Car of the Week

Owner: Neil Stewart - Perth

And now for something completely different…. Especially for the hardcore enthusiast!

This is the only Radical SR8 that is road registered in the UK. It is chassis number 3, and was originally commissioned for Steve Prentice, the designer of the RPE V8 engine. It is fitted with the RPE 2.7 litre V8 engine of 363 bhp and a rev limit of 10,500 rpm. The Quaife six speed semi-automatic gearbox has a paddle shift. The car weighs 650 kg and is fitted with Le Mans style quick lift jacks, centre lock wheels, a hi-force bi-plane rear wing, quick release steering wheel, disc brakes, heated seats and sat nav! It can achieve 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds, 50-100 mph in 4.4 seconds, and has a top speed of 178 mph.

The SR8 holds the lap record for a road legal vehicle at the Nürburgring of 6.48.28 minutes, driven by Michael Vegers, and in 2015 it won the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

Neil says that the journey to purchasing the Radical SR8 has included three other Radical SR3s and an Ultima GTR. The latest SR8 is the ultimate in performance within the group of affordable supercars. The car is at home on the track and road. The search for a RS3 started after an incident at Goodwood in August 2022. He was driving an Ultima GTR when a short down shift at just over 100 mph on the Levant Straight resulted in a cataclysmic “bang” from the rear of the car and a great deal of smoke and steam.

The search for an alternative began. Road registered Radicals rarely come up for sale. The car was listed on “Racecardirect” and sold within three days. Enquiries were received from across the globe including a gentleman from Japan who offered substantially over the asking price. Fortunately, the seller held to his word. The SR8 is particularly interesting as it belonged to the designer of the RPE V8 engine. The concept was to use two Suzuki Hayabusa cylinder heads on a custom bock. The result was a 2.7Litre V8 engine that weights only 105Kg. The documents received with the Radical include free hand sketches and engine calculations. SR08 RAD has been modified to be driveable on the road with the raised ride height and reduced negative camber on the front suspension. The tyres are road legal “slicks” making it challenging to drive in the wet. Plans for 2023 include driving at Brands Hatch, Goodwood and the Zandvoort F1 circuit in The Netherlands - plus regular visits to Knockhill.