► A new 350bhp Radical
► Road-legal track car
► Tinkered Ford EcoBoost engine
You’re looking at the new Radical Rapture, a 350bhp track car for the road. Revealed at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Rapture follows a familiar formula: minimum weight, a large dose of downforce and some race-inspired chassis creds. And that’s why it looks a lot like every other Radical we’ve seen.
‘We’ve distilled over two decades of motorsport heritage into the most focused, open sports car possible,’ said Radical’s CEO Joe Anwyll.
‘In Rapture, cutting-edge direct-injection turbochargers, powertrain technology and advanced underbody dynamics contribute to a unique package with electrifying performance.’
Give me some specs and performance figures!
There’s clearly not much to the Radical Rapture, but the main ingredient is Ford’s latest 2261cc turbocharged EcoBoost block snaffled from the Mustang and Focus RS. Supplied by the Blue Oval but then tinkered with by Radical’s engine arm, the EcoBoost gets a new turbo and induction system fitted at its Peterborough HQ.
The result? 350bhp and 320lb ft of torque, pushed through a six-speed paddle-shift ‘box.
High-downforce bodywork along with a diffuser and bi-plane rear wing should keep the Radical glued to the road, while the Nik-link suspension and adjustable dampers soak up the bumps.
Because it is aimed at someone who will drive to the track, the interior is designed to be relatively comfortable. There are two race-spec moulded seats, integrated headrests and other creature comforts such as a heater.
Of course, you’ll also find an LCD display with data-logging capability – because this is also a race car.
The Rapture’s orders books are already open, though we don’t have a price or other vital specs for it. We’ll update this article when we do.