Ariel Motors knows to deliver one thing and one thing only: serious fun, on and off the road. The company first offered the Atom, but it extended its portfolio to include the Nomad, a bonkers, dust-raising off-road machine based on the Atom.

The latest and meanest Ariel Nomad is the R and you’re here to know everything there is to know about it.

2021 Ariel Nomad R

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2021 Ariel Nomad R
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 339
  • Torque: 243
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

The most pointless Nomad in the range, according to Ariel

Only five Nomad Rs are going to be built, and at the time Autocar reviewed the beast, two units were still looking for owners.

It’s also a special kind of Nomad, because it doesn’t use the 2.4-liter Honda mill Ariel is so fond of, but a 2.0-liter supercharged unit (also sourced from Honda). Allow us to detail below.

2021 Ariel Nomad R - Powertrain

Ariel says the Nomad R is built to tarmac rally specifications, but what does that mean exactly?

The rear wheels are spun by a close-ratio Sadev transaxle transmission and a limited-slip diff. The six-speed sequential gearbox has short gearing, dog rings and and auto blip mode on downshifts.

In short, it’s tweaked in such a way that the Nomad R needs just 2.9 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill. It can also carry on with the sprint towards a top speed of 121 mph.

2021 Ariel Nomad R - Specs

Engine

inline-four, supercharged

Capacity

1998 cc

Power

340 hp at 7600 rpm

Torque

243 lb-ft at 5500 rpm

Gearbox

Sadev six-speed, sequential

Kerb weight

670 kg/1477 lb

0-60 mph

2.9 seconds

Top speed

121 mph (can go up to 136 mph with different gearing)


2021 Ariel Nomad R - Drivetrain

Given it’s off-road blazing claims, the Nomad R requires a specific type of drivetrain setup. In this regard, Ariel went for Bilstein MDS mono-tube dampers or Ohlins adjustable dampers (these are optional) plus Eibach springs. Stopping power comes from a set of Alcon brakes, while the wheels are 18-inch alloys shod in Yokohama A052 tires.

It’s all milk and honey until you learn the price tag: starting at £64,500, or around $81,000.