RADICAL SR3 XXR & REVOLUTION 500 EVO

No road car pretensions here: the Radical and Revolution sit where race car meets trackday car

- JAMES TAYLOR

IT WOULD BE REMISS TO HAVE A TRACK CAR TEST without including two ultimate expressions of the genre.

The Radical and Revolution are the only cars here that aren't road-legal: they've been created purely for the track, for both racing and recreation, but they've also both been designed as cars that a novice or a seasoned driver could hop into and find equally rewarding. In short, they're designed for fun as well as lap times, so they fit right in with this test's ethos.

And as an ultimate benchmark for pure, focused driving, there's little else out there like a Radical SR3. The SR3 has been around since 2002 and has evolved continuously since, with more than 1500 cars sold around the world, and multiple dedicated championships across various continents. But the essentials remain the same: lightweight tubular chassis, motorcycle-sourced engine (subsequently reengineered by Radical's RPE engine division), intelligently calibrated suspension, and aerodynamic bodywork shaped for downforce.

Here at Cadwell today, we have the SR3 XXR, the fifth-generation SR3, which launched in 2022. Together with solid-state data technology, it also features a new generation of RPE's racing engine, available as either a 1340cc or 1500cc unit - this car has the latter.

The first RPE engine with the ability to run on biofuel, it turns out 232bhp and runs through a six-speed paddleshift gearbox and Quaife limited-slip diff.

Stepping over the side and nestling down into the lay-back driving position, you're reminded of another SR3 USP: an ant-level centre of gravity. Stepping into the SR3 after any of the road-legal cars gives you a totally different perspective.