Guess who else is going to the Pikes Peak International Climb? That’s right, Radford. The boutique carmaker paying modern homage to the 1969 Lotus Type 62 (based on the modern Lotus Evora) wants its name out there, and up there, in the public eye and at the top of the time sheets. This will not be a mere demonstration. The company has been working with several suppliers around the world on a unique special design that starts with the retail road car, but is made to beat the challengers in the exhibition class of the race.
The aluminum chassis is now a full carbon composite monocoque bolted to a new subframe. The supercharged 3.5-liter Toyota V6 that makes about 600 horses on the streetcar was stripped of everything but the block and rebuilt by Jubu Performance to make about 710 horses. This mill is moved by a sequential transmission that sends all the power to the rear axle. With a claimed dry vehicle weight of 1,898 pounds, a quartet of custom Yokohama tires wrapping wider Dymag carbon fiber rims get to 60 mph in less than 2.2 seconds. Top speed goes to 160 miles per hour, the return to zero occurs thanks to AP Racing carbon brakes.
The carbon body is nine inches wider, many of its new components are 3D printed. It hides more powertrain upgrades, including a beefier cooling system, new suspension geometry, and new bodywork. It does not hide the larger wing, gooseneck, bolted to the back. A center-mounted Tillet racing seat occupies the cockpit, housing Tanner Foust. The do-it-all racer won his class at Pikes Peak in 2021 in a Porsche Cayman GT4. He’ll race against names like Rhys Millen, Michael Whiddett, Loni Unser and Randy Pobst, and compete against cars like the Radical SR1 Diesel, Tesla Model S Plaid, Shelby Super Snake and Ferrari 488 GT3.
Pikes Peak will take place on Sunday, June 25. The Radford should be impossible to miss, but watch out for car no. 4 that runs towards the clouds.
