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 460bhp 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."
Yes, we know we said yesterday that it might be time for an end to all this ’Ring record nonsense, but we might make an exception for Radical. It's British after all...
Now watch Sabine Schmitz try to lap the ’Ring in under 10 minutes... in a Transit van:
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What record? Sorry, but we removed that from our "Power Lap time board" at the Ring, because it wasn't street legal in Germany.
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Its a 'production car' in the same way Richard Hammond is 'a little short ' - technically correct but stretching the truth just that bit too far. Although to be fair, if the Radical had a Nissan (or datsun) badge on the front, there would have been full page ads about the feat back in 2005,no doubt, so maybe they deserve to be cut a little bit of slack.
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great fun, radicals. always been a fan. I actually believe they are a lot quicker than all of their rivals like ariel atom, caterham, x-bow etc. It's nice to hear news like this, at least some people have'nt forgotten how to make fats lightweights.
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I meant fast lightweights.
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Has any one actually seen the radical in real life.
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Radicals are immensely fast, and , Viper_Des, it is street legal in england so that means germany are a litle bit scared of our lap record!
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Who cares? It's not a road car ... it just isnt. 'Road legal' is the most useless measurement ever.
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So why not register laptimes on several lists for different classes? I refer to the endless dispute in the comments on the Focus RS vs. the Renault R26 something. That Renault is also roadlegal but it's hardly a daily driver. On the use of 'Ring laptimes: in my eyes they are a good excuse to go out and do the 'Ring, again and again. Well, wouldn't you? At the very least it adds to the credibility of a sportscar manufacturer: they're serious about making good sportscars. There's a nostalgic pre-WWI feel to it too, when anyone who built cars raced them as well. The Gordon Bennett for instance, great race and great days. This is something of the same: in the future, books will be written about the days when everybody wanted the 'Ring record.
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good luck to them, i hope they pummel the time. also, why oh why is the viper acr said to be fastest round the 'ring when it isnt? stupid americans.... :D hehe also wasnt all this 'ring obsession started with the nissan gtr some time ago, against porsche and their unable drivers? btw i mean the actual 'i am faster than you!' 'no your not' 'yes i am!' etc etc last year? not that people werent about going quick round this place before or anything........
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i want several of these UBER go karts
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Kuang commented on this article
12 August 2009
Can't wait to see how this goes - I still love watching the previous record, especially when the driver takes a corner a little bit too quickly and has to fight the wheel for a split second. That's commitment for you. Good to see they're flying the colours on the new one, although the front sticker does make the car look like it's wearing a posing pouch.. or maybe that's the point :)
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