My FH5 Log: UNSCRIPTED

Do you remember the episode from The Grand Tour where the third-generation Audi TT RS and the Ariel Nomad got compared by Clarkson and Hammond while May's busy making his own fire engine? That's unscripted television to you and me but hey, the TT RS ended up being the better one compared to the Nomad, probably because of the "unscripted" finish line's cheering on Clarkson.

Bringing the "unscripted" rivalry to Forza Horizon 5, the Ariel Nomad and the third-generation Audi TT RS are here to settle the score once again just like what they did in Croatia, only without the lady rooting for the gorilla behind the Audi.

But first, let's get to know about these "unscripted" rivals...

Built by the makers of the mind-blowing Atom, the Nomad is basically the Atom's off-road cousin made to tackle the roughest roads on Planet Earth. Like the normal Atom, the Nomad's equipped with the same Honda 2.4L i-VTEC engine producing 235BHP of power and 300Nm of torque while mated to a 6-speed close ratio gearbox. Because it weighs 670kg, its power-to-weight ratio is 6.25lb/hp. It will do 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and onwards to 125mph. Aside from that, the Nomad comes with a FOX off-road long-travel coilover suspension, hydraulic handbrake, four-piston calipers, adjustable dampers with remote reservoirs, double unequal-length fabricated wishbones, heavy-duty uprights, quick-ratio ally Rack & Pinion, and others.

The TT RS is the flagship variant of the third-generation Audi TT that is powered by the upgraded version of the 2.5L five-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 60PS more than the previous TT RS, making it 400PS of power output and 480Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed DCT, the TT RS is capable of hitting the 0-100kph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of up to 280kph thanks to its optional extra.

With Bob the Builder and the air hostess having their say, it's time to bring these two on a rally stage...above the caldera, just to find out if they're just like their stint at The Grand Tour a few years ago, only this time without a pretty lady to root for the Audi. This is a proper finish line with a proper audience watching the two unscripted rivals do their thing.

Let's Go!

With a case of deja vu done, here are the results, and it's a close one, I believe...

Nomad - 0m54.788s 

TT RS (8S) - 0m54.521s

Now that's a close result but hey, the Audi won the unscripted duel against the Ariel, just.

From the rugged rear-wheel-drive Nomad to the all-wheel-drive turbocharged TT RS, these unscripted rivals were proven to be great to drive on and off the road but in the end, it's the Audi the superior one because...it's an Audi. No explanations are needed. I guess Clarkson's right after all about the TT RS but...something tells me about this Audi. I wonder what it could be?

I'll figure it out soon because there's something about this TT...

FH3 Hot Wheels: Shattered Blue Skies

Open-wheelers, these kind of machines that pushes the very limits of your driving fantasies and with nothing to hold you back except the sound of the engine howling, open-wheelers are made for one thing; overall thrills, and in the case of Forza Horizon 3's Hot Wheels expansion, there is no exception to the rule.



What I have here is a selection of open-wheelers that became a favorite among Forza fans everywhere since the birth of the XBOX One and its capabilities allowed the Forza producers to inject open-wheelers in the franchise. Come to think of it, these open-wheelers made for road and track use are like guerillas running amok half-naked and bearing nothing more than just guns and ammunition, they posses the same level of madness as Rambo. Don't underestimate this little fries because when they come face to face against the fat cats, it's a David and Goliath affair to remember because these open-wheelers are teaching them the painful lesson of handling over performance, whatever lies ahead. Okay, so let's get cracking with this one...





The real beauty of the Caterham is not about the Lotus Seven-inspired looks but it's the racing pedigree and the track-day performance that upsets even the mightiest of exotics elsewhere. Even in this Superlight R500 spec, this Caterham is all about showing open-wheeler fanatics what this car is made of. Of course, you can exercise your options by swapping out with different kinds of engine specs while tinkering its handling capabilities, which results to a dynamic and dangerous experience for those not familiar with it. The truth is, the Caterham is a welcoming feast for the more serious drivers elsewhere.







The Donkervoort D8 maybe known as the Dutchman's Caterham but it's more than being that. With the Audi-sourced 2.5L TFSi 5-cylinder engine, 5-speed gearbox, carbon fiber kevlar body, and track-honed dynamics, the Donkervoort is a different kind of track car for people who think they're not interested in British-made track toys like the Caterham but like a crazy open-wheeler that can ignite their senses.





What about the BAC Mono, I presume? This lightweight, ultra high performance, sportscar is infused with the latest racing technology. With its aggressive styling reminiscent of an Evangelion robot,  2.5L four-cylinder Cosworth engine producing 305HP, Formula 3-inspired Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox, and pushrod suspension, among many other features, the Mono is all about a purist's open-wheeler that lets its drivers to experience what a thrill the Mono is to be. It's no wonder it lapped round the Top Gear Track quicker than the V8 Atom but who cares about it, I love driving this Mono through astronomical heights if it kills me.





For those who want speed any anything else, there's the king of open-wheeler sportscars, the V8-powered Ariel Atom. Using the same recipe as the infamous, face-ripping Atom, it was injected with a specially-developed V8 engine producing around 500HP of power and because of its less than a ton of weight, the result is a crazy thousand horsepower per tonne power-to-weight ratio, which is twice as powerful as a Bugatti Veyron, and still ripping your pretty face to shreds.



With open-wheelers like these, pushing them to the very limit can be very thrilling and challenging and even in Hot Wheels Thrilltopia, there's so much more than breaking their limits on the ground because when it comes to reaching their stratospheric dreams, driving open-wheelers in Thrilltopia might just be your best day ever because while it sounds so crazy, it's worth the shot of driving these pesky little rodents on the track and show the big boys who's in charge of this playpen. These cars may be small but they truly are the terrible beings you shouldn't underestimate with and with a little practice, these little track toys might just slay some exotics for breakfast, lunch, and tea, even elevenses.

Forza Horizon 3: Nomad's Sky

Remember this extreme offroader made by the same people behind the bewildering Ariel Atom? Yep, you'd probably saw this one from a certain Top Gear episode when Matt LeBlanc drove one to escape from the prying eyes of the paparazzi while on the hot Middle Eastern desert. While this whole stint sounds mediocre to some, although I can find that most of you never liked the recent season of Top Gear with Chris Evans in it (glad that he quit the job for such point), the Ariel Nomad is an awesome extreme offroad buggy that delivers the same thrills as the Atom, with a muddier attitude that sends this car flying like an eagle. A desert eagle.



So, what exactly is this Ariel Nomad? While the Atom became a track-toy sensation not to mention a blow to Jeremy Clarkson's face since his days as a Top Gear presenter, the new Nomad offers the same extreme performance from the Atom, only in its extreme offroad packaging that fits not just on the road and track but also on rough terrain despite its rear-wheel drive powertrain.

Like the normal Atom, the Nomad's equipped with the same Honda 2.4L i-VTEC engine producing 235BHP of power and 300Nm of torque while mated to a 6-speed close ratio gearbox. Because it weighs 670kg, its power to weight ratio is 6.25lb/hp. It will do 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and onwards to 125mph.

Couple this extreme performance with the signature Ariel structure and the Nomad is a no-frills offroader that can be enjoyed not just as an offroader but also a track toy similar to what the Atom shot to fame. It can be tailored to its customers desires.

Anyway, no time for further explanations because I was just getting warmed up to feel the thrill from Ariel's extreme offroad buggy in the same way what Matt LeBlanc did when he tried to escape the paparazzi on the desert. Since I'm still on the outback, hanging around doing my "producer" job, I found an airfield that will test the mettle of the Ariel Nomad against all kinds of buggies in store such as The Cholla, an Alumi Craft Class 10 Race Car, and a very small but unpredictable Polaris RZR. Excuse me while I'm doing my on-the-job race.

Okay, lights! Motor! Action!



Well, that was quite a challenge to master an offroad buggy like the Nomad in the first place but I managed to have a good show and a win in this event. The Nomad maybe a dirty cousin of the Atom but when it comes to enjoyment even on rough terrain, feels like I'm like the bad guy from the Mad Max movie screaming "WHAT A LOVELY DAY!" Sorry, lost my balance, but the Nomad is an awesome offroader you can drive in Forza Horizon 3. Speaking of a win...

I'd just received word that a barn find is hidden somewhere in the Outback and me and my Nomad approached to the said location. So, what kind of a barn find looks like? I'll show you later.

Two of the Top Gear favorites are thrashing the Nurburgring...

Ariel Atom V8

Noble M600

Let's admit it that both the Ariel Atom V8 and the Noble M600 are two of our favorite cars as seen on Top Gear. We seen the Ariel Atom V8 hailed as the fastest car to get round at the Top Gear Test Track. 

The Noble M600? Some say that on its maximum power mode, the power to weight ratio is stronger than the Bugatti Veyron. Question, is it better than the Lamborghini Aventador or the McLaren MP4-12C? Let's see, the MP4-12C has a top speed of 205mph while the Lamborghini Aventador beats that with 217mph of top speed. This Noble M600 can do 225mph, so on paper, this is the fastest of the three or is it?! Remember, the MP4-12C is the 2nd fastest on the Top Gear Test Track while the Aventador is the 3rd fastest. The Noble M600 is the 8th fastest on cold condition so, who cares?!

On the Season 18 opener of Top Gear, this was Richard Hammond's until he broke the gearbox and Noble sent him a replacement.

Anyway, forget chitter chatter because I watched a clip on Youtube that both the Ariel Atom V8 and the Noble M600 are trashing around the Nurburgring 24HR course. I said Nurburgring 24HR because it used both the Nordschleife and the GP Circuit as the basis. Both are driven by Chris Harris so here's the clip...