Skip to main content

Ride Out the Apocalypse with the Ariel Nomad Tactical Buggy

Like a solid vinyl collection, a well-stocked whiskey cabinet, and a working knowledge of Goodfellas quotes, every man needs a proper bug-out plan. When the shit hits the fan, you need to be ready to pull the ripcord. A well-equipped go bag and a stockpile of cash are key, of course. But a durable, versatile vehicle is critical to getting the hell out of dodge — a vehicle like the Ariel Nomad Tactical.

The Ariel Nomad Tactical is a multipurpose road-rippin’ beast designed for both on- and off-road escapes. While it’s easy to mistake for little more than a stripped-down, desert-ready dune buggy, the numbers tell a different story. The four-cylinder, 230-horsepower Honda K engine propels the Nomad from 0-60 mph in a blistering 3.5 seconds, then on to 100 miles per hour in just 8 seconds. Granted, it weighs just 1,750 pounds, but those numbers place it squarely in supercar territory, but of course, a Bugatti Veyron or a Koenigsegg Jesko hardly makes for an ideal bug-out ride.

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” – Dr. Emmett Brown

Ariel is notorious for building ultra-light, driveable missiles designed for pure speed and, more importantly, fun. The flagship Ariel Atom 3RS, for example, is essentially an open-air adult go-kart that barely passes for street-legal. Likewise, the Nomad Tactical, like its road-ready sibling, dispenses with frivolities like doors, windows, or any semblance of storage. Ariel instead poured their design and production budget into taut handling and a rally-inspired suspension system. Long-travel JRI remote reservoir shocks absorb even the hardest impact from rocks, potholes, and errant zombies. It seems strange that you’d want to stop. But, if so, a pair of quadruple Alcon Motorsport calipers, race-ready brake pads, and a hydraulic handbrake help you get back to zero at a moment’s notice.

Every new Nomad Tactical is built to order with customized models straight from Ariel basing north of $90,000. However, “lightly used,” well-equipped models with around 10,000 miles can be had for less than $70,000. That seems a small price to pay to secure your escape from the apocalypse or to tear up your cul de sac in some suburban Mad Max-inspired fantasy — your call.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
The Technoimpulse Rocket Z Is an Apocalypse-Worthy Beast of an SUV
Technoimpulse Rocket Z

You know the drill: The zombie apocalypse is upon us and you desperately need to disappear into the wilds of northern Russia. Assuming you’ve readied a proper bug-out pack, what’s your plan to get the hell out of dodge? You need a legit, go-anywhere, all-terrain vehicle. Enter the Technoimpulse Rocket Z 210-91 4x4 SUV.

Пробег по Мурманской области. Проезд до п-ва Рыбачий. Март 2018

Read more
Jaguar’s Newest F-Type is Rally Car Begging to Go Off Road
jaguar ftype 20 my rally special

Jaguar XK 120 (left) and the rally-ready Jaguar F-Type (right). Jaguar

Dirt is a special substance. It can be both soft and hard. Dirty and clean. And when you’re flying across a section of dirt road in a specially outfitted rally car, it can be damn near transcendental. What could make that sort of experience better? How about an open-top, rear-wheel drive Jaguar F-Type rally car? Oh yes, that’ll do.

Read more
When the Apocalypse Comes, You’ll Be Glad You Have a Hunter RMV
hunter rmv predator 6.6

The Hunter RMV site starts with a perfect quote: “Mountains, rivers, and sand are meant to be traversed. What’s stopping you?” And indeed, with one of the company’s four-wheeled behemoths, little outside a torrent of pyroclastic material spewing from a volcano’s fissure could likely stop them. These are vehicles built to not just laugh in the face of adversity, but do so with a modicum of civility unknown to their more militaristic underpinnings. Welcome to Hunter RMV’s “Go Anywhere” vehicles.

The company is based in the Eastern Sierras near Lake Tahoe in a city called Minden and its mission is to build the best “four-season off-road recreational vehicles” it can. These vehicles aren’t built atop anything from Ford, Dodge, Chevy, or even Mercedes-Benz. No, for Hunter RMV, only a vehicle designed for military use will do, all of which are modified to become the most serious expedition vehicles since the horse.

Read more