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…
How much does a Formula 1 car weigh?
F1 cars will be smaller and lighter in 2026
Max Verstappen driving a Red Bull F1 race car.

F1 racing is bound by strict rules from the FIA that set a minimum limit on how much a Formula 1 car weighs. Before each racing season, three volumes of FIA F1 Regulations set the parameters for technical, sporting, and financial operations for F1 teams, including the drivers and cars.

The minimum weight for F1 cars will change starting with the 2026 season (more on that below in this article), but for the F1 2024 and 2025 schedules, the official minimum weight for an F1 car is 798 kilograms (1,759.29 pounds). Read on to learn why the regulations list a minimum weight, not a maximum.
Why F1 car weight matters

Read more
CEO says Hennessey has to solve this issue before Venom F5 can win speed record
Hennessey's Venom F5 needs a venue for its speed record attempt
Jon Hennessey standing in front of a Venom F5

John Hennessey is one of the automotive world’s true characters, up there with the likes of Peter Wheeler and Enzo Ferrari when it comes to crazy, ambitious ideas that somehow keep panning out. His latest endeavor involves breaking the production vehicle speed record again. This time, Hennessey would like to do it in a car his company has designed from the ground up.

That car is the Venom F5, and it’s designed to do more than go fast in a straight line. Hennessey sees it as the “decathlete of hypercars,” so you can expect to see it setting the standard in all manner of events. Recently, it set the production car lap record at COTA -- beating a time set by the Czinger C21 and rounding the circuit a whole seven seconds faster than the McLaren P1.

Read more
How do you become a Formula 1 driver?
To earn their reported $13.4 million average salary, F1 drivers start young
Lewis Hamilton driving a Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 race car.

With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake for F1 teams each season, how do you become a Formula 1 driver? You have to be at least 18, according to the FIA F1 Rules and Regulations, but there is no upper age limit for F1 drivers. However, if it were easy, just showing up to apply for the job, F1 teams would be deluged with applications. But it's not easy at all. For an F1 team to invest in you and trust you with cars that have engines worth more than $10 million, there's much more to it. Let's take a look.
How does someone become an F1 driver?

Even before F1's recent popularity growth spurt in the U.S., F1 has long been considered the motorsports summit. Not every kid who buckles in to ride around a go-kart track is inspired to make it their life's work, but a surprisingly high number of F1 driver interviews start with stories of early prowess in organized kart racing. I've never heard of an F1 driver deciding in their late teens to start training for a seat in a Formula 1 race car.

Read more