Radical's sports cars need little introduction, but especially in the light of the recent news about Zenos, the company's longevity is deserving of a momentary pause. This is an outfit that's been building cars that, largely, can't be used on the road, and that are based around motorcycle engines. Were such a concern to start up today, you'd give it six months, tops. And yet Radical doesn't just survive, but thrives.
There's even more good news: early Radicals such as the Clubsport and Prosport models are still at reasonably attainable levels; you can pick up one of the former for under £10,000, for example, though you'll have to pay a little more for the latter. As with most Radicals, neither comes road-legal and therefore both appeal to a very select audience whose members are lucky enough to be able to justify a track toy or racer that really is that and no more - and one which, to boot, must be trailered to the circuit and home again.
Prices then hike gradually up through PR6s and SR4s to arguably Radical's best-known product, the SR3; available in a slightly bewildering array of versions, you'll need to pay at least £25,000 to get into one of these.
Want one for the road? Well, just a word of warning: many enthusiasts say not to bother, as Radicals are set up so aggressively that you can rarely use them to their fullest potential. Of course, that's true of many cars, but it's especially so here.
That said, if you want a Radical you can drive home after a track day, the SR3 SL is the most logical option - but you'll need to fork out quite a bit for the privilege. So few are for sale that it's hard to get a handle on prices, but as we found two examples, both left-hand-drive, both for sale in Europe and both for around the £45,000 mark, it's easy to imagine a UK car setting you back around that, if not more.
Of course, if you must have a road-legal Rad, there's one more option: the RXC. Built with the stated aim of offering a Le Mans car for the road, this closed coupe with gullwing doors came with a choice of engines; however, for balls-out ballistic barminess the only option has to be the 608hp Twin Turbo, or latterly, 500R, with its twin-turbo 3.5-litre Ford V6. New, one will set you back in excess of £140,000; prices aren't falling fast, mind, as Radical itself has a secondhand example dating from 2014 going for £135,000.
