!

[@guillaumekalfon9117]

I have to say I'd probably take the plunge if I had this sort of cash to burn, no regret

[@arnoldmayii3563]

Super cool!

[@danieldent8878]

These were so fun in FH4 😂

[@zorknemesis6157]

Allow that Ariel, Nomad. It beautiful, so amazing. I was wondering if you can let me know. When do you go on to release full driving experience on the new Arielle moment? Thank you, top gear, peace, and love

[@TopGear]

What terrain would you like to see the Nomad 2 take on?

[@AtheistOrphan]

Sainsbury’s car park.

[@Jonathan63R]

sand dunes would be insane

[@arnehaieschild343]

Drive two to cape town from the UK....one for you,one for me😊

[@TheTrueWelshIdiot]

All of it.

[@babogam]

nomad 1's are about to appreciate so much

[@linusa2996]

Wider door gap = more open area for objects to kill you

[@pete6705]

That does look very fun

[@jonbarlow3542]

Swapping out the Honda for a Ford, they obviously had way too much to drink just before making that extremely dumb decision; I'll have the Honda powered one please!

[@acherontiaatropos1]

Aren't these new ford engines shite? Is the the one that has the chain issues I see all the time? It must have something to do with cost 🤔

[@focussport]

Something tells me you can't afford either one.

[@acherontiaatropos1]

@@focussport wow super original 👏

[@focussport]

@@acherontiaatropos1 poor comment... haha

[@64Spokes]

@@focussportbro you have a focus stop calling people poor 😂🤡

[@alt5494]

Cummins diesel inline four would be a fun option.

[@EcoCentrist]

305 HP would be absolutely mad in that dirt buggy, very cool

[@Petriefied0246]

I wonder how well these would do as a toy in the deserts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah etc.

[@leslienordman8718]

Love it! Thank you so much!

[@maverick12916]

The focus ST has a 2.0 turbo. The 2.3 is in the focus RS and the mustang.

[@factorvracing]

Ford's 2.3 in the Focus is an RS not an ST. The Ford Focus ST is a 2.0.

[@user-dj2gn2kt4s]

There RS engine is in the last ST with 280 hp as it is only front wheel drive. I used to own one

[@forwardprogressonly]

this would be great with a HUGE LIFT KIT

[@obsidian....]

Ollie is such a better presenter than any of the non driver's.... Much appreciated

[@GoldNargacuga]

Did this gentlemen just say that atom is using a Ford focus engine? *my soul has left the chat*

[@Markbell73]

I was sold at the mention of a six speed manual. Off to aggressive withdrawal a bank vault I go.

[@Maarten_official_account]

I remember the Tamiya RC cars back in the days when I was 14 years old. I guess this is the grown up people’s version of that toy 😉

[@thepain321]

This is HAM. I like the Atom. But this is way cooler. Hook me up!

[@Serik.Qazakhstan]

Beautiful monster

[@kens8903]

Should have used the K20/24

[@urbanstrencan]

This is gonna be such a brute toy ❤ can't wait for it

[@fa-ajn9881]

Wish they stuck with the far more reliable Honda. But looks great!

[@anthonyfoster2784]

I would like to see this go up against a can am maverick pro r. Just for fun. Not making claims about better/worse, they are clearly different applications. But the nomad doesn't appear that far off from a sxs.

[@yoshyoka]

Make that thing weather proof and I would turn it into my daily drive!

[@THEBIGCHULETA]

Swapping the Honda motor for a ford motor is like taking my cheesecake away and giving me pudding…. Still good, but I had cheesecake…. Aside from that, I want one! If I can use it everyday here in the USA, it’s a win.

[@noelstevens6190]

Yep i still really want one.

[@user-wt5bf4rw7e]

4:00 Based on that, you should be paying us.

[@koenigseggdubstep9837]

I'll be honest, I've never seen a Nomad irl or online. Most ive seen it is in Forza back in FH3.

[@TheSummoner]

Music at 4:44?

[@petermolnar82]

Where did you get those LED lightsabers? flag whip? :)

[@sidedspike7471]

I just wish they changed it a little more to tell it from the old one

[@aussie2uGA]

They could have gone electric so easy. Small instant torque motors, small fast charging battery, it would be lightweight, quick as hell, and have insane traction ability.

[@ronald4011]

Yes but out there it's hard to fuell that one up , don't you think? Gasoline is easier

[@Raspberrycrumbled]

Keep quiet and dreams come true

[@cbrooks2767]

Perfect for all those charging stations in the woods, desert and outback. But wait - you could add a trailer hitch so you could have a generator with fuel tank tagging along.

[@gooitar]

@@ronald4011 Slap a turbine range extender on there. Actually ariel's own hipercar was supposed to do that, wonder where that project is at now.

[@michaelredford5389]

I wonder how they came up with the nomad? Like, who asked if they could make an Atom go off road? Besides storage space, they made this thing to be able to go anywhere. Think of any and all Top Gear specials... I think maybe the Polar special is the only one where this car wouldn't make it. And that's just because the drivers would freeze to death before the car would.

[@BOATMEALSHMOATMEAL]

It's a pretty logical jump for a company making ultra light tube frame sports cars to capture a chunk of the massively growing side by side UTV/ATV market. Having once worked for Polaris, I see it as rather obvious.

[@joe5boost]

Early ones had rover k series , not all Honda and the v8

[@russellzauner]

Just think if they dropped in the JDM tuned FA24DIT :-)

[@yonihales9133]

Will it finally be legal to drive the Ariel Nomad v on the roads in the USA? And can we option the Honda motor instead of the Ford? Why the literal heck would they replace a Honda with a Ford!?

[@MrMightyytau]

l love these, pure any where madness

[@JSDudeca]

I wonder how much it would weigh as a three seater like the McLaren F1? Would definitely need to be longer and wider.

[@michaelcope856]

My dodgy knees and bad hip are going to preclude me from this one.

[@HariSupriono]

Jeep: Welcome to the Salty Spitoon, how tough are ya? Nomad 2: How tough am I? *How tough am I?* I once watched that Far-Fetched show at 4 o'clock midnight this Tuesday. Without any *snacks* Jeep: Uh, right this way, er.. sorry to keep ya waiting Edit: Jeep: Welcome to the Salty Spitoon, how tough are ya? Gingium's Rallyata: How tough am I? (tears off US Army star) Jeep: (instant screaming) Gingium's Rallyata: (places back US Army star albeit upside down, forming pentagram) Maverick with Helluva Boss livery: Wow

[@danduntz2539]

If the BBC ended top gear, why is it still showing up on KZbin with what appears to be new episodes? Did the BBC decide to restart top gear?

[@bartoski-ag]

2.5tfsi from ttrs/rs3 please

[@MrYaxalot]

Some more suspension and 4x4 and i would replace my sxs with one

[@gljnjo]

Nomad was in my 3 car dream garage since the first time I saw it Maybe now its time to replace it with Nomad 2

[@FreestylerAlbert]

still no COC papaer so can't drive it on road in many countries.

[@thaminduliyanage]

Aren't this a beauty?

[@MrSwaggernaut83]

shame about the honda powerplant being gone

[@tomhack6995]

Just put the fries in the bag

[@MrCHAIRMANOFTHEBORED]

Imagine what Clarkson,May and Hammond would do with these👍💯 Will these be available here in the US?

[@strangerdanger8462]

Yes you can buy Ariel vehicles in the US. The company has a website for their North America market.

[@John_Redcorn_]

‘What a machine this is!’

[@mohammadsattar5488]

Why to automakers make great improvements in certain ways but go backwards in others ?

[@WilliFisterbottom]

isn't the 2.3l motor from the Focus RS not the ST?

[@WilliFisterbottom]

Did my research after just to confirm... the ST is a 2.0 the RS is a 2.3 This suuuuure isn't the old respectable Top Gear i grew up on... Cmon man get your facts right.

[@Raspberrycrumbled]

@@WilliFisterbottomI literally photographed this a few weeks back and pretty sure he said ST. Bored out maybe?

[@WilliFisterbottom]

@@Raspberrycrumbled possibly I guess, would seem odd to do when they literally make a 2.3 litre but hey what do I know. Props on getting to photograph it!

[@Raspberrycrumbled]

@@WilliFisterbottom no clue, yeah it was so sweet seeing it before the rest of the world

[@Rentta]

Old one looks safer in side impactsand roll overs

[@mohammadzohorul8887]

I want rs3 drive train on this atom

[@boystoysandadventure]

Why this over can am?

[@acherontiaatropos1]

It's road legal here in the UK and a can am is not

[@MotorCity-bd2zh]

Why would someone pay for that if you can have a can am maverick

[@alexpervanoglu7420]

They left the belts unprotected ?

[@ronald4011]

It's still a prototype

[@alexpervanoglu7420]

@@ronald4011 I know but given it is designed as a buggy for serious off road use that really shouldn't have been missed at any stage, especially given the experience levels the Somerset based team already have.

[@maccloud8526]

I would go for an electric 4wd one.

[@Raspberrycrumbled]

Do I have news for you

[@mcrowl2823]

97% new. Why would we think its the same engine in the back.

[@trueseeker262]

It went from a reliable Japanese car, to a TVR!

[@user-wt5bf4rw7e]

Stupid people think that Jap scrap is reliable.

[@grahamthomas6381]

So why didn’t they let you drive it?

[@Cloxxki]

There's a one-off BEV conversion out there as a showcase, but I wonder what's possible with a serious effort. Say, 1/3 the pack of the Rimac Nevera, 40 kWh and 638 hp which is more power than ever needed. No long drives needed so small, light pack. 4 tiny motors, one per wheel, 150 hp per wheel is plenty. Talk to Koenigsegg for rpm matching to skip gear reductions. What can be done to make the cage lighter? Titanium? Carbon tubes between alu lugs as in posh bicycles? I'd want to scale the Nomad up a bit to create decent cargo space in-board. Well placed light aero panels for less drag at speed, so longer road drives kind of work. Oh that 1/3 Rimac pack would charge plenty fast for hardcore roadtripppers. My FrankenNomad would be bigger but still under 1000kg, else no go. I want suspension that makes it hook up like a lightweigh rally car. It just needs to be faster than a chunky rallycross race car on the same tyres, right?

[@flacjacket]

638 hp would be suicidal in this thing. Even 450 would probably be too much tbh.

[@DavidChong]

all that will be theoretically doable eventually if not now, but I imagine to meet that weight you're looking at unobtanium money

[@wyattmunger5529]

Why would you even want that?

[@petehakkinen3020]

Nyobolt has a 35kWh battery pack which could be suitable, they made a Lotus-based prototype with one.

[@3ducs]

A very powerful, very expensive Dune Buggy.

[@mightymoyan4788]

I need this in my life....how much.....do they take kidneys.......do they take Karens?

[@scottjohnson360]

Make a US spec already!

[@frits8986]

Easily the coolest car on this planet

[@KuschallRacing]

only 2 wheel drive ?

[@Sarge0311]

If I had the spare $$$ I would by one

[@ouch9326]

this with areokit and heater jacket

[@FujiMotorCompany]

ノマド！ありがとう！

[@dustinlee8271]

No drive, no care

[@omprakashswain2415]

Succinct and correct

[@the_patriot7]

It's 4×4 ???