One of the most famous test drives in Top Gear history involved Jeremy Clarkson and the infamous Ariel Atom, a bonkers, street legal car that better resembled a go-kart than anything you’d find on the road. In the years since that jowl-flapping test drive, Ariel has expanded its business to include an off-road model called the Nomad. It’s every bit the overpowering, extreme driving experience that the Ariel was, but with the ability to traverse unpaved trails just as well as race tracks.

ACE Performance Tuning managed to snag the keys to the first Ariel Nomad to arrive in the U.S. as the official Northeast distributor of the sports kart. But just because it’s small doesn’t mean it will be cheap as ACE lists a starting MSRP of $80,000 before ticking off a single option box.

So what does $80,000 get you? A lot, a not much at the same time, to be frank. Forward motivation comes from a 2.4-liter Honda four-banger rated at 230 horsepower mounted in the middle of the Nomad and paired with a six-speed manual. The hand-built chassis weighs a svelte 1,430 pounds in its U.S. specification, so even with a pair of husky passengers, should come well under 2,000 pounds fully loaded.

Tuned for extreme handling situations even in its base form, Ariel also offers a more potent Nomad Tactical model that comes improved Ohlins dampers and a front winch for getting you unstuck. That winch, in particular, might come in handy as the Nomad is only offered in a rear-drive configuration, a major oversight if you ask us. The Nomad Tactical will run you about $92,000.