5555 MILE Review

[gtm]

I wrote this at 5000 miles, before Covid even, but felt it was maybe a bit too negative to put up, but well in the end it is what it is and its all with a pinch of salt and relative and its not actually that -ve at all!

My Black NOMAD (with a deep red roof used sometimes when its sunny (a great deal here in Barcelona))

Pre Ariel Purchase and Purchase
I never thought too much about Ariel, even when they got popular thanks to Jeremy C's "cheeky" top gear video, which I believe is what really propelled them into the "big time".  I have always liked cars, but I don't feel I really appreciated them until later in life and despite having driven a Mclaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin, I still don't think I was really hooked or spent a huge deal of time thinking about them day to day.  I was not addicted, although I certainly liked my tartan red MG BGT with wire wheels when I was at Uni.  Having seen a black one when I was 18 or so that looked great, it was a shape I have then always liked since then....  hence a soft spot for an F type, which would be softer if they were up to German build quality and tech... another story.
Okay, what's this got to do with my Nomad, well just building up the story and here is more of the same.  My first real memory of getting a bit more hooked and actually wanting to go for a night drive or a 5am drive was in Bogota, when and where I had a couple of Westfields at my disposal.  Both with Ford Zetec black top 176Hp engines and they made a fantastic sound for 4 cyl's, enough to set car alarms off, well that or it was the side outlet that did it.  Those two cars were like Go Karts and so simple to boot, plus relatively cheap, although not once you paid import taxes and shipping to south america.   To this day I would still say the best fun per pound in a car I have had was in one of those westfields, on the right roads of course, with no speed cameras and stunning scenery.  
Now, to be honest, I don't even know why I got onto the idea of the Nomad when I came back to live in Europe.  I think it was the LOW ground clearance of the Westfield that made me think that this car would be useless in Barcelona.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a fast fun car with which you don't need to worry about parking garages, steep angled curbs, speed bumps etc.  This was something that always worried me in the westfield, although you do get used to it.  I perhaps would have considered an atom, but with no roof and with it being just as low as the westfield, those two things ruled it out for me, plus the design is a bit extreme.  I realize thats stupid coming from a Nomad owner, but I simply think the Nomad looks cooler and design wise works better in my eyes at least.  Seeing videos and reviews caused a big boost in my interest and at the same time I was getting bored with my 718 S, which was great but as with most new cars, boring or overweight.  Hence, I decided to contact the Ariel factory.

I was told of a 2 year waiting list, but if I was quick, maybe I could get one sooner, much sooner.  This may have been a ploy, but in the end, it was quicker, about 5 months from deposit, although it was going to be less than this, but 2 employees leaving held things up.  I can freely admit I was extremely excited for those 5 months, I watched, as many of you did, all possible youtube videos, read all reports, imagined all the things I could do to make the car waterproof, sun burn proof etc etc.  Most of which in the end was a waste of time, but it keeps your mind busy and helps to build up the interest and excitement inside you.  In fact, this part may have been the best of the whole process.....

Collection
I collected the car with its RED wet weather gear (never used it since taking it off and wouldn't like to be the one to put it back on!), black frame, which has the hardest wearing paint finish and simplest choice in the end.  You can't imagine some of the colours and effects I was going to have on the frame painting, but was put off most of them by the factory, which may be for the best and black was a good safe choice.  This plus the white lettered tyres I think looks great.  There was no real fanfare to the collection, in fact I was the one who brought donuts for the staff, but it did look good sat there in the entrance to the factory, shining, as much as it can with limited panels that is.

First Impressions 
Now on to the real review... yes there is one here somewhere:I have the NA car with rally type, larger heavier wheels and semi rally, semi road tyres.  I have the extra cost bilstein suspension and quite a few other extras, hydraulic handbrake, which has been pulled 10 times in a year, brake bias, which I don't even know how its set up as maybe some kids have changed it.  Top mounted lights of course, and one whip, which is 90% bent over into the frame as various places that I go to are too low to have it fully up.  So it has many things, which cost a lot of money, that in the end I don't use and certainly don't need and would not have again...probably.
Well not wanting to be negative, but trying to be honest, I can honestly say engine wise I was, and still, am actually a little disappointed, although maybe I have no right to be.  I was expecting quite a bit from 250HP and 650 kilos?, but in the end I think it's more like 235 HP and closer to 800 Kilos (I'd be interested to weigh the car with the big wheels and tyres on it).   Initially you are running in the engine so nothing over 4000 revs, but I really didn't get much urge to go over 4000 either to be honest as I dont think its the sort of engine that begs you to keep revving, IMHO.  Even now, much later on, and having gone over 6000 revs, I feel the NA engine does less than I was hoping and it feels as if you are screaming at it or it is screaming at you under those 5/6000 revs.  It feels a real effort to get much power out of it.  I don't generally rev that high, not like some nomad owners I've met *actually I have only met 2, and I don't know if I have ever really experienced a big difference going over 6000 and on to 7200 as I don't often get the chance to do so.  So here a bit let down, but of course the SC could be the answer, that and changing the wheels and tyres would certainly help a little.
Looks wise though, I still think, at least when it's cleaned up, that it looks as cool as any car out there.  My front registration ruins the look a little, but it's still good.  I need this as Spanish police can be stricter than in the UK.
I'm not saying, and I cant say its slow, driving through a toll bridge over here in Spain in second gear, must be in 2nd gear as a standing start in 1st is a waste of time against any other car, and it will beat most cars out of the gates for the next 50 60 70 mph, but much after that and you are left standing still, even by a regularish ford.  

2nd Impressions

I took it on a track, the F1 catalunya track, which I enjoyed, but I was probably the slowest there and that maybe my lack of ability, or the fact that the car weighs probably 800 kilos with those larger wheels and tyres and I maybe don't slam my foot to the the metal / floor as much as I should, but it was 35C and I was weary of engine temps going over 100C, which they did.  I need to do more track stuff to enjoy it / learn about it a bit more.  Mini's were passing me on the track which I wasn't happy about and well, I just didn't feel I had enough power to weight to do anything on that track, which is long and wide, but again I AM a novice.
However, on the up side it's much more at home or fun on dirt tracks!  There are a few roads which are covered in gravel over here, I do enjoy those, but I need to get to a real dirt track and there are some 30km of them about 5/6 hours away from where I am, I will go one day!  The car gets a lot of attention of course, which I don't mind, but when I see myself in videos driving it, I think I look a bit stupid, but well, maybe I look stupid when I'm not driving it also.  However, I look very small or big in it, out of proportion, hard to explain, not a cool look I feel, the car looks better on its own haha.I feel like I am being very negative, but again being honest, I don't get the same desire to take it out as some other cars I have driven, well the westfield. In fact for this reason I later bought another westfield with 250 HP, it does probably weigh only 550 Kilos and it has the ecoboost ford turbo engine.  They are two very different cars, I appreciate that and its an unfair comparison, but 6am Sunday morning, decent French roads for example and I am not taking the Nomad over the westfield, even though there are dirt roads around through vineyards etc.  
Okay so, I did think and still think about adding the SC for the 4500 pounds (more or less) and I did reserve one ages ago, but Covid altered that a bit.  I also think about changing to 100% road wheels and tyres but I don't have anywhere to store the other ones, so that part may have to wait.  Then I will see what it's like and then, maybe next year I will do this review again and it may well transform the car, I know Karl has done it, but there's not much Karl hasn't done with his car  there? haha.
He is the go to person for adding, improving the car!  I've been in Mark's with the SC and it was great!  It was a big change to mine.  And with me not wanting to rev the engine to the very edge of reason, it may suit me.  Also, the honda engines are famous for loosening up a bit over time and being driven hard, but I dont drive hard....  still I guess its like a good wine and it will grow more on me.

Issues?
My accelerator stopped accelerating and left me stranded once, within the warranty period.  The factory said they had a bad batch and sent me a replacement quickish.  I was probably expecting them to ISO control such things and recall those from the bad batch to avoid this ever happening, but well, I won't criticize too much.   I could add that I had to pay my own labour costs although it was clearly a warranty item, this is a bit off I think and its not the way I would deal with such things in my company.  Other than that, no issues, just a flat battery from someone putting my lights on for 4.5 hours.  Most people, even the factory said the battery would never recover as it was 100% dead, but a kind german boat owning van driver towed/jump started me and since then the battery has been okay, although a year later and its starting to not keep its charge unless I use it within 10 days or so!  The plastic side panels - I have no idea why they put the holes where they did, it makes it almost impossible for a normal person to get them back on.  A little more thought and a much better solution could be found.  The weather cover, its well made but a royal pain to get off and on... best not to buy it and just get adequate clothing.  
Other than these silly things, it's well made and solid and I don't feel it will let me down, although some of them have had prop shaft issues, especially with the SC, which worries me as someone who wants to add it.  Steering wheel in alcantara is holding up well, seats are more or less comfy, but a neck cylinder and back memory foam cushion can help when driving LONG distances, especially if you don't have a meat pie back side. 
Can't believe it's that hard to fix the petrol baffling gauge issues to avoid the odd heart stopping moment when you are on a negative petrol reading.  Indicators can't be programmed for 10/15 seconds then go off on their own?  Light warning noise when engine off and lights left on?  Yes there are basic things that can/should be improved, but well, the same could be said for most products I guess.  The main thing is if they listen and act, which not all companies do.  I guess we will only know with the Nomad II, which I suppose will be towards the end of next year?  That will surely have the latest Honda Turbo Engine with 320 HP or so and maybe a better turning circle, which is also terrible for a WIDE car, and it is WIDE.  Maybe they could go all electric, but I dount it as range would be awful and weight would be much higher until the tech progresses.

False Truths
Potential problems I was warned of: intolerable heat in the cabin with the plastic side panels on?  I am in ambient 30C for a few months a year and this has never been an issue.  Perhaps it is more of an issue if you have severe under body protection which does not let the heat escape.  Most other things people mention are also maybe one off's.
Luggage space is bad of course, but just take it alone then, or follow the leaders and get a bike style rear box fitted.  There are solutions to everything, but as some suggested, probably no solution to water coming in unless the factory did a great deal more engineering.

Buying / Price
I do think these cars are a bit overpriced, mine was maybe 65 with no SC, so will be 70k when all is said and done and that's a lot for a piece of scaffolding as Jeremy said haha.  Extra's are very expensive, the overhead lights, without full LED full beam are very overpriced.  However, I believe and hope the resale should be decent, at least until the second model arrives.
Advice to wannabe buyers - do buy one yes, but don't go crazy on extras.  Good idea to get a used one, no issues really if sensible previous owners.  Don't go overboard on buying anything for the car before you own the car, you don't need much.  A rain coat perhaps, or a sun hat for sun burn.
They do seem to hold their value well and the factory tends to sell used ones at their original spec price, which I am sure they rarely fetch, but its a good starting point, especially as they 95% dedicate man power to making the 4 now.

Finally
So while I would recommend this car and I realize my review is not the most positive, this must all be taken relatively as I am someone who doesn't have a NORMAL daily car at all, so I am comparing to other sports cars and this isn't really a sports car, its a fun all rounder!   If your regular car is a 3 series or an A4, or a people carrier, then you will love it, but in my case coming from a lower down, lighter and now more powerful car, then it just doesn't feel as fast as I imagined.  However, as mentioned, I need to fix that with a SC and I need to take it to its natural habitat of dirt tracks and get it sideways more.....
 
Thanks for reading, and sorry its not "this is the best thing since sliced bread" but its all in my opinion and it is fun and its very cool and I still have it, and I may only sell it when I think there will be another model coming soon the "II"..... so that also says a lot! Could also be that I am never happy with anything.... haha

[fesuvious]

Seems balanced to me, but subjective.

The world would be a boring place if we all thought the same way.

'roof' in red? Might we get a photo of this?

[TBev]

I have bought the NA version and had the same reaction as you, I was a bit deflated at the performance. I took it back for the SC and now it is the car it always should have been. I also have a range of wheels and tyres 18 with AD08, 18 with All terrain and 15 with Mud Slingers. All completely change the car characterisitcs, along with suspension tweaks. You can then track the car one day keeping up with a lot of fairly decent vehicles, and then take it for an off road hoon the next day. Also that hand brake is there to be used, 10 times per drive, not per year! HA HA. I love my Nomad, but you definintly need the SC, oh and the big brakes.

[Karl V]

Great write up Gary!

Like you - and TBev - I too opted for the NA Nomad; initially.

"Are you sure?" said Henry at build time. "At least maybe add the heavy duty clutch and lightened flywheel, just in case you change your mind; it'll be cheaper to do it in build" he said. My head said "Of course not, I'm not a mug. I know what I want!". I went basic of basics on the engine and suspension and opted for bling instead. Underbody protection, overbody lighting, winch, whips, luggage storage, exhaust guard and even that thing that makes your wotsit go ho-hah.

And it was amazing. I had all the performance I ever needed. I was yanking the handbrake to go sideways around Wickes's car park and loving the NA scream along the A217 towards Epsom.

But then I met up with other Ariel owners and I thought hmmmm....

I first met Trigger in Leith Hill and my first question was: does your suspension crash over speed bumps? Then I met up with Graeme / Nick / Steve / Ian in Devon and struggled to keep up (they are hooligans BTW!).

Anyway, long story short...

I've always found the Ariel cars to be very 'modular'. You can upgrade various elements as and when you wish. True, I have since replaced the suspension from standard non-adjustable Bilstein to fully adjustable Fox, added a SC (throwing away a clutch and flywheel in the process), replaced the rear brakes from Sport to Alcons, added an oil cooler; but I've kept the 15" 50/50 wheels and tyres (although I am tempted with mud slingers, but am still worried about stopping grip), CAT replacement pipe (until the first MOT in June), and the random mascot that sits at the front of the car.

And earlier this year, I went for a tour with pretty much the same Devon folk, but this time in North Wales. And I quote from various 350+ BHP Atom owners: "How the hell are you keeping up? Every time I look in my mirrors, you are sliding towards me with a stupid grin on your face".

A very different story from 2018.

If I had to do it all again (did someone say Nomad 2???), I would focus on the core engine / suspension parts up front and save up for bling at a later date.

In retrospect, it is cheaper - long term - to add rather than replace. I've never had that option on any of the cars that I have owned other than Ariel, but it is expensive if you start to replace.

So where to next Gary? A SC (if still available) would change your outlook I am sure... It certainly transformed the car for me, but also made me focus on the next upgrade, such as the brakes and suspension to match. DOH!

[DMZ]

I’m kinda surprised about the whole it must be supercharged. Surely if you want to travel fast, you wouldn’t start with a Nomad? Isn’t the idea with the Nomad in fact slower fun that is accessible on more surfaces?

[Hedge]

I always struggled with this with my Nomad.

If you go back to the launch of the car, all the reviews were effusive in their praise for it. Literally nobody had - or indeed still has - a bad word to say about it. But, also, nowhere do the reviews stipulate it needed more power. Then along came the SC & everyone went bananas about that, too. Nobody said at the launch it was ok/brilliant/wotevs but needed more power, for instance.

So I was going for the NA, initially. I then changed my mind when I test drove the charged car. Not sure that was wise. It didn't actually mean that much on the road, for instance. I still found the car heavy & still struggled steering it through corners. I'd come from the Atom & I suppose that wasn't "fair" on the Nomad, in that they steer/ feel entirely differently.

You're right in saying the Nomad is meant to be enjoyed at much slower speeds on a variety of surfaces, next to the Atom. Where I started falling out of love with the Nomad was that going off road round my way was a challenge & that when you did you were invariably pootling along. It's all a bit novel, going through mud & puddles & all that shizzle but after a while I just found it dull. A sentiment compounded by having to spend 3 hours giving the car a decent wash after.

I was kinda sold on watching videos of Matt Prior hooning around forests etc. Yet I never once did that. I wonder how many other owners do. In essence the expectation vs reality equation was a tricky one for me. Once the honeymoon period was over, I quickly became disillusioned with the Nomad. And the fact it was charged compounded that muddle, to some extent.

Cheers,
Hedge

[Karl V]

I was kinda sold on watching videos of Matt Prior hooning around forests etc. Yet I never once did that. I wonder how many other owners do.

I think this is very much the issue Hedge.

The Nomad is quite unique in where it fits in the grand scheme of 4 wheeled vehicles. It is not an off road car - it's rear wheel drive; but can have a winch and underbody protection. It's not a racer - it's quite heavy with the aerodynamics of a house brick; but can have a SC and huge brakes. It, like the Atom, is not an 'everyday car' because it doesn't have Radio 4 or cup holders; well, not all as standard anyway.

The trouble is, you (I) wouldn't want to meet up with some old Landies to wade arse deep in mud through a forest for fear of getting stuck or scratching your £60k car. If you take it to a race track, you just know you won't be setting any lap records and will most probably be overtaken by MX5s down long straights.

With a car designed specifically for off-road or the track, you can hold your head up high among other Marques and have fun, but the Nomad - in my opinion - sits somewhere between the two and therefore doesn't really belong. Except among other Nomads...

I've been lucky enough to join other Nomads at 6 or 7 outings now in Surrey and on Salisbury Plain; did some off road tracks in North Wales this year; and I very much want to do some more Welsh track touring (hopefully in 2021). I've hooned on sand. I've tackled the 4x4 circuit at Thruxton at last year's MSG. But I did all this with other Nomad owners. Would I have got out of bed on a Sunday morning to do it solo? Not on your nelly - that HollyOaks omnibus isn't going to watch itself...

And that, I think, is the rub.

If you've come from an Atom (or dare I say any other 'track focussed' car) expecting similar performance, you will be disappointed - especially if you don't have a SC. With a SC though, the Nomad will keep up with most other cars (Atoms included) on a Sunday blast down twisty B roads, providing you get familiar with the dynamics of the car and understand that you will be rolling through corners / sliding round roundabouts and won't be tracking flat trying to hit an apex.

I find it a great longer distance tourer with it's extended luggage lugging options, ability to soak up bumps in the road, windscreen, and larger fuel tank. Again, assuming you have the SC... keeping a steady 70ish on the motorway with the NA engine was painful in my experience, I can only imagine how frustrating this must be on a race track.

But as I say, ultimately, I have found it more at home with other Nomads and - aside from on motorways - Atoms and other Marques on Sunday drives and weekend tours.

I'm 2.5 years in on the Nomad and have covered 14,000 miles. The vast majority have been hanging out with other Nomads and Atoms and I've loved every mile. The car is as 'compromised' and 'special' as I am; but hanging out with other owners makes me realise just how 'special' I am. My Mum would be proud...

Just writing this makes me realise how much I miss being out there with other Nomads being daft and having fun.

[mention]gtm[/mention] - get yourself booked in for a SC and while you are in the UK, come and join us for some hooning

[Valey80]

Really interesting to read through as I'm set to be a Nomad owner early 2021.
And that will be the Nomad R - so i wonder if actually the issues raised actually make the R the perfect compromise? I hope so anyway - it won't be left wanting on track, smashes the B road blat and the reality of how many owners truly 'off road' their£60k+ toy means the lack of ultimate off road ability of the R is in many ways irrelevant?

Will be interesting to discover - at least I hope so - bring on 2021!!

[SW55FUN]

I tend to agree - tracks and B-roads are surely the ‘r’s home -roll on the spring!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DMZ]

I think if I were to buy one, I would use it to for instance commute into work. With a gentle detour I have about 30-40 mins of usually empty mountain roads. Do I care if it’s super charged as I slide around various switchbacks and have an absolute blast? I very much doubt it. Do I care if something/someone else is quicker? Not really. There’s also something appealing about NA engines. Not that the super charger ruins this of course. Of course more is more but on paper at least the differences seem to be marginal and fun is usually a function of weight and grip, as in lack there of. There are plenty of dull torquey heavy grippy cars out there.

I think it mostly boils down to getting it in a road rally type of spec and then rocking on.

If I were to care about tracks and being the quickest then it’s surely the Atom 4 every time.

[pdavery]

After reading this thread I thought it was time to make my first post ever and hopefully make a contribution to the discussion.

I have owned my Nomad for just over a year and have done ~3500 miles. Not bad in a year when the opportunity to go places has been limited. But then again it is a new toy so the novelty value is still high.

Reading the other comments it seem I chose the right spec. more by luck than judgement! Mine is the SC version with CAT bypass fitted , Alcon brakes , hydraulic handbrake, underside protection back and front, the large 15" wheels with Geolander tyres, and the uprated adjustable Bilstein suspension. I also have the spare wheel on the back and rear bumper. I am guessing this is close to the maximum weight for a Nomad. Ariel assures me my the engine delivers 310BHP not 290 as mentioned in a lot of the original reviews. If so, then a 32% increase on the N/A car. That is a lot!

It is also worth noting that the power seems to be getting better all the time. I do tend to 'rag it' a bit using the full rev range of the engine. Interestingly the guys at Ariel said there is a notable difference in power between the press cars and the average owners car when they drive them. The press cars have been abused and the engines are fully run in. Apparently If you treat it too carefully it may never run in properly and you my never get full BHP.

I happen to know the exact weight of my car because I had new suspension fitted and they weighed the vehicle in the process- more on that later. With me sitting in the car and a full talk of fuel the front is 170Kg per corner and the back is 275Kg per corner . so total weight is 890Kg. I weight 90Kg so the vehicle weight is 800Kg. I also happen to know that the wheel and tyre weigh 24Kg. The sprung weight is 40Kg at the front and approximately 45Kg at the back. Hopefully this is all useful information. As mentioned above I am guessing this is close to the maximum weight for a fully spec'd car. It is worth noting that the wheels alone contribute 15% to the total weight.


So, what has it been like during my first year of ownership? An absolute hoot. A real buzz everytime you go for a drive. But that is not really that helpful as that is what the vast majority of owners say. The slightly negative review started my thinking about the issues that we tend to ignore because we are laughing too much to care. Lots of these are documented on this site. ..Wet feet , nowhere to put your elbows etc etc. I don't really have much to add, but the issue of 'what is it really for ?' doesn't get discussed that much. I have used mine off road ( off road course on old RAF airfield several times), gravel tracks, green lanes, grass field, and a lot on various roads including long 4hr+ trips from SW Wales back to Oxfordshire.

It has been great fun in every circumstance but my view is that it excels on lumpy bumpy B-roads ( there are lots the UK!) where your average sports car would have run out of travel and thrown you into the hedge. There are a few near here and I suspect no other vehicle would be as capable and as much fun on these. I once drove a BMW 320ED ( 15mm lower than standard to improve fuel economy) on one route , during braking all 4 wheels came of the ground and the on board computer thought the vehicle had crashed and consequently turned everything off! I know it is not a sports car and the travel is less than normal , but this car is actually a decent drive on a flat road. It was hopeless on this bumpy road and no fun. The Nomad takes the same road in it's stride at much higher speed and is a complete riot to drive. Maybe not a fair comparison , but the contrast is stark and made me think of where the Nomad really shines. There are lots of great roads like this in the UK and the Nomad really works on them.

It maybe that my thinking maybe skewed by the fact I have fitted semi-active suspension to mine. I did this because of the compromises that you have to make in a long travel 'sports car'. In theory semi-active suspension will allow a nice plush ride on bumpy roads and then stiffen the suspension when the onboard accelerometers detect any lateral acceleration during cornering. This should give you comfort with long travel in a straight line and then limited roll in the corners. Does it work? Yes, it improves things noticeably whilst not detracting from the overall character of the car. It makes it more fun! Having said that, it was lots of fun before I fitted it and this has just improved things, so by no means a necessary addition.

I am still in the process of tuning the setup having just added new springs ( dual rates as fitted as standard may not be the best option). I will post the details in a more appropriate post when I get it sorted.

I couldn't agree more about needing to get together with other Nomad owners. I haven't done this yet, but am very much looking forward to doing this in 2021. Because the character of the vehicle is unique and I am sure there is a lot to be learned by enjoying it with likeminded people.

I hope the above has added something to the discussion.

[fesuvious]

It certainly has. A lot.

Thanks

[Mutley]

Having read [mention]GTM[/mention]'s Nomad review with interest, I wanted to provide a bit of a counterpoint. I also enjoyed the other owner's comments.

It’s not that I disagree with [mention]GTM[/mention]'s perspective – in fact I share a lot of it, but it does feel like a bit of a ‘glass half empty’ perspective. So I thought I’d try to share my experience in a similar sort of blog style post – which is a bit more glass half full!

Is buying a Nomad a rational decision?
Well what do you think?, but my logic went something like this: I live on a farm. I’m not a farmer, but access to our house is on a loop of farm track with the nearest roads a mile in one direction and half a mile in another. My wife has a Land Rover Discovery which is the family workhorse doing a fair bit of towing (mainly horses).

The car I sold to buy my Nomad was a Merc. C63 Coupe – the last N/A 6.2l V8. I absolutely loved that car and agreed to buy it when I turned the key and before I even had a test drive. I value charisma highly in my choice of cars.

Having said that, I live (on the edge of rather than in I guess) the southeast of England. In case anyone else thinks otherwise, the opportunity to enjoy a fast car in this highly populated part of the world is limited. In fact I would say it makes ownership of one actually a bit ridiculous. I realised the only place I enjoyed driving the C63 was in mainland Europe (and Scotland to be fair) – and even in those places the fun is getting limited with traffic and automated policing of speed increasing everywhere.

Also, sporty cars aren’t great on muddy farm tracks.

Another factor is my predilection for two-wheelers. I have a collection of them. Advances in technical clothing, better winter kit (tyres that work when cold and heated handlebar grips) and of course the traffic also led me to use a bike for commuting first in the summer and then year-round, relegating the car to an occasional commute plus those continental trips. Probably you can see now why I decided I had to have a Nomad. Just for fun really. The family understands: “He’s got a lot of motorbikes – even his car is one”. And having decided, I couldn’t wait, so found it pretty easy to sign-up for an immaculate 2 yr. old Nomad the factory had ready to go with 2.5k miles on the clock that didn’t look like it had ever been off road.

Is it slow?
Yes. And no. My Nomad was specced for a supercharger but didn’t have one. My intent – like a few of us by the look of it – was to get one. However, 2 years into ownership I remain normally aspirated. I think I will probably stay that way. The reasons for going S/C are quite compelling. Basically you will take off like the clappers. Although you will still hit a brick wall at not much more than motorway speed. The most compelling advocate for a S/C is owner Simon Beveridge ([mention]TBev[/mention] I believe). He is openly contemptuous of the N/A engine. And, having followed him off and on road I can see why. For Simon every junction and mini roundabout is just another excuse to handbrake-turn it in and powerslide out. Simon makes a potentially hilarious car actually hilarious.

However, on the other side of the fence I haven’t been disappointed with my N/A engine. I recognise some of what [mention]gtm[/mention] says about the power delivery of the K24 VTEC engine. Right from the start I thought a long-stroke VTEC motor was a bit of a contradiction in terms. I really hoped it would be both torquey and also sing at the top end like an S2000. It is the former, and its true there’s not much of the latter.

However, my motor seems to have got much more eager to rev. with time and miles. When I picked up the Nomad I was a bit shocked to find that 6th gear felt like an overdrive on the A303, and I was constantly changing down, and revving it out in the gears seemed un-rewarding, leading to a lot of short-shifting. But after about 5,000 miles the motor felt quite different. It’s not a screamer, but I love revving it out in the gears now, and it feels much stronger on dual carriageways. I've never know an engine transform so much in a few thousand miles.

Three other negatives for me about supercharging. On the test-drive, although I initially loved the whine from the supercharger, I did think the combination of that with the greater volume of exhaust fumes pulled into the cab would be irritating when covering distances – which are going to be considerably reduced. I’m not too fussed about fuel consumption on what after all is a recreational vehicle, but range is a different issue. I get about 250 miles before looking for petrol. I would think that is more like 150 miles for a S/C car. I would say that is pain, but with the whine and the fumes you might be quite keen for that petrol stop.

Lastly I have bikes to fulfil my need for speed. The Nomad is brisk which is OK.

Things that might drive you nuts
Mud and rain. Ownership lifecycle of a Nomad involves finally acknowledging you are going to get wet if rains. Anything you try to do is merely an act of denial. The most celebrated endeavour to waterproof a Nomad must be by Ariel’s chief development driver [mention]Karl V[/mention] . I followed Karl’s efforts with close interest and even copied some of them. However, I recommend his latest advice as final: “In the end you are just going to get wet. It’s probably best to try to waterproof yourself rather than your Nomad.” As a motorcyclist, I have lots of great gear as well as a very useful sailing jacket (no padding unlike the bike gear which can get in the way). If I think it’s going to rain I take it and stow some waterproof trousers.

Mud is another challenge. Having taken part in the Salisbury Hoon in early September (we were actually and correctly I think waiting for the summer to dust to settle with a little early autumn rain) I wouldn’t want to do the same thing in December.

Deep mud isn’t the Nomad’s forte. Our Plains tour guide had a jacked-up Land Rover and admitted that he took us through some marginal ‘puddles’. Although hilarious at the time, and all the Nomads hauled themselves (just) out of the mud despite limited ground clearance and 2WD, loose rather than muddy surfaces are what the Nomad was designed for. Firstly the slightest lock on the steering and you or your passenger will get a face full of mud. The cabin will also fill with mud not just from above but below. It’s one thing getting your feet wet if it rains. Another when the tub fills instantly with 6 inches of fetid mud that washes around your seat bucket. And another again when it doesn’t drain out of the floor drain holes because they are obscured by a hundred bits of gravel on the floor and wet grass which form perfect drainstoppers.

And don’t get me started on cleaning after that sort of abuse. Just getting the worst of it took most of the day next weekend. In the meantime I discovered that my fellow Nomadists had almost completely dismantled their cars to get at parts that I decided that ‘What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.’ But I think they measured the clean-up in days not hours (and to think I said to ‘er Outdoors- “It won’t need any cleaning – it has no bodywork. . .”).

So a lot of things have been said about Ariel improving the weather-proofing. The conclusion I have come to is that doing a lot of work would just ruin the car’s character. I do think that a new version of the Nomad should at least stop ingress of water ‘below the waist’. i.e. the front tub/bulkhead (such as it is) should be sealed – more like the Atom seems to be. Oh and while they are at it I would include the front ‘boot’ and the fuse box which fills with water from any direction including rain.

The other thing that might drive you nuts is finding somewhere off-road to drive it. (Unless you own your own country estate like some Nomadders seem to.) If you are big on green-laning then there are a few interesting parts of the country where there is a surprising amount of off-road to play with (probably the most blessed counties in this respect are Oxfordshire and Wiltshire). However, this is steadily diminishing as these byways are being downgraded to either disallow vehicular access or only of the two-wheeled variety (see above). It’s also worth remembering that green lanes have an ‘advisory speed limit’ of 15mph and are shared with mountain bikers, horse riders and those funny people who can’t do a stroll in the English countryside without two ski poles. If your vision of Nomad ownership is huge side-on drifts through the cactus you need to live in Nevada not Surrey.

This is why we go to Salisbury Plain though – the last bastion of see-where-you’re-going public off-roading in Britain.

It’s also why my favourite piece of off-road is my drive (not 'mine', but a well-drained stony dirt track). It’s the only place I know I can reach the UK legal speed limit off-road and guess what a Nomad would feel like on a rally section. I think the answer is ‘surprisingly twitchy’ with its wide wheelbase and short track – but in a good way.

But I have to say that I agree whole-heartedly with [mention]pdavery[/mention] about how much more fun the Nomad is on crappily surfaced (they all are) British B roads than a firmly sprung modern sporty car with rubber-band low profile tyres.

The best options and mods
I will obviously forget something but here goes. My car came with some essentials like the bigger brakes and the hydraulic handbrake but not others like the spotlight rail or any tub protection at all. The big brakes are perfect – they have a massive amount of modulation so you can feather or mash them depending.

Having found one end locking up a bit before the other it was nice to be able to change the brake balance. So this option could be a major safety benefit on a track day. The lights are a bit crazy when used with main beam (not strictly ahem road legal – and I wouldn’t want to be coming the other way with a Nomad driver fumbling desperately for the ‘dim switch). I keep on thinking they would be great for rabbit shooting until I remember that the seating arrangement isn’t exactly ideal for popping up with a 12-bore – even if the roof is.

It was thus that my first service very nearly came to a 5-figure sum. As I do use it off road I used the occasion to add underbody protection in the form of a front bumper (without a winch – I know it looks cool but. . .) some underbody panels and the sump/engine guard. I omitted the section that effectively tunnels the radiator pipes in based on comments about how that sends all the heat into the cabin which becomes unbearable on hot days.

But the main investment – an eye-watering £4k – was the upgrade to Fox suspension. It would have been the supercharger instead if I had not formed the view that the standard un-adjustable Bilsteins just weren’t up to off-roading the car. Given that I could get the shocks or a supercharger, but not both, I think I made the right decision.

This may seem a bit harsh on the Bilsteins, and to be honest they were fine for road use, but off-road they are a nightmare. The Nomad doesn’t really have sufficient suspension travel for an off-roader. But to be fair, any more travel would spoil it on road. This means you need the best suspension you can buy. The standard Bilsteins are way to firm for off-road use. You will literally get blurred vision on a hard unmade surface and the jarring in potholes is quite unpleasant.

Although a lifelong fan of Ohlins which I have on one of my two-wheelers, it seemed that the smart money for the Nomad was on Fox so that’s what I went for. Whereas Ohlins have the most impeccable track credentials possible, Fox are the undisputed kings of the dirt. The Fox shocks that Ariel specced for the Nomad are designed for off-road buggy racing as performed in the US. Much has been said about Fox shocks on the Nomad – especially by [mention]Karl V[/mention] – and my setting up process https://www.ariel.club/forum/viewtopic. ... 58#p301258.

So to summarise: The Fox shocks do more to release the potential of the Nomad than any other mod. What both and I discovered is that having vastly softened up the suspension for off-road usage, the same settings worked better than the standard Bilsteins on-road too. So given the choice between a supercharger and the Fox shocks (which it kind of was for me) I would go for the Fox shocks every time (except for when I’m following ([mention]TBev[/mention] . .).

Unexpected pleasures
Mainly laughing out loud. Which, when your children tell you that you have officially reached (nay peaked at) Grumpy Old Man status is a result. I laughed out loud when I created a bow wave driving through a local ford big enough to fill the tub enough to cover the son-in-law’s jeans in December

[Imgur](

I laughed out loud when I spun the Nomad on a roundabout with the son-in-law, so we had to drive the wrong way round to re-find our intended exit. I laughed out loud performing doughnuts outside the house before driving to work because it was snowing. I laugh out loud every time our Jack Russell tries to jump in when I go out in the Nomad because its his favourite ride (he sometime succeeds and comes along for the ride). I laughed out loud when I arrived at Solstice Park services and ([mention]TBev[/mention] was cooking a full English on a gas stove parked on his spare wheel.

Which leads me to another unexpected pleasure. Meeting other Nomad owners and doing stupid things with them. It’s the middle-aged equivalent of messing about on push-bikes as 10 year olds – life affirming. And you definitely ‘meet the nicest people on a Honda’.

And it makes people smile. And even wave. The age at which they start to react seems to be about 5. I challenge you to drive past a 5 year old in a Nomad without them smiling, laughing, pointing or waving. How do they know? Where driving a supercar in Britain invites something more on the negative side on, driving a Nomad gets you grins. From everyone.

[Karl V]

I laughed out loud when I arrived at Solstice Park services and (@TBev was cooking a full English on a gas stove parked on his spare wheel.

Sorry to interrupt [mention]Mutley[/mention], but the above pretty much sums it up for me. Silly people with silly cars doing silly things. Because they can...

And then when the paella came out at lunchtime as well... Well I think [mention]nfcf[/mention] sums it up perfectly here:

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[mention]gtm[/mention] - please let us know if you ever visit the UK again with the car. We have the most fun when we are parked up. And because I am feeling nostalgic, here is [mention]Trigger[/mention]'s car before he found a stick to unblock his drainage hole issue...

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As I said before, it's the other Nomad owners that make Nomad ownership special for me. You bunch of nutters!

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[nfcf]

I'm not saying, and I cant say its slow, driving through a toll bridge over here in Spain in second gear, must be in 2nd gear as a standing start in 1st is a waste of time against any other car, and it will beat most cars out of the gates for the next 50 60 70 mph, but much after that and you are left standing still, even by a regularish ford.  

One of the things I like about the Nomad is that (in s/c form at least) it is only properly fast upto around 80mph. For me that is ideal as it makes it fast enough to get overtakes done but not so fast that I risk my licence every time I go out.

2nd Impressions

I took it on a track, the F1 catalunya track, which I enjoyed, but I was probably the slowest there and that maybe my lack of ability, or the fact that the car weighs probably 800 kilos with those larger wheels and tyres and I maybe don't slam my foot to the the metal / floor as much as I should, but it was 35C and I was weary of engine temps going over 100C, which they did.  I need to do more track stuff to enjoy it / learn about it a bit more.  Mini's were passing me on the track which I wasn't happy about and well, I just didn't feel I had enough power to weight to do anything on that track, which is long and wide, but again I AM a novice.

That track is probably not the best for something like the Nomad as it appears to be quite high speed (which the Nomad sucks at). You'd probably have more fun at a shorter slow track although expect to be still overtake by "slower" cars as tyres are worth a lot of time. Also worth remembering that the person in a 2-3k car is probably more willing to risk binning it than you in a 60k car so can push harder.

It maybe that my thinking maybe skewed by the fact I have fitted semi-active suspension to mine.

Don't leave us with just that we need details! Post up a thread as I'm sure others will be interested in hearing about it.

Three other negatives for me about supercharging. On the test-drive, although I initially loved the whine from the supercharger, I did think the combination of that with the greater volume of exhaust fumes pulled into the cab would be irritating when covering distances – which are going to be considerably reduced. I’m not too fussed about fuel consumption on what after all is a recreational vehicle, but range is a different issue. I get about 250 miles before looking for petrol. I would think that is more like 150 miles for a S/C car. I would say that is pain, but with the whine and the fumes you might be quite keen for that petrol stop.

Not noticed the an issue with the exhaust fumes tbh. Maybe if you run a decat it is worse? Range wise with a s/c you can get over 200miles per tank if you want (50l tank and high 20's mpg is doable) you just need to get the confidence in taking the fuel gauge to 0 (mine is really pessimistic and at 0 I still only get around 35l in).