Published:
21 August 2024So what exactly is new for the so-called Nomad 2? Well, everything, really, apart from the concept itself. And the fuel-filler cap and the removable, Alcantara-clad steering wheel, which are carried over from Nomad 1.
Key highlights are the tubes used for the bronze-welded chassis, which are noticeably larger in diameter and make the structure 60% stiffer than before, and the engine, which is supplied by Ford.
The old car’s 2.0-litre turbo unit came from Honda and made 235bhp and 221lb ft; Ford’s beefcake 2.3-litre turbo unit (which we know from the Focus ST and Mustang) packs 260bhp and 284lb ft even with the new adjustable boost dial in the most conservative of its three settings.
You can ramp things up to 305bhp and 382lb ft but, woah there, go easy at first. Even at its meekest, this powerplant gives the 715kg Nomad 2 a power-to-weight ratio comparable to that of a Porsche 911 Turbo S, while the footprint is about equal to a Kia Picanto's. Remember also that in its most road-ready guise, the Nomad still wears all-terrain tyres. It’s a toy, yes, but it’s unlikely to suffer fools gladly.
Downstream of the engine is a Ford six-speed manual gearbox, albeit revised in its action (much shorter, more muscular), before drive reaches a Quaife ATB differential – hardware that usually exhibits a fine blend of predictability and mischief.
