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You’ve probably never heard the name Radford before, and that’s understandable. The British body shop company has not been around since the late 1960s. But now designer Mark Stubbs, automotive specialist Ant Anstead and Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button have relaunched the nameplate, and the end result of this triad of talents is this magnificent Lotus Type 62-2 car built by Radford, the company’s first new project.
Inspired by the iconic Lotus Type 62 racing car from the 1960s, this modern road version blends retro elements with a contemporary chassis and interior components from the latest Lotus Evora. And mounted in the middle, a supercharged 3.5-liter inline-six engine delivers up to 600 horsepower (447 kilowatts), depending on specification.
The base Type 62-2 “Classic” uses the Evora’s standard 3.5-liter supercharged inline-six engine to produce 430 hp (321 kW). The “Gold Leaf” model sports this same engine, but with 500 hp (373 kW) thanks to improved pistons and camshafts. At the top of the range is the “JPS” variant, which features a new compressor and improved tuning software to bring the total output to 600 horsepower (447 kW).
The Classic model sports a standard six-speed manual transmission with an optional seven-speed dual clutch, while the Gold Leaf and JPS versions use DCT exclusively and come equipped with an electronic limited-slip differential. The Classic and Gold Leaf versions also benefit from AP Racing four-piston brakes, while the JPS goes for more powerful carbon-ceramic caps.
Regardless of the trim, every Type 62-2 uses the same Lotus unibody chassis, with a bespoke rear subframe designed by Radford to improve strength, stiffness and agility. This configuration also makes it possible to reduce the empty weight; the Type 62-2 tips the scales at a dry weight of just 2,204 pounds (1,000 kilograms). And the company notes that Jenson Button personally calibrated the car to achieve “exceptional steering feel and driver feedback.”
Stylistically, the Classic version is the most subtle of the bunch. Designed without a rear spoiler, it wears 17-inch wheels in the front and 18-inch wheels in the rear. The Gold Leaf model pays homage to the classic Lotus race car with a retro livery, track-oriented aerodynamics and a prominent “double ducktail” spoiler specially applied by Lotus to improve downforce on the track. And this model rolls on 18 and 19 inch wheels.
Inside, the Type 62-S has two “side mirror” cameras that project an image of the outside world onto the A-pillars on the driver’s side and passenger’s side. The rearview mirror is also a camera – due to the solid rear panel – and a 6.0-inch digital cluster lives right behind the wheel. The digital instrument panel includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to pump sound from your phone through the five speakers in the cabin.
Radford doesn’t say how much this beauty will cost, but limited to just 62 units worldwide, we can’t imagine the Type 62-2 being cheap. Production will begin at the company’s California facilities from the end of the year, with the first copy expected to enter circulation in early 2022.
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