ariel brings buggy sports car ‘nomad 2’ to goodwood festival 2024

Goodwood festival of speed 2024 welcomes Ariel’s Nomad 2

A go-anywhere ‘sports car’ is how Ariel Motor Company describes its new addition, Nomad 2. The buggy-like vehicle, which graced the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024 between July 11th and 14th, has an exposed or open cabin. It is semi-caged by a chassis made of rigid and lightweight tubes with built-in roll-over protection. Ariel designed the entire body frame using Computer Aided Design, Finite Element Analysis design work, laser-cut components, and bronze-welded CNC (Computer Numerical Control) formed tubes. The chassis underwent three stages of finishing: phosphating, powder coating of color choice, then powder-coating lacquer.

Ariel employs rotational molding for the body components of the sports car Nomad 2, including its front bumper, fenders, mudguards (mud flaps), and rear covers. It is a manufacturing process where a mold is filled with plastic powder and then spun around at high speeds. As it spins, the plastic melts and takes on the shape of the mold. The plastic used for these parts is sturdy and has the color mixed right in throughout the material. This means scratches or scrapes are less noticeable because they won’t show a different color underneath. The motor company can make these parts in carbon fiber too and even add the optional roof that provides some shade and UV protection.

all images courtesy of Ariel Motor Company

Buggy-like sports car with a ‘straw’ for airflow

Ariel Motor Company’s buggy sports car has a tailored ‘straw’ that can breathe in air, similar to a tube used for snorkeling. This feature helps Nomad 2’s engine breathe clean air by taking it from above, away from the dust and dirt below. It supplies clean air to the two parts of the engine: the intercooler, which cools down the engine for better performance, and the engine itself. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024, visitors were able to see the ‘inverted wing’ that the motor company added at the front of the buggy sports car.

It acts like a flipped airplane wing, which pushes the air down towards the engine’s air intake. But because the open top may disrupt the airflow, Ariel designed the ‘wing’ or header rail to also allow air to breeze through under it. This ‘wing’ also serves as a sun visor to block some sunlight from hitting the driver and passengers, as well as a mounting point for Nomad 2’s LED roof lights. At the back of the buggy sports car, there’s an adaptable rack system, so the owner can attach different objects easily. They can mount waterproof luggage boxes, two bicycles, a spare tire, or even strap loose baggage or other equipment onto the rack.

rear view of Nomad 2

Different tires depend on the kind of driving

The Nomad 2 comes with three different wheel options, all designed specifically for this vehicle. Standard 16-inch alloy wheels are the most basic and lighter than steel wheels. The lightweight 18-inch forged wheels are even lighter and stronger than standard alloy wheels. Then, the 16-inch Beadlock wheels have a special locking ring. It helps secure the tire to the rim for off-road driving where there’s a risk of the tire coming loose. The owner can choose their own tires for their needs. They can go for road tires, which are best for paved roads, or all-terrain tires.

They can even fit the buggy sports car with track day tires for racetrack or have high-speed handling. All the buttons and levers the driver needs to control the Nomad 2 are within easy reach of the steering wheel. Instead of traditional gauges, the Nomad 2 has a full-color TFT display made by AIM Technologies. The driver can navigate through different menus on the display using buttons or controls. Here, they can see the gear shift lights, the current gear, and the real-time data of their driving. It even displays the rearview camera, which automatically activates when the driver reverses the buggy sports car. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024, Ariel shared that the price of the Nomad 2 is 56,660 GBP (plus VAT).

Ariel brings Nomad 2 to Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024