Ariel Launches Entire Lineup In U.S.

It's one thing to drive a big, off-road-focused pickup truck that the owner never takes off-road. It's another thing to own a dedicated rock crawler that manages to just barely be street legal. U.K.-based Ariel is an exo-car manufacturer that falls firmly in the latter class but exclusively with bare-bones cars rather than trucks or SUVs. Now, it's bringing its entire lineup, honed over a decade, to American shores. If your idea of fun is maximum turnkey performance-per-dollar, these might be your cup of tea.

Importantly, we're not about to see Ariel dealerships pop up next to other high-end supercar builders, as these unique and very capable cars will go on sale through Arizona's Forman Motorworks. The Scottsdale business will be the exclusive U.S. distributor and customer contact for now. The lineup covers the Atom 4, Atom 4R, Atom 4RR, and off-road-focused Nomad 2. Order inquiries are open now, and the first customer deliveries will happen in the summer of 2027.

Previously, various manufacturers agreed to build Ariel cars in the U.S., but that's not the same as having a UK-built rolling chassis show up nearly ready to go. "We want to ensure customers in the U.S. have a much closer connection to the cars we design and build here in England," said Ariel founder Simon Saunders. He added that buyers will have the same specification flexibility as UK customers.

Ariel's lineup begins with the Atom 4, offering a 350-hp (261 kW) turbocharged Honda engine. That might not sound like all that much, but Ariel says the vehicle weighs less than 1,350 lbs (612 kg). Put simply, even with the average American driver in the cabin, there's not that much weight for such an engine to haul around. Things only get crazier from there.

The Atom 4R is next in the lineup, and it offers 400 hp (298 kW) but trades a little more weight, 1,543 lbs (700 kg), to offer better aerodynamics. Atop that, there's the creatively named Atom 4RR with a hand-built motorsports engine that makes 525 hp (392 kW) and sends that power through a sequential gearbox. Even better, at just 1,475 lb (669 kg), the 4RR not only weighs less than the 4R but it's also about 1,000 pounds lighter than a Mazda MX-5? Just imagine what that kind of power-to-weight ratio feels like. Race-grade components round out what Ariel describes as the ultimate motorsport-focused version of its exposed-frame sports car.

For buyers whose favorite roads run out of pavement, the Nomad 2 completes the range. It offers up to 305 bhp (227 kW), rear-wheel drive, long-travel suspension, and generous ground clearance. Its quoted weight is below 750 kg (1,653 lbs). In other words, those who want to embarrass a Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato have a worthy combatant if their driving skills can keep up.

Forman's first demonstrators, an Atom 4 and Atom 4R, are already in production in the U.K. and expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2027 with customer deliveries beginning in the summer. The distributor will also oversee parts, servicing, and maintenance through selected U.S. support locations. Interestingly, the relationship itself stretches back to January 2009, when Franz Forman became Ariel's first U.S. dealer, Exoform Imports. His business has since sold more than 200 new and used Ariels. That said, there are still details to fill in.

While Ariel hasn't officially announced any U.S. pricing, the Exoform Imports site does list prices for three of the four models — $117,000 for the Atom 4, $124,400 for the Nomad 2, and $166,500 for the Atom 4R. The announcement also doesn't address how these cars will meet NHTSA safety standards in the U.S., which has been problematic in the past. Of course, buyers with enough cash probably won't be super worried about those details when it comes time to pay up.