Mustang Mach 1

Make
Ford
Segment
Coupe

Blasting around a road course at full tilt takes more than nerves of steel and a basic understanding of the laws of physics: it requires the right machine. Sure, you could give your front-wheel-drive econobox a good thrashing around the corners of Road America, but the experience might not be up to snuff, and there's a high chance you'll need a tow before the day is through.

We might instead suggest that you pick yourself up a dedicated track toy, like this: the new Radical SR10. The latest in Radical's lauded SR model line, the manufacturer touts the SR10 as "optimized for both performance and durability," in a way that few past Radicals have been.

The heart and soul of the new Radical SR10 is its four-cylinder turbocharged engine. It's based on Ford's 2.3L EcoBoost four-pot from the Ford Mustang EcoBoost or the Ford Focus RS hot hatch, but with a bespoke Garrett G-Series turbocharger and dry-sump lubrication. The result is 425 horsepower - 50 more than the Focus RS - and 380 lb-ft of torque.

That engine is mated with a new Hewland GT3-based six-speed transmission and Hewland TMT transaxle, the latter of which was originally developed for the 2009 FIA Formula 2 car. In other words, it's more than capable of surviving a few fast-paced track days. Radical says the engine's rebuild interval should come in around 80 hours of use, which is more than 6,200 miles of living at the redline.

It gets even better, with a WaveTrac ATB torque-biasing differential, interchangeable anti-roll bars, triple-adjustable Intrax dampers, and a lightweight, spaceframe chassis built to FIA specs. Inside, there's an AiM Formula steering wheel with a multi-page LCD display that provides real-time access to data. There are also controls to alter things like the steering assist, engine and transmission mapping, and brake bias to tailor your track experience.

Joe Anwyll, CEO of Radical Sportscars, says the SR10 achieves the target of building something "with the visceral performance of our SR8 but in a longer life, more durable package, packed with the latest Radical data and electronics capabilities."

It's not all good news, though; the price for all of this is £105,000 - about $136,000 US at the current exchange rate - before delivery. Deliveries will begin in October.