Radical PR6

The first few laps around the Dubai Autodrome in the entry level Radical PR6 left me enthused. This is partly due to the unintimidating driving thrills and playful handling you get from this fun little racer - and for the simple fact that the PR6 is quite cute and dinky looking for a race car.

Unlike its fire-breathing big brothers, the SR3 and SR8, the PR6 is aimed at the fledgling racer and track day enthusiast.

Weighing in at under 450kg and pushing out 190bhp from the 1.3 litre Suzuki Hayabusa-sourced engine, the PR6 still has electric performance that can't be compared with anything but the most extreme road car.

The run from 0-100kph is dispatched in a claimed 3.5 seconds with top speed a respectable 233kph, although with taller gearing it would hit 260kph. With the PR6 the biggest challenge - for me anyway - is getting into it. You have to hop over the head protection bars and squeeze into the centrally mounted driving seat that is better suited to those of a more dainty physique. Push the starter button and the motor bursts into life with a motorbike-like high-pitched wail. Dial in some revs and ease out the clutch and the PR6 pulls away with a minimum of fuss.

Accelerating out on to the track the six-speed sequential gearbox feels great. Clutchless upshifts at the 9500rpm redline are a piece of cake and the pedals are perfectly positioned for heal and toe downshifts. The firm steering telegraphs the road surface back to you and you are always aware of what the stiffly sprung suspension is up to.

The best way to describe the PR6 is that it wraps itself around you, totally immersing you in the whole driving experience. You immediately feel confident trail braking deep into corners as the four-piston brake callipers grab reassuringly. Due to the lightweight of this Radical, braking distances are incredibly short, although you do have to be careful not to lock a wheel when you lean on the brakes.

Through the corners there is no body roll, with the PR6 remaining totally flat. On corner entry the nose pushes wide, although the understeer is easily reigned in with a slight lift of the throttle. Once you have hit the apex it's back hard on to the throttle as the rear tyres grapple for grip on the dusty circuit, pitching the PR6 into mild oversteer that is easily controlled with a bit of corrective lock.

If the behaviour of the PR6 is not to your liking almost all settings are adjustable, from brake
bias to dampers and shock absorbers settings all the way to aerodynamics adjustments - mainly to
the bi-plane rear wing to hone the handling of the car and help coax out the best possible lap time.

Overall, Radical has ultimately achieved its objective of building a beginner's racing car. The PR6 engages all your senses and is a challenging car to steer at speed. While it keeps you on your toes, it is not overwhelming like some of Radical's other offerings where you have to be a skilled driver to keep the car away from the run-off.

As a track day car it will embarrass far more expensive exotica, and for this level of performance the starting price of $54,469 is reasonable, although a PR6 with all the goodies, including a race light set, dash-mounted brake bias adjuster, steering wheel mounted data logger with performance prediction, HANS device, electronically-activate fire extinguisher, carbon-composite head restraint and a spare set of cast wheels, could easily top $70,000.

For the more committed, this could be the perfect way to start racing, as the Radical PR6 will be eligible for next year's Gulf Radical Cup. Gentlemen start your engines

+ Accessible race car
- You can't drive it on the road

See also:
Dubai Motor Show