Radical has updated its popular SR3 with new RPE Suzuki engines and mass-saving loom technology, upping power to weight in what was already an neck-snapping track machine. The SR3 XX, as it’s now called, is offered in either 198hp 1.3 or 230hp 1.5 forms, with the latter giving the carbon-steel spaceframed two-seater 368hp per tonne and sufficient gusto to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.1 seconds, with drive sent rearwards via a six-speed sequential and Quaife LSD.
As PH knows first-hand, though, Radicals don’t really come into their own until speeds are much, much higher; the tweaked SR3 XX’s LMP-esque bodywork helps the car corner with up to 2.3 G of lateral force. The 1.3-litre car maxes out at 141mph while the bigger four-pot pushes the SR3 on to 147mph - and then you’ve all-round four-pot brake calipers and 280mm discs to shed the speed in an eye-poppingly-short distance.
Aside from the new powerplants, the biggest and most impactful changes to the XX come with its new solid-state Power Distribution Module (PDM), supplied by AiM, which replaces a conventional wiring loom. Using the latest in module tech, it’s not only a much tidier solution, it’s 65 per cent lighter, and sends, stores and process electrical data and telemetry quicker and more efficiently. Even the diagnostic system is simplified as a result. Happy days.
The tech works in tandem with Radical’s new steering wheel, which gets a digital screen with customisable displays – as seen on the Rapture’s dash screen – so drivers can optimise the information given to them. Additionally, the dash gets Radical’s new centre stack design with backlighting, so things remain visible in the dark. Which is handy if you’re approaching Paddock Hill Bend at 135mph in the rain…
Radical’s also revised the car’s exterior LED lighting and introduced composite mirrors and new rear-wing endplates. Buyers can specify new 60mm wider moulded twin- and single-seat options, said to offer greater lateral stability. They work in with the customer-specific seat inserts for maximum comfort, something that’s essential in a machine shod with slicks and wings this substantial.
“The SR3 model line has always been a car that enables drivers, whether a seasoned professional or first-event rookie, to quickly, safely and confidently get up to speed on any track, and the new features of the SR3 XX make that process even easier,” said Radical marketing boss Will Brown. “Our longstanding partnership with AiM Technologies means we are debuting electrical architecture previously only reserved for high-price LMP and GT race cars. In SR3 XX this technology is easy to comprehend for everyone, so carries the SR3 reputation into the next decade of racing success.”
Radical’s newest arrival is available to order now, with prices starting from £83,400. First deliveries are due later this month, just in time for the track day season to get back up and running in full.
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