Brand-New 2025 Ariel Nomad 2 Makes Adventurous Supercars Look Weak

5 months, 1 week ago - 12 July 2024, autoevolution

The Nomad was on the verge of turning ten, so Ariel had to do something about it. And they have: meet the brand-new 2025 Ariel Nomad 2. Make no mistake, this car is indeed new from the ground up, save for three components.

According to the company, only the pedal box, steering wheel, and fuel cap carry over from the original one. Thus, there's a lot to look forward to if you plan on sprucing up your life with a vehicle that can truly give the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and Porsche 911 Dakar a run for their money – albeit with less pizzazz, comfort, and coolness. It's not that Nomad 2 is uncool or anything. But hey, it does cost a fraction of what an adventurous supercar will set you back for.

So, what is there to know about the 2025 Ariel Nomad 2? Well, the automaker claims that the chassis has become 65% stiffer and that there is 50% more suspension travel. The torsional stiffness was increased by over 60% courtesy of the new and larger diameter tube chassis. The revised suspension with anti-dive and anti-squat is another highlight, alongside the brake system with adjustable ABS and the obvious aerodynamic improvements.

It has ultra-powerful LED lights, a windscreen to keep insects and dirt from hitting its occupants' faces, a full spare wheel mounted on a special rack, a winch to allow it to free itself from stick or slippery situations, and a very basic cockpit with a simple steering wheel, a race-like digital gauge cluster, multiple buttons, and a pair of bucket seats doubled by the racing harnesses.

This fantastic buggy does not feature a Honda motor anymore. Yep, while its predecessor used to pack a 2.0L engine sourced from the Civic Type R hot hatch, the all-new 2025 Ariel Nomad 2 has switched to a Ford lump. More specifically, it is the same 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit fitted to the Focus ST hot hatch, which is very punchy.

Ariel says the standard variant enjoys 260 horsepower (264 ps/194 kW) and 284 pound-foot (385 Nm) of torque. The superior flavor comes with three separate maps, and the ultimate one unlocks 305 horsepower (309 ps/228 kW) and 382 pound-foot (518 Nm) of torque.

That may not sound like much, but keep in mind that the Ariel Nomad 2 tips the scales at around 1,870 pounds (850 kg). As a result, its power-to-weight ratio is quite close to that of superior rides like the Porsche 911 Turbo. Thus, it takes only 3.4 seconds to sprint to 60 mph or 97 kph, and it has a 134 mph (215 kph) top speed.

UK pricing starts at £67,992 (equal to $87,015), including tax, and we can't wait to see just how good it is.