Radical

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A Radical SR9 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2006)
Radical SR8
Radical SR3 in Spa 2009
Radical RXC in Monaco 2019

Radical is a British sports car brand. The company produces racing vehicles that can now be approved for road use across Europe under current EU law. Radical was founded in 1997 by Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott. In the meantime, the company has developed from a small manufacturer of racing cars into a respected manufacturer of specialized racing vehicles.

The concept of the cars is based on a very light and compact racing car chassis . This is equipped with engines from so-called superbikes . After the first racing successes in 1996, more followed after the company was founded. In 1999 the first race was held in Donington Park , in which only 27 vehicles built by Radical took part. The first car was the Radical Clubsport. It was equipped with the engine of the Kawasaki ZZR 1100 and made about 120 kW. The SR3 (2002) and the SR4 (2004) are considered further developments of the original Clubsport 1100 .

Models

Radical SR3

Designed by racing car designer Mike Pilbeam , the SR3 is Radical's most successful model. The vehicle is made in an extremely lightweight construction and has a weight of less than 600 kg. Depending on the engine variant, at 151–193 kW (205–262 hp) this corresponds to a power to weight ratio of 2.9 kg / hp or 2.3 kg / hp. The SR3 accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in around three seconds. The Radical SR3 is also available as a roadworthy version. This is equipped with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine from Ford , which has an output of up to 224 kW (304 hp).

Radical SR8

The Radical SR8 is based on the chassis of the very successful SR3 and was first introduced in 2005. The Radical SR8 has a 2.6-liter V8 unit made up of two assembled Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 engines with an output of 265 kW (360 hp) and speeds of up to 10,500 rpm.

The weight of the Radical SR8 is 600 kg. This results in a power-to-weight ratio of 1.6 kg / hp. This extreme power-to-weight ratio enables acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in approx. 2.8 seconds. In conjunction with sports tires, the aerodynamics allow maximum cornering acceleration of up to 2.7 g. On September 28, 2005 Michael Vergers drove a Radical SR8 with 265 kW (360 PS) on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring in 6: 56.01 minutes. Since this sports car had a British single vehicle approval , but no German road approval , the magazine sport auto did not award its trophy for the best performance of vehicles road legal in Germany to the radical.

The Radical SR8 LM is a performance-enhanced variant, which is powered by a 2.8-liter V8 unit that develops 331 kW (450 hp) (power-to-weight ratio 1.3 kg / hp). The Radical SR8 costs around 100,000 euros, the SR8 LM 120,000 euros and is also available with accessories required for British road approval (indicators, handbrake, silencer with catalytic converter, etc.).

Radical RXC

The Radical RXC is the manufacturer's first model with a roof. It was presented in autumn 2013 and is also available as a street-legal version. Since the beginning of 2015, the RXC has also been sold as a Spyder. However, this is not approved for road use.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://radical-deutschland.de/unterlagen/rennfahrzeuge/Prospekt%20SR8.pdf ( Memento of January 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) : Single Vehicle Approval: Raised ride height (100 mm), compliant suspension settings, road lights , switches, hand brake, quiet silencer with catalytic converter, rear view mirrors, bodywork trim and moldings and collapsible steering column

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