RE: Radical Rapture | Driven
Discussion
Zumbruk said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Is it just me, or is the aspect ratio on all of the photos completely wrong? Otherwise, looks nice.
No, I think it really is that ugly.darren f said:
Interesting... and more power to Radical’s elbow for marketing this in the current expanding raft of Hybrid and EV blandness. However as alluded to by others I can’t help but think a nice powerful tow car, trailer and decent used SR1 would be a better use of the money. IMO a mix of ultimate track thrills (without the compromise of road suspension settings) and some luxury for the drive home and everyday motoring. Using just 50% of the Rapture’s potential on the road would would just be crazy. But I suppose not everyone has the space for 2 cars and a trailer..., ‘you pays your money...’.
This is the same old argument that I just struggle with. If someone can blow £100k on a toy, they can afford somewhere to park it. If you cant afford to park a £100k toy, can you afford to buy it??The best car I’ve ever driven on track was a Radical racer.
It was sensational. A proper race car experience.
I’m not sure it would translate to the road though.
The pleasure on track came from the low ground clearance and sensation of downforce in the fast corners (as well as the bonkers acceleration & brakes).
I just don’t see how you could replicate that on the road.
A moderately quick Seven or Elise is plenty for the road and I’m sure they’d soak up an uneven road better.
I guess there must be a market for a car like this but I’ll bet it’s vanishingly small.
It feels like a missed opportunity.
Rather than tweak an existing design they could have used their undoubted expertise to create something really new.
It was sensational. A proper race car experience.
I’m not sure it would translate to the road though.
The pleasure on track came from the low ground clearance and sensation of downforce in the fast corners (as well as the bonkers acceleration & brakes).
I just don’t see how you could replicate that on the road.
A moderately quick Seven or Elise is plenty for the road and I’m sure they’d soak up an uneven road better.
I guess there must be a market for a car like this but I’ll bet it’s vanishingly small.
It feels like a missed opportunity.
Rather than tweak an existing design they could have used their undoubted expertise to create something really new.
DMC2 said:
I’d take a £50k 620r Caterham over this any day of the week. Maybe just me, but relying on downforce has never interested me, I prefer a car to feel alive. Downforce always seems to remove the visceral sensation you get driving a car which you can control on the throttle.
All that happens in a car with aero, you’re just going 30kph faster.Anyone who says they’re rather have something else blah blah hasn’t driven one (or similar). They make taking even fast road cars on track a waste of time.
This is the first car of interest I’ve seen here for a long time. I think the combination of road legal plus massive track ability is very desirable.
In days gone by I had a road legal(ish) busa engined XTR2.... having it road legal meant that I could work away with the spanner’s then take it straight out for a shake down, or if the sun appeared I could head out at a moments notice. With high revs, low weight and sharp steering it was a blast around the local B roads, even at 8 tenths (I’m sure the radical would be a thrill at 4 tenths!)
The other side of the ownership prospect was track days, I didn’t ever consider driving it to one, it was always taken in a trailer - how else can you carry the tools, track tyres, fluids and in scotland, the wet weather gear you need for car and driver.
Having one of these Radicals in the garage (with the intercom option) would be a dream come true. Yes it’s expensive but there’s no shortage of expensive metal on this site. While I have a soft spot for Sevens this is a very different prospect.
In days gone by I had a road legal(ish) busa engined XTR2.... having it road legal meant that I could work away with the spanner’s then take it straight out for a shake down, or if the sun appeared I could head out at a moments notice. With high revs, low weight and sharp steering it was a blast around the local B roads, even at 8 tenths (I’m sure the radical would be a thrill at 4 tenths!)
The other side of the ownership prospect was track days, I didn’t ever consider driving it to one, it was always taken in a trailer - how else can you carry the tools, track tyres, fluids and in scotland, the wet weather gear you need for car and driver.
Having one of these Radicals in the garage (with the intercom option) would be a dream come true. Yes it’s expensive but there’s no shortage of expensive metal on this site. While I have a soft spot for Sevens this is a very different prospect.
darren f said:
Interesting... and more power to Radical’s elbow for marketing this in the current expanding raft of Hybrid and EV blandness. However as alluded to by others I can’t help but think a nice powerful tow car, trailer and decent used SR1 would be a better use of the money. IMO a mix of ultimate track thrills (without the compromise of road suspension settings) and some luxury for the drive home and everyday motoring. Using just 50% of the Rapture’s potential on the road would would just be crazy. But I suppose not everyone has the space for 2 cars and a trailer..., ‘you pays your money...’.
Spot on...I have done exactly that; got a lower-end Radical, trailer and a tow car.Driving something like the Radical on track for a day is pretty exhausting, the last thing I would want to do is drive home in it. Although you do have to re-calibrate your driving sensations after spending the day in the Radical, driving on the normal road feels like you're going backwards.
My thoughts are that to make the car road-going you have to sacrifice a lot of the race car experience: treaded tyres not slicks, quiet exhaust, carry lights and a whole bunch of other legislation that needs to be met. And to drive the thing on the road you need to be 100% certain that you're not going to meet a speed hump or significant crest or dip in the road en route. And you're right about the performance, you just wouldn't use it on the road. The road-going Radicals really are very niche things indeed in the UK at least.
Gemaeden said:
How would it's Brands lap time compare to a superbike?
Even with all that power, it's not *that* light - certainly not relative to Duratec Sports 2000 (as mentioned above - and as also owned by me
).... and the Radicals I've raced or tested with all have amazing straight line speed, but notably less downforce than my car. On those tyres I think that would struggle to break 50 seconds even with a pro driver: the 53.89 on video on a presumably slippy track looked like it was tough going as well - car looks setup to oversteer, which makes getting proper laptimes much harder for all but the very best.
MCR Sports 2000 with 195bhp and 520kg will do 46.something with a decent driver - i've done high 47s before and mine is 10 years old and the driver most definitely isn't a pro. BSB lap record in qualifying is just over 45 seconds, but that's a proper race superbike with a world class rider of course.
It's a cool thing - can't ever see how the equation of spending 90k on this beats spending 25k on a probably quicker used racecar and having a go at the real thing. Even if you just do test days (way more fun that track days anyway).
Would finally add that yes driving a downforce prototype car does change your perspective on what fast is, etc etc - but you very very quickly get used to it, and then want to go quicker!
Edited by cidered77 on Monday 9th December 12:19
RainmakerMNL said:
“it's actually possible to arrive at Paddock Hill Bend and immediately fill the mirrors of the G40 that just flew by you.“
How does that G40 fly by you in the first place?
if that is a GT3 spec G40, it would fly past a road based Radical on semi slicks, most definitely!! 5-8 second per lap delta based on the times on that video....How does that G40 fly by you in the first place?
The article said:
it's actually a remarkably docile place to sit...
...it's quite happy sat roadside a few miles from Brands Hatch behind our camera car. As is its driver, who easily fits into the wide, road-spec seat and harness while wearing a winter puffa jacket.
...And a helmet!...it's quite happy sat roadside a few miles from Brands Hatch behind our camera car. As is its driver, who easily fits into the wide, road-spec seat and harness while wearing a winter puffa jacket.
I had a passenger ride in an RXC around the vicinity of Le Mans in the summer and the performance was mind-blowing. I guess this would provide much of the thrill for quite a bit less cash.
I like the Rapture for sure, and I do love the look of it. I saw it up close at Goodwood and watched it go up the hill, amazing car. It's quite a bit less compromising than the SR3 or SR8 but with the added bonus of not having to have expensive rebuilds.
It's true that you would still need a trailer to transit to the track, it's not fun if you drive your car to the track and cannot get home because of mechanical problems.
The issue I see with this car is it's just overpriced, which is a shame otherwise I would consider it. I can't see many people buying this at this price point and the £89K does not include VAT. With VAT it's £107k. That is the price of almost 2 well spec'ed Ariel Atom 4's. Or you could buy 2 Caterham's 620R's with £7k left for a trailer.
If it was priced similar to what the SR3 SL was then I think it would sell better.
It's true that you would still need a trailer to transit to the track, it's not fun if you drive your car to the track and cannot get home because of mechanical problems.
The issue I see with this car is it's just overpriced, which is a shame otherwise I would consider it. I can't see many people buying this at this price point and the £89K does not include VAT. With VAT it's £107k. That is the price of almost 2 well spec'ed Ariel Atom 4's. Or you could buy 2 Caterham's 620R's with £7k left for a trailer.
If it was priced similar to what the SR3 SL was then I think it would sell better.
- Disclaimer: I am a little biased since I just finalised my spec for a Atom 4 with delivery in March.
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