THE RADFORD TYPE 62-2 IN PIKES PEAK TRIM IS NEXT LEVEL COOL - AND FAST!
Radford Cars is one of those smaller low-volume automakers that has an extensive history and expertise that has resulted in some rather epic cars that can easily hold their own against the offering from the usual massive automakers. The Lotus Europa Type 62 served as the inspiration for the Radford Type 62-2 and the company got it just right. The reimagined second version of the car looks just right, and with a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 providing a decent 605 hp, it has the right amount of go to be considered a supercar. It also serves as a great base to create a purpose-built racecar to attack the famed Pikes Peak, and so that’s exactly what Radford did - and now we have a Radford Pikes Peak Edition Type 62-2 in the world. Well, the racecar version is loosely based on the streetcar because it even features a completely new underbody that has new dimensions more suited to the task of racing. A little wider and a little longer means fat wheels and tyres can be used to maximise traction and also allows for all of that sexy oversized aero to be added to give the car as much downforce as possible. While it looks to be bigger than the street version, the Radford Pikes Peak Edition Type 62-2 is actually lighter thanks to the use of copious amounts of lightweight composite materials. The street version tips the scales at just over a ton, while the race-ready version weighs in at an amazing 861kg.
Powering the Radford Pikes Peak Edition Type 62-2 is that aforementioned Supercharged 3.5-litre V6 that’s been stripped and rebuilt and tweaked and tuned to raise the power from the road-going 450 kW to 522 kW, and that power is sent to the rear wheels only via a sequential transmission controlled via steering-mounted paddles. This is enough to propel the car from a standstill to 100 km/h in around 2.5 seconds and it tops out at around 260 km/h, which is pretty much perfect for the intended hillclimb use. To reign in the power, this Pikes Peak version wears AP Racing calipers that clamp down on carbon discs from the same manufacturer, and the foot controls feature an updated pedal box that is more suited to a racecar setup. The driver will sit in a central-mounted carbon race seat that weighs a mere 3.7 kg, and a host of new 3D printed parts aid this in keeping the kern weight at a minimum. The whole package looks amazing, especially in that iconic John Player Special-inspired livery that was last used in competition in F1 on the Lotus Renault 98T driven by the legendary Ayrton Senna. That’s pretty damn cool! We’ll be keeping an eye out for the car at Pikes Peak, which we will be watching live, no matter what happens.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off everything cool to do with the amazing Pikes Peak version of the Radford 62-2, including the amazing aero and livery the car wears ready for showing off for the cameras covering the famed hillclimb - and with 700 hp pushing a total weight of 861 kg up the hill, it should perform well above average at the right hands: Radford Pikes Peak Edition Is A Dedicated Race Car Ready To Conquer Colorado | FLOW AUTO
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