Those Ariels make a lot of sense, both financially and as a pure unadulterated fun car. The Nomad particularly is getting a lot of praise in certain quarters. The problem is the nearly 2 year waiting list for them!
And yes, I think it is even more hard core than a Seven, in fact the Seven looks decidedly pansy in comparison.
Hmmm. Try Aeroman's and my Westfield FW400, which is a seven, most people would say the Atom or Nomad make better road cars and are curtainly easier to drive. The Hewland gearbox is a straight cut dog box. Here is how hewland recommend one should change gear:
"Manual with Engine Cut:
This system is almost as good as an automated one as long as the driver pulls the lever very quickly. A `cheat` version of this is to shift on the engine rev limiter, which can work well. With this system it is especially important to move the lever as fast as possible. Otherwise the engine will be reinstated during partial dog engagement, causing damage. The damage can usually be felt by the driver."
Down changes take more getting used to.
