Our first introduction to the world of Radical trackday cars came when we saw Jeremy Clarkson driving one in one of his DVD’s. He said it “…gave an everyday sort of chap the chance to feel what it would be like to drive a single-seater racing car.” Now it appears Radical want to go more mainstream and build a road-going version. If you team Radical levels of performance with a license disc, windscreen wipers and a road worthy certificate, there is no other word for it, you’re going to have yourself a supercar.
Okay, it’s still early days and honestly, all there is to signify such a car is a computer model and a dinky, toy car-looking, thing we see in these pictures. What they signify however, is the Radical Xtreme Coupe, or RXC. It is apparently a Le Mans-inspired machine that will go on sale in summer 2013 in road-legal guise, costing just over £100 000. Before that though, the Radical RXC will make its world debut at the 2013 Autosport International show in January.
Using a steel frame chassis with composite panels, the RXC should only weigh around 900 kg. Powered by a 3.7-litre Ford V6 that makes 285 kW and 435 Nm of torque, the RXC will charge to 100 km/h from zero in a claimed 2.8 seconds and reach 280 km/h at the top end. The power-to-weight ratio of the RXC is 312 kW per ton, which is in the same league as a £250 000 Lamborghini Aventador.
Radical also say the RXC’s transmission will be a bespoke 7-speed paddle-shift unit, with automatic rev matching on downshifts. The LMP1-style body will create 900 kg of downforce at top speed. Carbon ceramic brakes are an option and there’s adjustable double wishbone pushrod suspension on both the front and rear.
To keep it comfortable and usable on the road, the RXC will get electric power steering and electrically adjustable heated wing mirrors. Standard fitment is air-con and a heated windscreen. The pedalbox and steering wheel are also fully adjustable. It all still sounds a bit too radical for a road-going car if we’re honest. This sounds more like a Radical SR1 or SR8 that you simply don’t need to trailer to the track. It sounds mega.
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