Skip advert
Advertisement

Watch the Ariel Nomad go head-to-head with a Fiesta WRC car

1300bhp, some deserted Welsh countryside and not a lot of traction... Welcome to evo's first off-road group test

If you’ve not yet experienced the joy of driving on loose surfaces, perhaps our latest video will convince you to have a go.

Readers will already have seen Henry Catchpole’s written report and Aston Parrott's photography in issue 218 of evo Magazine, but few things are better suited to the medium of motion film than the spectacle of rally cars and purpose-built off-roaders sliding across gravel and mud.

Advertisement - Article continues below

In evo’s first ever gravel group test, we pitch the new Ariel Nomad – undoubtedly the inspiration for this feature – against the Polaris RZR, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Porsche 911 Safari and Bowler Defender 110 V6.

While we won’t pick a winner – each has such disparate talents and purposes that selecting a favourite would almost be unfair – the conclusion is an easy one to make.

Whether you’re being powered along by a rear-mounted flat six, a twin-cylinder one-litre or a full WRC-spec, 300bhp four, driving on gravel is could be the most fun you can have behind the wheel of a car.

Watch the full video above, and if you’d like to see more action from each car, keep an eye on evo’s Facebook page, where we’ll be posting raw on-board footage over the next few weeks.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Why car bosses are quietly scrapping their multi-billion pound EV plans
Porsche badge
Opinion

Why car bosses are quietly scrapping their multi-billion pound EV plans

Industry giants U-turning on EV plans is not entirely good news, reckons Meaden
21 Jul 2026
New Lotus Emira 420 Sport review – taking aim at the Porsche Cayman GT4
Lotus Emira 420 Sport front
Reviews

New Lotus Emira 420 Sport review – taking aim at the Porsche Cayman GT4

Lotus’s sports car gets added focus and is all the better for it. As it needs to be with such a lofty target...
22 Jul 2026
The incoming Range Rover GT takes a leaf out of Jaguar’s book
Range Rover GT
News

The incoming Range Rover GT takes a leaf out of Jaguar’s book

The Range Rover lineup is getting a new addition with the sleek GT, and this teaser offer our first look
21 Jul 2026