Ariel Finally Brings Extreme Atom And Nomad To US

Forman Motorworks will sell Ariel Atom 4, Atom 4R, Atom 4RR, and Nomad 2 as UK-built rolling chassis with separate engine costs.

Photo by: Ariel Motors

By: Brian Potter

Oct 30, at 6:07am ET

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Ariel has sold rolling chassis to American tuners for years through a network of licensed builders, but that era just ended. The British firm announced that it is now shipping UK-built cars directly to US customers through a single exclusive partner.

Forman Motorworks of Scottsdale, Arizona, will handle sales, parts, and service for the full lineup: the Atom 4, Atom 4R, Atom 4RR, and Nomad 2. Demonstrators are already under construction in England.

Ariel's US Lineup Covers Four Models

2025 Ariel Atom 4R

Photo by: Ariel Motor Company

Ariel grumbled, politely, about the old system in its statement. The new arrangement gives American buyers "access to the latest engineering, specifications, and factory-installed options." Every chassis now comes from the same UK factory that builds cars for Europe.

The Atom 4 tops out at 350 horsepower and weighs under 1,323 pounds. Those numbers explain why this exoskeleton-bodied track toy has built a cult following since the first Atom launched in 2000. The Atom 4RR sits above it as Ariel's hand-built flagship, with 525 hp and a bronze-welded chassis under its carbon fiber body panels for added stiffness.

Between those two sits the Atom 4R at 400 hp, a middle ground for buyers who want more than the base car without stepping up to the RR's track-focused hardware.

The Nomad 2 breaks from the pavement-only format entirely. It makes up to 305 hp, weighs under 1,653 pounds, and rides on adjustable Öhlins suspension built for off-road work.

Ariel is not the only niche British builder sending fresh metal to American driveways. Since 2023, Morgan returned with the Super 3, Plus Four, and the newly homologated Supersport on sale through its US dealer network.

Atom 4 And Nomad 2 Prices

Ariel Atom 4

These prices buy a rolling chassis, not a finished car. The Atom 4 starts at $91,500 including a $5,500 destination fee, the Atom 4R starts at $130,800, and the Nomad 2 lists at $97,500, all before an engine goes in.

Forman Motorworks estimates engine installation adds roughly $25,000 on top of those figures. That puts a finished Atom 4 with its typical Honda Civic Type R powerplant somewhere near $117,000 out the door. Buyers need to budget for that jump upfront rather than discovering it at the final invoice.

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The rolling-chassis structure mirrors how Ariel has always sold cars, letting buyers pick their own engine and transmission combination. It's unusual by normal car-shopping standards, but it's also the whole point of buying an Atom in the first place.

Forman's first two demonstrators, an Atom 4 and an Atom 4R, are being built now in the UK for expected delivery in the first quarter of 2027. Ariel says the first customer deliveries will follow that summer.