It's not often manufacturers build vehicles that are made specifically to perform off the pavement. Most SUVs have transformed into unibody crossovers, leaving vehicles like the Wrangler and G-Wagen are left to pick up the slack. Ford and Ariel know there's still a market for the enthusiasts who love to go off the beaten path. Ford made a giant pickup truck for those gearheads; Ariel made a go-kart. They go about the job in completely different ways, but how do they compare to each other?
Ford recently unleashed its second-generation F-150 Raptor to the world, complete with 450 twin-turbo horsepower. After driving it, we can confidently say it's one of the best new trucks around, both off and on the road. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the 240-horsepower Nomad, a taller, beefier version of Ariel's track special Atom open-wheeler.
Both of these rigs are plenty exciting on asphalt, but it's when the pavement disappears that they reach their fullest potential. Watch as Jethro Bovingdon of DriveTribe brings the Nomad and Raptor to the desert and pits them against each other in the off-road battle of the decade.
Brian Silvestro is Hearst Autos' former lead deputy editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine where he contributed car reviews, industry interviews, and more. He has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
