Porsche GT3 to Radical RXC

[acey81]

After doing a summary of this years track days and running costs I've come to the conclusion that I might need to change the 991.2 GT3 to something a bit more suited to track use. I have mainly used to the car to/from and on track, this year and the running costs of tracking hard have become apparent this year.

So I've started to look at options for next year, and after ruling out the Caterham and Ariel Atom for different reasons I've ended up looking for a Radical and more specifically an RXC V6. With little information available about the ownership experience I've come to Pistonheads for guidance.

So why an RXC? Well, for the foreseeable future I have to live in the city. I won't have space for a trailer to take it to and from the track, so it will be driven. The car will do few miles outside of going to and from the track, so the ride quality or other comfort issues won't bother me.

So how will the running costs compare to a GT3? Tires, brakes and the consumables should last longer due to the weight and hopefully also be cheaper than Porsche OEM parts. The engine (380 version) should be easy to maintain, but I'm slightly worried about the gearbox.

Any other input and advice would be much appreciated.

[acey81]

Racingroj said:

Hi
I had an RXC built and owned it for 2 years and did about 6,000 miles mainly on the road. Regarding the gearbox I would recommend you get one with the 6 speed not the 7 speed. They went to 6 speed because of one or two failures with the 7 speed. I found the only problem was the type of clutch that they are using. You might not have a problem because it will be more track-focused. I found that it was too ‘on/off’ like most motorsport type clutches, and I have quite a bit of experience with them in other road and racing type vehicles. I had to have a new one fitted at 4,000 miles by the factory. If possible get one with the Bosch ABS and Traction Control fitted. Slicks and racing wets for the track. For the road Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 for the road. Don’t rule out using it on the road especially when you go on those Sunday drives with your mates in their Supercars. You will get just as much fun on the public roads without breaking the speed limit either. I did the NC500 in mine, 1200 miles in 5 days and believe it or not the seats are the most comfortable I have had in any car. Just set the dampers 10 clicks from fully soft or even fully soft. You will have to set the ride height differently for the road and track.
Overall the RXC is a mind blowing car particularly on the track. Any half decent driver won’t be passed by anything else all day.
If you need any other mire detailed info please pm me. I have a detailed information sheet as well.

Excellent information, thanks! I find it a bit strange that the (few) RXC that I've found for sale are without the ABS / TC system from Bosch. Should maybe have been standard on the road-legal cars.

I'm seeing the dealer in a couple of weeks, and he has arranged a test drive in the RXC and also the "new" SR1 for comparison. Now the SR1isnt road legal, but they have a quite compelling proposition with storing, racing and 25 "supported" track days so he thinks he might be able to tempt me. I'll have a go.

Again, thanks for the feedback!

[acey81]

Thanks for all the great insights, seems like there are quite a few people who have gone from Porsche and track days to Radical.

So I've been busy the last couple of weeks doing man maths. I was invited down to drive the new SR1 by my dealer and fell in love. The sensation of speed, the raw driving sensation and the feeling of being "one" with the machine. I can't imagine how an SR3 with full slicks and the diffusor drive, but I'd imagine it is quite something else. But really liked how friendly the 1 was. Even in the wet/dry conditions, it was never terrifying.

The cost of having it stored and looked after by Radical is roughly the same as the cost of insurance on the GT3. The facilities are located on a track which I would have access to something like 48 days per season. They also take the car to different track days and follow the Radical Cup around. If you don't compete you get to do a normal track day instead. So all of this is very tempting. The running costs seem to be reasonable. Cheap tires, pads, and discs. The highest cost as I could see is the need to rebuild the engine every 45-50 hours of running.

My thinking now is to go down this route. The dealer tells me to buy new for a peace of mind, but I will explore this further (not many "new" SR1s available on the second-hand market).

So the RXC seems to have slipped away a bit. I might still miss the accessibility of a road-going car. Does anyone know the running costs on the RXC vs the SR1? What kind of maintenance does it need? I'm guessing that the Ford V6 is reliable and doesn't need rebuilding. What about the gearbox? Other components?

Thanks!

Edited by acey81 on Saturday 5th October 08:28

[acey81]

JayK12 said:

I had the same thinking as you, go SR1. I ended up getting an SR3 from Performance Time. Their cars are really well prepped and plenty of support and info. I run the SR3 myself and its not particularly difficult, and seems pretty reliable. Personally I'd go second hand SR3 everytime.

Good to hear, I'm actually looking at an SR3 from Performance Time now. Trying to get my head around the running costs, and the difference in performance / maintenance between the 1340 cc and 1500 cc engines. If you have any insights into the running costs I'm eager to hear.

From what I gather the normal consumables such as discs and pads, hold up extremely well and maybe and can last for several seasons. I guess the main issue is the engine rebuilds which I guess would occur once every season or every other season.

[acey81]

Racer42 said:

The SR3 is a great choice. If you want to do some research on them you should check out the “SR3 Buyers Guide”. Here is a link. https://radicalsportscarregistry.com/radical-sr3-b...

Thank you, extremely helpful!

[acey81]

Order66 said:

Just do your due diligence there - while I didn't buy a Radical, I did buy another vehicle from him and he was less than 100% straight with it. As with all small dealers - treat it like a private sale and you won't get burnt. On the positive side I suspect he was using Neil@Corinium motorsport to prepare the cars - Neil prepped mine before I bought it in a private sale and it was 100%.

Thanks for the heads up, and since I'm not in the UK I will have to figure something out before going to pick up the car (if it turns out clean). But they seem to have some sort of arrangement with the Radical Factory since they seem to be the biggest resellers of Radicals outside of the factory?

I'm still working my way through the costs and other things associated with ownership so I'm not in a huge hurry considering it won't see the track until April next year...

[acey81]

Hi guys. Just a quick update on this thread.

After a lot of consideration, thinking, talking I ended up buying an SR3 RSX. First test drive next week (if the weather allows it).

I was debating if I should get a road-legal RXC, the new-gen SR1 or the SR3. In the end, my man maths and intuition told me to go for the SR3 and I managed to find a good speced car that has just gone through a complete rebuild with 0 hours on the drivetrain from my local Radical Dealer.

I was in contact with Performancetime, and I got a very good vibe from Chris there, and if this hadn't suddenly appeared I would most probably have bought a car from them.

I might start a thread for those who are interested in how it is going from a GT3 to a Radical if I have the time and motivation.

Thank you for all the advice here, much appreciated.

[acey81]

Everything refreshed, seat fit done, wrap sorted. Missing series spec tyres from Hankook. Can't wait for the season to start! Just 30 sleeps to go...