Advertisement
BBC TopGear
BBC TopGear
Advertisement feature
WELCOME TO HYUNDAI’S HAPPINESS MACHINE
View the latest news
Motorsport

The new Radical SR10 is a 425bhp turbocharged track toy

Is it Christmas already? Radical’s £126k is a more durable track-day enthusiast motor

Published: 17 Sep 2020

“The SR10’s sole purpose is to out-run and out-manoeuvre the competition whilst remaining easy to drive and cost-effective to run.” That, in a nutshell, is what this car is all about: welcome to the £126,000 Radical SR10.

It’s a new motorsport machine aimed at “track-day enthusiasts, motorsport country club members and racers across the globe”; a turbocharged go-kart that’ll hang on long after your gut and your brain have given up.

Advertisement - Page continues below

Radical customers wanted a boosted version of its SR range of cars, and Radical has obliged. Shoehorned inside that body is a 2.3-litre Ford engine with a custom Garrett turbo bolted on, forged motorsport pistons, connecting rods and a bespoke dry sump setup.

Together with a high-flow racing exhaust, the wee Radical now kicks out 425bhp and 380lb ft of torque – more powerful than the SR1, SR3 and SR8 – spewed out through the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential Hewland gearbox and a torque-biased limited slip diff. There’s no ABS, tractional control or brake assistance, so… y’know, practice.

As ever, it’s wrapped up inside a lightweight spaceframe chassis with full FIA-spec safety and crash structures, high-downforce bodywork, LED lights, a ‘bi-plane’ rear wing, fully adjustable suspension and triple adjustable dampers, and massive brakes front and back.

There’s stuff like a proper motorsport wheel with a new LCD multi-page display, a variety of engine and gearbox maps, and even adjustable weighting for the – whisper it – optional power steering, itself a first for Radical’s SR cars. 

Advertisement - Page continues below

All in, Radical reckons the SR10 weighs 725kg – so a particularly heavy lunch, then – is capable of delivering 2.3G, and offers 586bhp per tonne. Built in the UK, it’s now available to purchase and we’re told several orders have already been taken.

Who might buy such a toy? “Those who want a car with extreme track performance but who aren’t yet committed to full wheel-to-wheel competitive racing,” explains Radical.

“With the SR10 we’ve truly achieved our objective of creating a car with the visceral performance of our SR8 but in a longer life, more durable package,” explains Radical boss Joe Anwyll.

“The SR10 expands on the class-leading architecture of the SR model line and gives SR3 and SR8 owners alike a great next level of Radical performance, wherever they use the car,” he adds.

Top Gear
Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

More from Top Gear

Loading
See more on Radical

Subscribe to the Top Gear Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear and BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy.

BBC TopGear

Try BBC Top Gear Magazine

subscribe