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

BMW i8 (2014-2020) review – futuristic hybrid sports car now looks a bargain
BMW i8 review
In-depth reviews

BMW i8 (2014-2020) review – futuristic hybrid sports car now looks a bargain

The BMW i8 was a very different sort of 911 rival, not least because it used a hybrid system with a Mini engine mounted in the middle and a carbon tub
9 Sep 2026
Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung – AMG’s V8 is back!
Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung
News

Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung – AMG’s V8 is back!

The new era of AMG V8s has arrived, with a car that’s as cool as its name is weird
10 Sep 2026
The incoming BMW 3-series M350 will come with a straight-six and M3 power
2027 BMW 3 series testing
News

The incoming BMW 3-series M350 will come with a straight-six and M3 power

We all know the BMW 3-series is going electric with the new i3, but the combustion-powered model certainly hasn’t been forgotten… 
8 Sep 2026