Significance
Radical Sportscars was founded in the mid-1990s in England by a pair of amateur racing drivers and engineers who wanted to build lightweight open-top sports cars that could be purchased and run by any well-heeled track day enthusiast. The Radical SR3 is the brand's most popular model, with over 1,000 cars built since its debut. Built around a lightweight carbon-steel spaceframe chassis with FIA approved safety cell, the SR3 weighs just 1,366 lbs in race-ready form. All SR3s are powered by small displacement inline-4 cylinder Suzuki motorcycle engines produced by Radical Performance Engines and are paired to a 6-speed sequential transmission. This combination allows the SR3 to accelerate from 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds while helping to maintain low vehicle weight as well as providing top-notch reliability and simple servicing. For 2022, Radical brought out a new version of the SR3 known as the XX. Although the basic structure and engine in the car are largely unchanged from the earlier SR3s, the XX features an all-new solid-state electrical architecture from Radical’s data partner AiM Technologies. This new system allows for high levels of telemetry tracking and is able to send, store and process the information while also offering a 65% weight savings over traditional wiring. Another benefit of this system is that it allows for a fully customizable multi-function steering wheel with a built-in LCD screen like those found in Formula 1 or LeMans Prototype cars.
About this vehicle
This Radical SR3 XX is finished in black with an attractive “Radical Graphics Package” featuring red and silver striping around the vehicle. Outfitted in two-seat configuration with left-hand drive, this example is perfectly set up for track coaching or giving ride-alongs to friends who want a real race car experience. Both seats come with full harnesses and the driver’s seat has a halo head restraint system to keep the pilot safe in a crash. On the exterior, exposed carbon fiber is visible around the car with the rear wing, mirrors, and front dive planes built from the lightweight material. At many tracks- especially in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, exhaust noise is a big factor while racing. This Radical has been built with a quiet exhaust system that should make that less of a concern and allow you to enjoy your time on track without having as much worry about the sound meter. The quieter exhaust is part of the Convenience Package which also includes an auxiliary radiator fan to keep the car cool between sessions and an engine oil pre-heater system. To give the AiM Technologies data logging system more elements to track, optional tire pressure/tire temperature sensors are present in each wheel, and a GPS Smarty Cam is installed. This camera system allows you to overlay telemetry lined up with your driving video which can help in seeing where you could be losing time or changing your line and how you can improve your racecraft. Included with the sale is a fitted Radical car cover as well as an extra set of wheels and tires as well as all of the necessary equipment to access the car’s data logs. Typically when you buy a dedicated race car, the purchase price is just the begging of what you need to spend. Constant maintenance and a team of mechanics at the track just to help you get the car running can make the dream of racing prohibitively expensive. This Radical offers nearly the same performance and much of the same driving experience, at a reasonable cost and without the need to have a staff on site every time you want to take out your car.
