Photo: Radford
H.Radford (Coachbuilders) LTD is a new face in the boutique car-making industry, a British company fronted by 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button and automotive personality Ant Anstead. For drivers who seek the ultimate craftsmanship, luxury, and driving pleasure, Radford is much obliged to sell them a reinterpretation of the Lotus Type 62.
Only 62 units of the road-going sports car will ever be produced, and the first example is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2022. Penned by Mark Stubbs - who has previously worked for many automotive juggernauts that include General Motors, Ford, Nissan, as well as Bugatti - the retro-futuristic automobile is inspired by and produced in partnership with Lotus.
The bonded-aluminum chassis, for example, comes from the British automaker. Closely related to the Elise and Exige, the platform is topped by carbon-fiber body panels to keep the Radford Type 62-2 as lightweight as possible. The crash structure is also made from carbon fiber, the underside is completely flat, and a custom tubular subframe is also worth mentioning.
1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) is the advertised curb weight of the limited-edition automobile, which takes its mojo from a 3.5-liter V6 from Toyota. The 2GR-FE is the culprit, and obviously enough, a thumpin’ great supercharger helps this engine crank out as much as 600 force-fed ponies.
There are three specifications available to purchase at the moment of writing, starting with the 430-horsepower Classic. Coincidence or not, that rating is a perfect match for the Evora GT430. The 500-horsepower Gold Leaf is next, and it features a red, gold, and white livery inspired by the Imperial Tobacco cigarette brand that sponsored Lotus from 1968 to 1971.
JPS is the name of the ultimate option, which combines the upgraded pistons and camshafts of the Gold Leaf with software tuning for the aforementioned rating of 600 horsepower. Although no pictures or design sketches of the JPS are currently available, it’s very likely that we’re dealing with the black-and-gold theme of the John Player Special racing cars of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Sitting on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, the Radford Type 62-2 features a six-speed manual transmission or an optional dual-clutch box in the case of the Classic. The Gold Leaf and JPS are DCT-exclusive affairs.
The bonded-aluminum chassis, for example, comes from the British automaker. Closely related to the Elise and Exige, the platform is topped by carbon-fiber body panels to keep the Radford Type 62-2 as lightweight as possible. The crash structure is also made from carbon fiber, the underside is completely flat, and a custom tubular subframe is also worth mentioning.
1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) is the advertised curb weight of the limited-edition automobile, which takes its mojo from a 3.5-liter V6 from Toyota. The 2GR-FE is the culprit, and obviously enough, a thumpin’ great supercharger helps this engine crank out as much as 600 force-fed ponies.
There are three specifications available to purchase at the moment of writing, starting with the 430-horsepower Classic. Coincidence or not, that rating is a perfect match for the Evora GT430. The 500-horsepower Gold Leaf is next, and it features a red, gold, and white livery inspired by the Imperial Tobacco cigarette brand that sponsored Lotus from 1968 to 1971.
JPS is the name of the ultimate option, which combines the upgraded pistons and camshafts of the Gold Leaf with software tuning for the aforementioned rating of 600 horsepower. Although no pictures or design sketches of the JPS are currently available, it’s very likely that we’re dealing with the black-and-gold theme of the John Player Special racing cars of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Sitting on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, the Radford Type 62-2 features a six-speed manual transmission or an optional dual-clutch box in the case of the Classic. The Gold Leaf and JPS are DCT-exclusive affairs.
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