Welcome to episode two Rory Reid’s Road Trips, the online-only series where the Top Gear host introduces some of the world’s most amazing roads in nifty cars. Consider it as something interesting to watch while you wait for Series 24 of the popular car show to air.
This time, Reid is behind the wheel of the Ariel Nomad, essentially an Atom that has been repurposed for off-road duties. Powered by a Honda-sourced K24 2.4 litre four-cylinder engine that provides 238 hp and 300 Nm of torque, the 670 kg Nomad will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds.
In the video, the Nomad is let loose on the roads of the Elan Valley in Wales, where it passes various man-made dams and some pretty scenery along the way. Halfway through, Reid decides to do a spot of rallying, taking the rear-wheel drive-only Nomad on some pretty muddy roads that serves as a training ground for the Forest Experience Rally School.
The route spans 900 acres and has a 14.5 km of gravel stages that runs through dense woodland. To make sure the Nomad isn’t parked in a tree, Reid enlists the help of eight-time Rally America champion, David Higgins. What follows after, you’ll have to watch and see.
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