Radical, the lightweight sports car manufacturer from the UK, has revealed its latest road-going open-cabin machine at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which it is calling the Rapture.
Never-ending race track
The Rapture is a lightweight, mid-engined, two-seat machine that has been built to the UK's Individual Vehicle Approval framework, meaning it is also intended for European markets from launch - homologation for the rest of the world should follow. It is formed of a lightweight spaceframe chassis incorporating an FIA-compliant safety cell and crash structure, while the bodywork is Le Mans Prototype (LMP)-inspired, high-downforce composite material. The Radical Rapture sports a bi-plane rear wing and a double-tunnel diffuser.
Turbo thrills
Power comes from a reworked version of the 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo engine from Ford, used in the Mustang, the Mk3 Focus RS and now the new Mk4 Focus ST. An all-new turbo architecture and air induction system sees it liberating 355hp and 434Nm, which drives the rear wheels through a six-speed paddle-shift gearbox.
Performance, given the whole Rapture only weighs 765kg, is therefore ridiculously quick. The 0-100km/h sprint is dispatched in around three seconds flat, while the Radical will hit 200km/h from rest in just 8.4 seconds before going on to a top speed of 265km/h.
Motorsport-inspired underpinnings and cabin
Underneath, the company's 'Nik-link' suspension system - said to be optimised for road and track use - will be paired to adjustable dampers, while inside the sparse cockpit are two moulded racing seats with integral headrests and multipoint harnesses. A data-logging LCD display in the cluster, a multifunction digital steering wheel and a heating system are also provided. Owners will be offered a tailored track tuition package to make sure they can get the most out of the car and, if it were to be offered here in Ireland, it would be priced at around €122,750 before VRT was added on (CO2 figues have not been released).
Pushing boundaries
Joe Anwyll, CEO of Radical, said: "Radical has always been a business to push the boundaries; in developing Rapture, we listened carefully to our global customer base to ensure that whilst road-legal, the Rapture remains an undiluted, out-and-out track car at its core. We've distilled over two decades of motorsport heritage into the most focused, open sportscar possible. In Rapture, cutting edge direct-injection turbocharged powertrain technology and advanced underbody aerodynamics contribute to a unique package with electrifying performance."