# Radical SR8

- Source: https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/radical-sr8/
- Publisher: Racing Car Network (racingcarnetwork.com), the race car marketplace
- Type: car · Brand: Radical
- Discipline: gt-cup
- Series: sports-racer
- Era: 2000s
- Last updated: 2026-07-06
- For sale on RCN: https://racingcarnetwork.com/for-sale/radical-sr8/ (0 live listings right now)

The SR8 is Radical's V8 statement: the SR3's big brother with RPE's own 2.6–2.8 litre V8, famous for holding the Nürburgring Nordschleife production-based lap record for years — the fastest thing club money could buy.

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.6–2.8 L RPE RPA V8 |
| Power | 363–460 hp by spec |
| Weight | ~680 kg |
| Gearbox | 6-speed sequential, paddle option |
| Chassis | Steel spaceframe, ground-effect aero |
| Brakes | Steel racing, no ABS |
| Years | 2005–2015 (family) |
| Class | Sports racer / Radical Euro Masters |

## History

Radical Performance Engines built its reputation enlarging Suzuki Hayabusa fours; the SR8 of 2005 doubled the idea — the RPE RPA V8 was effectively two Hayabusa top ends on a common crankcase, 2.6 litres and 360+ hp initially, revving past 10,000 rpm in a car under 700 kg. The SR8LM (2.8, ~460 hp) and SR8RX evolutions refined the package on the SR-family spaceframe with full ground-effect aero.

The model's legend was written in the Eifel: Michael Vergers' 2005 Nordschleife lap of 6:55 in an SR8, then the SR8LM's 6:48 in 2009 — records for road-registered machinery that stood for years and made Radical a household name far beyond club paddocks, since both runs were driven to the circuit on number plates.

Competitively the SR8 headlined Radical's Euro Masters and open sports-prototype classes, while today it anchors the fast end of the used Radical ladder: SR3 running costs it is not (the V8's rebuild schedule is serious), but nothing else delivers this pace-per-pound. Buyers choose between honest club SR8s and the collector-tinged record-era cars.

## Palmarès

Nürburgring Nordschleife lap records for road-registered cars — 6:55 (2005) and the SR8LM's 6:48 (2009) — each standing for years; Radical European Masters race wins and titles through the late 2000s and 2010s; open prototype-class victories in British and continental club racing throughout the model's life.

## What to check before you buy

The RPA V8's rebuild status rules the transaction: intervals are shorter than the SR3's four and the work runs through RPE or its acknowledged specialists — hours since rebuild, with invoices, is the price. Verify which specification (SR8, LM, RX) and aero generation the car carries, chassis crash history via Radical's records, and gearbox/paddle system service. Record-era or Euro Masters provenance adds a premium the spec sheet won't show. As with all Radicals, the dealer network's pre-purchase inspection is cheap insurance — use it, and budget the V8's consumables honestly before falling for the lap times.

## Did you know

- The RPA V8 is literally two Hayabusa-derived fours sharing a crank — RPE's engineers called it the most cost-effective route to a 10,500 rpm V8 ever taken.
- Both Nordschleife record runs were driven TO the circuit on public roads — the SR8LM did 6:48 with number plates and a warrant of fitness.
- SR8 lap records embarrassed contemporary supercars costing ten times more — several manufacturers privately benchmarked against it in the Eifel.

## Related entries

- Radical SR3 — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/radical-sr3/
- Radical RXC — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/radical-rxc/
- Radical SR1 — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/radical-sr1/
- Norma M20 FC (Hillclimb/CN) — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/norma-m20/