That looks like a good effort. I like the 'ablative safety panels'. They could be block styrofoam with a vinyl wrap.
Your nose mimics the Atom. Current best practice in the off-road racing builds is a forward leaning A-shaped bumper similar to the VW Cal-look baby buggy bumper. Here's an example from a more modest
random build thread on thesamba.com:
I think the idea is if you hit something it's only going to go down and to one side or the other. It could fit well with the style of nose you proposed.