British automaker Ariel is renowned for making the insane Atom track car and Nomad off-roader. Over two years ago, Ariel announced it will also be developing a 1,180 hp electric hypercar to rival the likes of the Rimac C_Two and Lotus Evija. It's scheduled to enter production in 2020, but Ariel has been keeping quiet about the project ever since its announcement.

In the meantime, US engineering firm BorgWarner has converted the Ariel Nomad into a bonkers electric off-roader designed to showcase the company's electrification technology.

While the standard Nomad is powered by a 235-hp, Honda-sourced 2.5-liter gasoline engine, the electric off-roader uses two motors producing a combined output of 268 hp. Each motor drives a rear wheel through two separate eDriveGear gear sets to create a rear-wheel drive system. BorgWarner believes this system "enables more power and durability." The motors are powered by liquid-cooled 350V 30kWh power pack.

According to BorgWarner, the electric powertrain provides improved steering response made possible through torque vectoring. This feature allows both forward motion and regenerative braking, delivering a "dynamic and controllable driving experience." BorgWarner also added a thermal-management system that circulates coolant via an electric pump through the inverters and battery pack.

Impressively, the demonstration vehicle was created in just six months. As for why the Ariel Nomad was chosen as a base vehicle, BorgWarner says the car's open-air design made it easy to install and remove components. Don't expect the electric Ariel Nomad to go into production however, because it's strictly a one-off project.

"Our new high-voltage demonstration vehicle illustrates BorgWarner's leadership in electrification and gives us a fantastic tool to showcase our extensive capabilities, collaborate with industry partners and evaluate BorgWarner's current and future technology at a system-level," said Hakan Yilmaz, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at BorgWarner. "We will continue to embrace projects such as this EV demonstration vehicle that help us validate next-generation products and, ultimately, propel the industry toward a cleaner, more energy-efficient world."