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...

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.