Ariel Nomad 2 review

If your objective is fun rather than mere transport, the Nomad provides it in thicker doses than almost any other car. And in more places.

The long-travel suspension and chunky tyres clearly indicate its talent for gravel tracks and sandy berms. But it happens to be brilliant on twisty roads too. And even travelling slowly, it marinades you in sunshine and scenery. It's compact, light to drive and brilliant on speedbumps, so you could call it a city car if you don't mind attention.

Viewed from a distance, it could be a homebrew buggy of bent scaffold poles. On close inspection it is absolutely not. Components are from noted motorsports suppliers, and materials are chosen for lightness with strength, and hang the expense. Arch Motors (early Lola and Lotus, plus Caterham) make the frame. There's an Ohlins suspension option. The powertrain is Ford ST. Tilton pedal box, AP Racing brakes, and more.

Ariel assembles this lot with skill and care. It also has a great reputation for doing upgrades and servicing. The Nomad 2 begins life with a three-year waiting list. All of which means Ariels hold their value remarkably well.

So what’s the 2 in the name?

This is the second version of the Nomad, a vehicle that has been a big success for this small company. 'All-new' means, apart from three components, exactly that. Frame is new, suspension is new, body panels – what few there are – are new, the windscreen, the seats, dash, pretty much everything except the fuel cap actually. Though the tank is much bigger.

Perhaps the headline change is the switch to a Ford powertrain from Honda. It's a version of the Focus ST's 2.3-litre unit, with the attached six-speed manual. With the turbo spinning, you've got up to 305bhp and 382lb ft. In a 715kg car, that serves up properly explosive acceleration.

Because there's more power and much more torque than in the original Nomad, the suspension has been gone-over to provide extra precision, response and stability in road corners. Turns out many owners of the original Nomad did track days, so with less knobbly tyres the Nomad 2 will be far better there. But other tyre and damper options maintain or enhance the off-road chops.

And how does it drive?

Brilliantly. There's a lot of suspension movement, so you want to be smooth if it isn't to corkscrew about. Although if you want to use those motions, they do give extra control options on slippery surfaces. But on the road, the unassisted steering is full of messages, and the tyres are trustworthy if not all that grippy. So the fun you'll be having won't be at antisocial speeds.

Best of all is the way it shrugs off bumps and potholes. You never need worry about the surface. After all, no road is worse than a forest gravel stage. Pick your line and let the car sort things out.

It feels more proportional and trustworthy than the first Nomad (which we admit isn't helpful information if, like almost the entire global population, you've never driven one of those). At low speeds the engine and transmission are rattly, like a race car's. But get going and the acceleration is immense and the gearshift terrific.

The whole thing would be wonderfully involving even without the cockpit's openness and the sight of the front wheels moving and turning. With that extra stimulation, it's an absolute blast.

It certainly looks exposed…

Yes you're open to the environment, but not vulnerable. The frame is immensely strong and you have a full competition harness. It feels immensely solid.

A windscreen is standard on the Nomad 2 – it was actually an option in the early days – and a clever visor channels air over your head to the high-mount intake box. Even so things do get blustery. The wind whips around your elbows and head, and even up your trouser legs.

So will rain and spray. Remember there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices.

Yeah you can think of it like a yacht or horse; something that's recreation but not really transport. It does serve that function brilliantly, etching a grin deep in your face because it's so wonderfully alive.

But it can behave as a car. Ariel supplies luggage boxes and carrying accessories. If you're appropriately dressed it's not tiring to drive.

On the face of it the Nomad is 'just' an off-roader, able to tackle hostile tracks like a Dakar car. But it's also brilliant on roads too, partly (but not only) because its rugged but sophisticated suspension laughs in the face of bumps and potholes. Many of Britain's most fun roads have that sort of surface. Which makes the Nomad 2 an almost unparalleled real-world sports car.