Jenson Button has signed-off the Radford Lotus Type 62-2

British coachbuilder Radford - revived earlier this year by Ant Anstead, Mark Stubbs and Jenson Button - has completed the final development drive of its limited-run Lotus Type 62-2.

F1 champ Button took the Exige-based Type 62-2 for a final spin (albeit his first) at Lotus’s test track in Hethel, Norfolk, pictured in the gallery above alongside Emerson Fittipaldi’s title-winning Lotus 72 F1 car. Obviously.

The company claims that Button’s rubber stamp of approval will ensure ‘superlative, engaging yet refined’ handling when the first customers get their cars in the second quarter of 2022.

Radford estimates that its prototype clocked 186mph (electrically limited, it says) with the car’s 600bhp, 3.5-litre V6 heart pumping it from 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and 0-124mph in 8.4 seconds via a six-speed manual gearbox.

In a nod to legendary Lotus designer Colin Chapman, the final development phase of Radford’s creation has been overseen by son Clive, who is the MD of Classic Team Lotus. “Seeing this modern Radford Lotus Type 62-2 in action on the Hethel track today has been really very special,” he said. “The way it has taken the spirit and legacy of the original Type 62, combined it with the iconic JPS livery, and revived it for the modern day sportscar enthusiast is an admirable achievement.”

The Type 62-2 is said to benefit from upgraded pistons, con-rods and camshafts, an adjustable coil spring suspension, plus carbon-fibre body panels and interior (which we’ve seen already). Using an aluminium chassis, the dry weight falls under the one-tonne mark.

Only 62 will be built, including a run of 12 John Player specials, and buyers will also get a track day with Button thrown in. Because who doesn’t want an actual F1 champion to teach them how to drive?

“To finally drive the type 62-2 for the first time was obviously a very special moment, the cockpit already feels like home!” exclaimed JB. “The car felt great, well balanced in high- and low-speed corners and ran faultlessly all day which is the perfect base for the months of setup tweaking that will follow for me.

“We want to ensure that this car is a pure driver’s car that pays both due respects to the DNA of Lotus but also delivers the luxury of a Radford.”

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