Basic questions from a newbie

[Cayman48]

Hello Radical’s fans,

I’m from france and I have a TVR T350 wich is very very rare in France.

After 2 trackdays with the T350 I think I would love a Radical because it would be a real race car. I might buy one in a range of 6 months - 1 year from now.
I wouldn’t compete just have fun on trackdays with an amazing toy.
No need to be the fastest but would like to be fast...

Should I take a SR3 1300 or 1500 ? Are the 205hp of the 1300 enough for what I want to do ?
SR4 looks to be cheaper but can’t find what are the differences with SR3.

And final question that could stop my dreams : I’m more than 2 meters (203cm / 6ft7in) will I fit in ?
I'm talking about legroom and armroom. Don't worry about body because I'm not too big.

Thanks for your contribution !

Edited by Cayman48 on Monday 2nd April 09:39

Edited by Cayman48 on Monday 2nd April 10:26

[Cayman48]

After I completed my search on PH I think I found the differences between SR3 and SR4

4 seems to be more easy to use : Get in/getoff, load on the trailer and unload, take off the bodywork, more easy to drive, good for setting out and learning (what I want). It has a smaller passenger's seat wich can be annoying for big passengers sometimes

[MiseryStreak]

I'm 6'7", which is 201cm, if you are 203cm, then you are 6'8" and therefore ridiculously massive. I don't think you will fit in a Radical. Have you ever seen one in real life? It takes a man the size of a 10 year old child a while to struggle into one.

They are lovely things though, one was lapping Goodwood on Saturday and out of all the cars there (Aventador/Agera/599 GTO/GT-R/GT40), it was the one I'd most like to go around in, the speed it carries through corners is insane.

Maybe you could get one modified?

[Cayman48]

I'v seen a couple this week end and big tall guy (not as tall as me at all me but much bigger) was driving one. Tried to talk to him but was not very nice so end up with nothing...
I have to sit in one to check. In case of modifications any suggestions ?
The big issue is legroom and armroom, I dont't like to be too close from the steering wheel, it means I like to have my arms strech. to be more precise let's say a 45° angle is too much for me but may be it's a question of get used to it.

Edited by Cayman48 on Monday 2nd April 11:57

Edited by Cayman48 on Monday 2nd April 12:13

[double d racing]

It takes a man the size of a 10 year old child a while to struggle into one.

Whattttttttttttttt ?

[splitpin]

Whattttttttttttttt

Theeeeeeeeeeeee

Si?

[doctordave]

splitpin said:

Whattttttttttttttt

Theeeeeeeeeeeee

Si?

yipeeee that means i must be a teenager again

[Simon T]

[quote=MiseryStreak]I'm 6'7", which is 201cm, if you are 203cm, then you are 6'8" and therefore ridiculously massive. I don't think you will fit in a Radical. Have you ever seen one in real life? It takes a man the size of a 10 year old child a while to struggle into one.

quote]

Utter bks

Find one and try it

If you get and SR3 get a 1500, its underpowered in 1300cc form

Simon

[gaxor]

Simon T]iseryStreak said:

I'm 6'7", which is 201cm, if you are 203cm, then you are 6'8" and therefore ridiculously massive. I don't think you will fit in a Radical. Have you ever seen one in real life? It takes a man the size of a 10 year old child a while to struggle into one.

quote]

Utter bks

Find one and try it

If you get and SR3 get a 1500, its underpowered in 1300cc form

Simon

From what I heard you think anything under 300BHP is underpowered

See you at Snetterton ?

Gary

[splitpin]

On "Will I Fit?", I would get in touch with Radical and ask them; they'll almost certainly know who they've fitted (levered) into what; personally (6'8" is extremely tall!) I doubt you'd fit in anything other than an SR3. I suggest you 'speak' to Jamie Robinson > [e-mail]

Although I completely understand why Simon recommends a 1500 (hardly surprising when you look at the mighty motor that is currently powering him), there's no way I'd dismiss a 1300 (or better still a 1340) for exclusively trackday use - they are more than quick enough. And they can be tuned 'as and when you wish'; I recollect that DSL's tuned 1299 showed something like 193(?) rwhp on RPE's dyno a couple of years or so ago and that was slightly more than the standard stroker 1475 K7 was putting out. The now standard K8 1340 is not that much down on rwhp compared to 'old' K7 1475.

[Cayman48]

I think a 1340 with 205hp will be enough...
Would it accelerate as much as a 997 GT3 in a straight line for instance ?

I'm leaving right now to a place in Belgium where they have a Radical, will sit in it.
I'll tell you what this afternoon

[double d racing]

Stilling ( small boy that he is ), actually wrote the proper words I meant...

DD

[splitpin]

Cayman48 said:

I think a 1340 with 205hp will be enough...
Would it accelerate as much as a 997 GT3 in a straight line for instance ?

It would comprehensively outrun a GT3 upto say 140mph, whereupon on a very long straight the Porker would start to claw it back, then you'd come to a bend and the Porker would get utterly marmalised yet again, into it, through it and out of it.

"When a chap is starting to get a bit bored with the track pace of his otherwise absolutely excellent GT3RS, it's probably time for him to get a Radical."

[BertBert]

splitpin said:

It would comprehensively outrun a GT3 upto say 140mph

Are you sure? I'd guess they are both about 8 secs to 100mph and I've not seen more that 141mph out of mine. The 997 GT3 has a top speed of 193, so I'd say they are not that different with SR3 having a slight early advantage, but the GT3 will start to open a gap at about 100.

But who cares, I'm only saying it as I am an argumentative git. They are so different to drive, there's not comparison!

BB

[Cayman48]

Here I am, back from the place in belgium, there only were a prosport with a really tiny seat I could'nt fit in but the guy told me he already manged to take off a seat from an SR3 to build another one for a tall person...so could be Ok for me.
Now I have to sell my T350 fisrt and its' another story...
I'll call the Radical factory to double check.

Oh...by the way Thx to all of you

[splitpin]

BertBert said:

Are you sure?

Completely and utterly sure .............. look @ Dony last August; the GT Champ (in his much more track adapted spec than the usual GT3) was doing Qualy in 1:11.5 ish, whereas Fingers BB was doing 1:09-ish in his slow old SR3.

Mind you, you and yourself could always have an argument about it if push comes to shove?

[dunc_sx]

Yeah that suggests that the porker was at least as quick (or faster) in a straight line and the rad was faster in corners and under braking. Irrelevant though as the rad's a more focused car and as mentioned a completely different animal to most road cars

Had a quick search (but couldn't really be bothered looking too hard) and found

SR3 0-100mph 8.9s

http://www.torquestats.com/index.php?car_id=89

GT3 0-100 8.0s

http://www.torquestats.com/index.php?car_id=609

No doubt those figures are a load of codswallop though Either way for a road car thumbs up to the porker

Dunc.

Edit: Oh and apologies for dragging the topic to gutter level, I feel dirty!

Edited by dunc_sx on Tuesday 3rd April 16:33

[Count Johnny]

splitpin said:

Completely and utterly sure

Well, it has been known!

Of course the OP asked whether an SR3 would out accelerate a 997 (whatever it was) which is a complex question - that you didn't answer, with talk of laptimes - and is dependant upon too many factors to list.

All in all, I fancy the Porker from 100 to 193ph on the Muldoon.

[splitpin]

Count Johnny said:

Of course the OP asked whether an SR3 would out accelerate a 997 (whatever it was) which is a complex question - that you didn't answer

Yes I did, read what I said

Bit of a no-brainer from 100-193mph isn't it?

[Count Johnny]