New car news

12 August 2009 - 11:00

Radical returns to the ’Ring

British sports car firm Radical is heading back to the Nurburgring with the aim of smashing its own production car lap record.

In 2005, Dutch driver Michael Vergers nailed a time of 6m56s around the ’Ring in an SR8 Supersport, but Radical is heading back to Germany with an updated, uprated version of its just-road-legal lightweight, hoping to go even quicker.

"It's several years since we last went for the record, and we've carried out a huge amount of development work on the SR8 in the meantime," says Radical's Mick Hyde. "The aerodynamics have been considerably improved, now creating more downforce and less drag."

The SR8LM's new chassis has passed the FIA's production sports car crash tests, while the engine has also been revised. The 2.8-litre V8 now puts out a lightly threatening 343kW through a Radical-built, six-speed manual ‘box.

Vergers will once again pilot the Radical in its latest record attempt, but Hyde admits that the team will be at the mercy of the ’Ring's notoriously temperamental weather.

"Michael Vergers was the obvious choice for the attempt, having achieved the last record," says Hyde. "We have a very good chance of lowering the record if the weather holds out."

Now watch Sabine Schmitz try to lap the ’Ring in under 10 minutes... in a Transit van: