New Radford Type 62-2 Is A Tribute To Lotus Type 62 Racer

Radford debuted the 1st version in their contemporary history, a sportscar inspired by the Lotus Type 62 racer from 1969. Starting in late 2021, 62 units of the Radford Type 62-2 will be built.

The brand began as a UK-based coachbuilder in 1948, creating and manufacturing various unique automobiles inspired by Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Mini cars.

In 2021, a team led by former Formula One champion Jenson Button, TV presenter and automobile builder Ant Anstead, car designer Mark Stubbs, and lawyer Roger Behle resurrected the company in California, forming a partnership with Lotus Engineering.

Radford Type 62-2 is built on a Lotus-sourced aluminum chassis that features a revised rear frame for increased stiffness. Coil-over springs with four-way adjustable dampers provide racing-style agility, according to Jenson Button, who describes the car as sumptuous, pleasant, and fun to drive. AP Racing four-piston calipers on steel or additional carbon-ceramic discs provide braking.

The Toyota 3.5-liter supercharged V6 featured in the new Lotus Emira powers the mid-mounted motor. The engine delivers 430 hp in the "Basic" variant, 500 hp in the "Gold Leaf" edition thanks to some hardware and ECU changes, and up to 600 horses in the "JPS" variation, which will be revealed later. The base model will have a six-speed manual transmission, while more powerful models will have a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a constrained differential.

Mark Stubbs created the Type 62-2's carbon-fiber bodywork, which contributes to the Type 62-2's lightweight of roughly 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs). He did an excellent job of combining retro features from the original, such as the side intakes, the lovely curves of the fenders, and the additional incorporated ducktail spoilers, with modern accents such as LED lighting units. It stands at 1,133 mm (44.6 in), somewhat taller than a Lotus Elise but lower than almost every modern vehicle on the street.

The “Gold Leaf” variant's retro red and white livery, which is evocative of Graham Hill's 1968 Lotus Type 48B, makes the product even more appealing. The future “JPS” will most likely be painted in the black and gold livery of Emmerson Fittipaldi's Lotus Type 72D F1 from 1972. Radford hasn't released any interior photos yet, but they did reveal some design details.

The dash will include a 6-inch digital instrument display, while the entertainment system will include wi-fi, Bluetooth, and a five-speaker sound system. There will be 2 seats in the cab, as well as enough luggage room.

Radford Type 62-2's pricing has yet to be announced, but given its exclusivity, we expect it to be rather pricey. Production will begin in California at the end of 2021, with the first deliveries expected in early 2022.