Driving a Nomad - from an Atom owners perspective

[Hedge]

So, I recently took my Atom 3.5 SC down to Ariel to be sold (if you're after one, mine is the perfect spec & mint - ask the factory).

I've a Nomad arriving soon. Obviously, being suitably unhinged, I'd never even sat in one before ordering one, let alone driven it. So here are my belated initial thoughts.

1) Good Lord, they're f-ugly. Whilst the Atom is striking looking, the Nomad has a face only a Mother could love. From certain angles, it looks cool but, overall, I'd say she ain't a looker. Whatever.

2) When you (eventually) climb into a Nomad - rather than drop yourself into an Atom - you notice how a lot of the car is "above" you, rather than underneath you. It's not that easy to place the front of the car, for instance. There's a lot of body in your eye line, rather than, well, nothing much at all in the Atom. The Nomad's wheels/ tyres seem mahooooossive, next to an Atom's. Mostly cos they are.

3) The standard seats look plusher. They are also designed for the "larger framed" driver, shall we say. Those possessing a more "slender" frame shall require padding, I would have thought.

4) I drove both an NA & a SC. They're v different cars to drive. With the NA you really need to pin it to make it go; obviously you don't so much with the SC. But more on that later..

5) One thing that struck me immediately was how much heavier the Nomad was. The NA had a spare wheel on it (the SC didn't). In such a weight sensitive car, this would make quite a difference. It took me a while to get used to the noise(s)/ sensations. Because you don't wear a lid, you expect it to be (almost) quiet. In fact, all you can hear is the engine - somewhat unsurprisingly, given that it's inches behind your ears. In the Atom, you're (more) assaulted by wind; in a Nomad you do get plenty of side wind, but it's the engine tone you hear more.

6) The way a Nomad tackles a corner is vastly different to an Atom. In the latter, you just arrive - at virtually any speed - slam the anchors on, tip her in & floor it (or dab it, if in a charged car). In the Nomad your entry speed (for me at the moment, anyway) is less. Hitting the brakes plunges the nose down. Coming off them & turn in & things are night & day next to an Atom. The car lurches/ squats/ adjusts/ grips - all in a nano second - & then you floor it/ hang on/ pray/ all the above. Kinda.

I'd say corners are, if anything, more enjoyable (on a road, obvs) than in my Atom. In the latter, it's almost "too" quick to get much out from. An Atom corners so flat & you're going so fast, that it's almost done with before you remember it, if you get my drift. Every corner in a Nomad is like a little adventure. Roundabouts, for instance, are a place you can pop the back end out - at low speeds - & do so in relative safety. You can't realistically do that in an Atom; to do so you need a) room & b) reasonable speed. Not so in a Nomad; they're way more playful.

7) These ruminations are based on two test drives, so more experience shall tell a different story, I'm sure. And I'm only comparing their on road capabilities here, obviously. The reality is, though, that most Atom owners don't track their cars & most Nomad owners don't off road theirs - so the two cars end up spending the majority of their time on the road, in effect. With this in mind, I'd say I got more fun driving the Nomad than the Atom. There's so much more to driving it, basically. And, as an aside, it a thousand times more comfortable. It took me 3 hours driving down there in the Atom (with one stop) & I crawled out of it at the end. Stick some ear plugs in whilst in the Nomad & you'd feel right as rain, doing a similar journey.

Anyway, enough of me prattling on. More, another time. Come pick up time, no doubt.

Cheers,
Hedge

[Trigger]

Very interesting from a long term Atom man.

Its 6 years since my last Atom so the memory isnt so strong but I can relate to what you are saying eventhough my testdrive of the Nomad was pretty short.

My new one arrives after my holiday first week of June - very excited.

Did the ones you drove have adjustable suspension and how firm was it set ? I have specced the adjustable Bilstein suspension with the hope it can firm up enough for some track work, and be good enough on road - yet soft enough to do a little off road.

The comfort factor is a big plus.

I am hoping the way it drives will be more fun as you say as the Atom really was hard to play around with and the speed you were going when it would start moving around was just too hairy ! The way Steve drifts it round roundabouts is testament to what CAN be done with the right skill !

I cant wait anyway.

T

[Hedge]

Yo Trig,

The NA had Ohlins, the SC (I think) Billies.

If - & it is a big if - you can run to Ohlins, I would do. My Atom has them & they are sheer genius. I don't know what setting they were on when I drove it, sorry, but they really do work. On or off road.

If you want it to shine on track, Henry says there's a real trick set of boots for Nomads that transform it into a proper weapon. Can't recall what they are though, sozzles.

Cheers,
Hedge

[dunny]

Dear Hedge
How very dare you call our beloved nomads ugly.Its not whats on the outside that counts .On second thoughts yes it is and after following a number of extremely rapid atoms around the borders for a couple of days with their slightly deranged drivers i have come to the conclusion that it will take somebody with more driving skill than me to keep up! However not impossible! i am assured that without going bonkers on setup and getting used to the completely different driving style that it can be done.Off road? some of our main roads are not much better and the nomad tackles it all in reasonable comfort.Attention?i pulled in for a Maccy dee the other day and brought the drive thru to a complete stop and whats more i could reach the counter. Your going to have a blast son.
cheers Dunny.

[Hedge]

[RigidCollosion]

Thanks for the write up.

I am 57 weeks and 6 days waiting with a few more to go. I just want to get some fun hours behind the wheel!

[Trigger]

After a very long 18 months or so I am getting mine on Saturday. I will post the traditional delivery day write up !

[Hedge]

.....& pics, obvs.

Cheers,
Hedge