Radical SR1 XXR: the entry-level model gets upgraded with pata negra improvements

Since 1997 Radical Motorsport has been a well-known and highly regarded brand among track enthusiasts and track day fans, a reputation earned through its skill in building track-focused roadsters and, nearly four years ago, through its venture into a road-legal roadster called the Rapture, which combines great power with very little weight and draws on all the company’s experience gained on the circuit.

Of all Radical’s models, the SR1 is the most popular. It is the entry-level roadster in the British company’s range, offering everything needed to spend great days on the track without reaching the costs of its higher-end models. Just a few months ago Radical introduced improvements to its SR3 XXR and SR10 XXR models, and now it is the SR1’s turn, which will also receive upgrades under the XXR treatment, giving us an even more interesting roadster.

After six years without any evolution of the SR1, Radical wanted the owners of the new SR1 XXR to get a roadster that is even easier to use and, just as importantly, that increases its durability and reliability. The first goal was fairly easy for Radical, starting from the already good base of the SR1, so to improve its aerodynamics they have fitted a “shark fin” inspired by LMP category models, complemented by the new rear wing. They have also fitted its lightweight wheels with semi-slick tyres (the SR3 and SR10 models use pure slicks).

But the major improvements are undoubtedly under its bodywork, specifically in its in-house built Generation 5 engine, a water-cooled 1,340 cc four-cylinder, 16-valve unit producing 202 CV and 163 Nm of torque. This engine, along with the parts applied to the gearbox, features major upgrades in several areas, including a new drive-by-wire induction system, a redesigned oil pump with higher flow together with a new dry sump, a new ignition system with new spark plugs, lightened connecting rods, improved crankshaft pins and a new cylinder head.

All these changes mean the new Radical SR1 XXR is not only easier to use but also more efficient. According to the brand itself, engine warm-up time has been reduced while the service intervals have been extended, for example from an oil change every 6 hours of use to one every 10 hours.