At its world premiere at the Autosport International show earlier this month, UK-based Radical Sportscars unveiled its latest flagship track-day special: the RXC Spyder. For all intents and purposes, this open-cockpit, mid-engine, mini-LMP looks to be an absolute monster, with a powerplant that can rev forever and a chassis capable of tracking down checkered flags like a shark to blood.
The Spyder has already eclipsed the lap times set by Radical’s previous “ultimate racer,” the SR8 RX, with more speed promised after further development. As with any new vehicle most at home on a starting grid, the Spyder represents Radical’s ongoing effort in performance and handling optimization.
At well over six figures, this is one very expensive plaything. But for anyone brave enough to take the plunge, the Spyder promises a racing experience unparalleled this side of Le Mans. The engine revs past 10,000 rpm, the grip will beat you senseless, and the downforce is as effective as hammering a nail. Come race day, there are precious few vehicles that are even capable of coming close to it. It’s the kind of package that inspires mere mortals to transcend to the realm of superheroes. It’s the kind of car that can mold bronze divinities from squishy grey lumps of clay. It really is that good.
Before you post comments on how ugly you think this car looks, let me remind you that such observations are as pointless as criticizing the color of a screwdriver. This car is a tool for creating speed — nothing more, nothing less. But if you believe that form follows function, you probably think — like I do — that it’s absolutely stunning.
With that in mind, the Spyder’s body shape is a combination of its RXC closed-cockpit sibling, and Radical’s SR9 LMP2 racer. It also enjoys the same aerodynamic balance as the SR3 RSX, with multi-piece composite front and rear diffusers and a full-width carbon bi-plane rear wing. Total downforce at maximum velocity is rated at just under one ton — basically the weight of the car.
The Spyder is also physically larger than the current SR8 RX, which allows for the installation of an FIA-certified, 26.4-gallon fuel cell, which is offered with an optional dual dry-break refueling system for endurance events.
The Spyder’s chassis is a high-tensile-strength CDS carbon fiber tubular steel spaceframe, with front and rear FIA-spec crash boxes. The body panels are all modular composite pieces, which helps when things go awry and replacements are quickly needed. The adjustable wing mirrors are also made from carbon fiber. Finally, Radical threw in a full lighting system, including LED daytime running lights.
Thanks to its extended exterior dimensions, the interior of the RXC Spyder is also roomier, making it the largest open cockpit that Radical’s ever made.
Of course, that’s like being skinniest kid at fat camp, because this is still a race car we’re talking about. I doubt you’ll notice the extra space when clipping apexes and setting up a passing zone.
A new AIM MXG dash logger sits front and center, and features a 7-inch, high-contrast TFT display, equipped with WiFi connectivity to quickly download all pertinent data. There’s also a digital tachometer and LED shift lights. The instruments are integrated with the nose to allow for maximum visibility and minimum aerodynamic disruption, and everything is weatherproofed for those rainy Sundays — as if you’d want to drive this monster in the rain.
Between the instruments and the driver sits a fully adjustable, multi-function steering wheel. Feedback through this unit is enhanced by variable-assist power steering, while a set of flappy paddles are in place to handle upshifts and downshifts.
The Spyder-specific, FIA-certified, HANS-compatible bucket seats are also adjustable, as is the pedal box, opening up the possibility for a quick driver swap should the need arise. Finally, a six-point harness keeps all those squishy bits in one place.
The screaming heart of the RXC Spyder is Radical’s latest iteration the RPE V-8, a naturally aspirated, 3.0-liter, 72 degree flat-plane-crank unit with eight individual, 45-mm (1.8-inch) throttle bodies. Total output is rated at 440 horsepower at 9,100 rpm, and 280 pound-feet of torque at 7,500 rpm. Redline is 10,500 rpm. For a car weighing only 1,896 pounds, that’s enormous power to wield.
Despite spinning fast enough to turn back time, the RPE V-8 is also remarkably reliable, at least for a race engine. Keeping it cool and lubed is a high-flow-rate oil system, integral four-pump oil scavenging system, and two oil pumps. This helps the car endure up to 40 hours of abuse between rebuilds, which Radical claims is the equivalent of an entire race season.
Putting that power to the rear wheels is a seven-speed, transverse Quaife gearbox equipped with autoblip. Just hit a paddle, and the revs match, giving you more time to set up that perfect exit.
Sporting the same weight distribution as the SR3 RSX, the RXC Spyder comes with all the right rigging for carrying momentum through the corners. It has a fully adjustable, inboard pushrod suspension, with front and rear double wishbones and Intrax dampers.
Large contact patches are provided by the Dunlop SP Sport, 235/620 front and 290/645 rear tires. These are mounted on 18-inch, center-lock, cast-alloy wheels, which are 9.5-inches wide in the front and 11.5-inches wide in the rear. Behind all that are fully floating disc brakes with six-pot calipers, which clamp down on ventilated rotors measuring 350 mm (13.8 inches) in front and 310 mm (12.2 inches) out back.
Here comes the not-so-spectacular section of the review: The Radical RXC Spyder starts at £109,950, which is $166,526 at current exchange rates (1/28/15). Unfortunately, that is quite the hefty figure for something you can’t even drive on public roads. However, looking at the performance capabilities, $166K is an amount that’s not really that surprising. Check out the competition to see what I mean.
Radical is currently taking orders for the RXC Spyder, with test-drives available at UK and other European track locations. If you want all the trimmings of a true race car, and the visceral experience of driving at ten tenths in one of the most capable vehicles on the planet, you could do a lot worse than the Spyder. It’s the classic Radical formula pushed even further into the stratosphere. Sure, you could pay less, but you’d end up with a weapon that was a bit dull by comparison. You could also go a bit faster, but the expense would be much higher. The Spyder seems to hit that sweet spot of speed and value. Just try to keep it on the track.
