Ariel Ups the Ante With a Supercharger for its Nomad

Ariel Nomad

The Ariel Atom is a bad-ass track rig, and anyone who argues that fact is nuts. So, what happens if you take the Ariel Atom concept, jack it up a little, toss some gnarly rubber under it, and install a full roll cage? The world’s most awesome dune buggy, AKA the Ariel Nomad, happens. Now, according to a report from AutoCar, the Ariel Nomad is getting even more insane.

According to the report, Ariel is now offering a supercharger upgrade for its already-powerful Nomad. This will be a direct bolt-on part for the existing Honda-sourced 2.4-liter engine. The supercharger will take the Honda engine from its stock 235 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of twist up to a mighty 290 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque.

AutoCar claims that the supercharged Nomad’s 0-to-60 mph sprint remains unchanged at 3.4 seconds as does its 125 mph top speed. What does change, however, is its 0-to-100 mph sprint, which drops from 8.7 seconds to just 7.4 seconds. I would assume that with the extra 25 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque in a car that weighs just 1,477 pounds would improve its 0-to-60 time as well, but I guess not.

Buyers looking to get the supercharged Nomad will need to pony up £36,000 ($55,602), which is a £6,000 ($9,267) increase over the base Ariel Nomad. According to the report, Ariel will offer this supercharger to everyone who has already ordered a Nomad. Fortunately, Ariel won’t have to send out hundreds of updates to current Nomad owners, as it has delivered only two examples and one more is in production now. New Nomad orders are backlogged about 9 to 12 months.