Radical Sportscars->ke3734 doesn’t release new vehicles very often, but when they do, they immediately grab the world’s attention. Founded in 1997, by Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott, the whole idea was to build open-cockpit sportscars that can be registered for road use while also being capable of running on a track circuit without any form of modification.

Take the SR4 CS for example. Released back in 2004, the successor to Radical’s immensely popular Clubsport/Prosport range, the SR4 CS became such a hit that it bagged a few awards that year, including Evo Magazine’s Trackday Car of the Year award.

The SR4 CS became popular because of its nimble and agile nature allowing it to instantaneously change directions while also having a strong and safe chassis that makes it tough and sturdy. Combining it's easy-to-drive nature with some mighty impressive performance numbers and an affordable price tag to boot, Radical's SR4 is about the closest thing to a road/track ready two-seater sports car that we can afford.

Details after the jump.

2005 Radical SR4 CS

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2005 Radical SR4 CS
  • Engine/Motor: Powertech Suzuki 1,300cc four-cylinder engine
  • Horsepower: 210 horsepower
  • Torque: 130 lb/ft at 10,500 RPM
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Exterior and Interior

At first glance, the SR4 CS looks a lot like a miniature Le Mans racer and while Radical has made purpose-built race cars – the SR9 Le Mans Prototype being one of them – in the past, the SR4 CS is a road-ready beast that takes inspiration from the fabled racing series.

All of the details of the SR4, including the carbon fiber dash and the polished aluminum exhaust, was impressive due to the incredible work done to make the overall finish nothing short of race-worthy.

The SR4 also comes with a two-seater powder-coated carbon steel spaceframe chassis with integral safety cell that is compliant with all MSA safety requirements. It also boasts of an aluminum front crash structures, a composite front diffuser with a removable, high-nose, low-drag front section, wheel arch, side pod louvres, and a 44-liter foam-filled aluminium fuel tank mounted behind the driver within the safety cell. Other features include rear view mirrors, composite side pods with radiator inlet and internal ducting, composite side skirts, rear wing with end plates, and rear brakes.

Over at the interior, the SR4’s cockpit comes with a moulded composite, high-sided driver and passenger seats with adjustable mounts, a carbon fiber-composite dashboard surround, a display that boasts of an LED analogue rev counter, a gear indicator, shift lights, four LCD displays of engine parameters/speed and warning lights, a dash-mounted brake bias adjuster, a fully adjustable pedal box, and a driver seat-belt complying wth FiA requirements.

Optional features for the SR4 include upgrades on the high-downforce front diffuser, rear diffuser, bi-plane wing, roll bar fairing and dive planes, Le Mans-stlye carbon-composite mirrors, an FIA-approved Passenger six-point seat belt, forward-facing roll-over bar stays with head protectors and FIA shock-absorbing foam, a carbon-composite head restraint with FiA approved shock-absorbing foam, an FIA-approved crash box, and finally, a manually-activated fire extinguisher system.

Performance

The SR4 is fitted with a Powertech Suzuki 1,300cc four-cylinder engine that produces 210 horsepower and 130lb/ft of torque at 10,500 RPM that’s likewise mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox. The SR4 CS also has Powertec’s very own Power-Drive chain drive system that comes with a Quaife ATB differential and reversing system, allowing the engine to breathe through a ram-induction system that’s similar to what’s found in the SR3 RS.

Other notable performance items found in the SR4 include a stainless steel manifold and silencer, a fully adjustable Nik suspension system front and rear - unequal length top and bottom wishbones, fabricated uprights, forged steel centre lock hubs and interchangeable anti-roll links, single-adjustable, coil-over dampers, Radical four-pot calipers for both the front and rear of the car, 240 x 25mm, 30-vane ventilated discs for the front and rear, a set of Radical cast aluminium wheels measuring 7" × 13" in front and 9" × 13" in the rear with matching Dunlop bespoke slick tires.

Pricing

For a car that speaks of this much power, the SR4 comes with a price tag of only £29,500, or around $45,000 based on current exchange rates. Availability of the sports car can be inquired directly through Radical Motorsports.

Competition

Track-ready and road-going sports cars that pack this much power while also coming at an affordable price tag are hard to come by. With that alone, you can pretty much surmise that the Radical SR4 is a two-seater sports car that’s in a class of its own.