Radical vs Caterham: Clash Of The Budget Sportscars

The Radical and Caterham brands are synonymous with entry-level motorsport and high-level competition, even in sim racing. But how do they compare?

Track day cars are a good way to get a taste of racing cars for many who do not want to dive into the competitive side of things. Both Radical and Caterham are well-known for their track day toys, and both feature in several racing simulators.

It is important to clarify that both Radical and Caterham offer many different levels of entry to motorsport from race cars that you can drive on the road, to LMP2 machinery. The cars are also very different from each other, as the Radical is a sports prototype and the Caterham is often considered as its own class entirely.

The main comparison we will be looking at will be the Caterham Academy vs the Radical SR3 XXR in Assetto Corsa. Not how they compare on the track, but what they are like for new drivers to get used to. Further comparisons where possible will take place in Automobilista 2 for the Caterhams and rFactor 2 for the Radicals.


Radical SR3 XXR Assetto Corsa mod. Image Radical Motorsport

Before getting stuck into the higher levels of Caterhams and Radicals, let's look at the entry-level formats. For Caterham, their Acadamy series is the entry point. With huge grids and all-inclusive pre-season packages available, thousands of drivers have started their careers in this world-famous championship.

Caterham Academy​

The Caterham Academy allows brand new drivers to step into a welcoming and progressive paddock, surrounded by other new drivers. The championship prides itself on massive grids at some of the UK's most famous circuits and layouts.

Whilst not essential, an all-inclusive ‘introduction to motorsport’ package is the main package offered to new Academy drivers. It includes a Ford Sigma-powered road-legal race car, race licence, technical support, the racing itself and the guidance of the Caterham team at every race meeting.


Caterham Academy class. Image: Caterham

The cars used have 125 hp with open differentials and road-going tyres to teach drivers the art of car control. The cars are fully road legal with a select number of drivers opting to drive to each event in their race car, racing all weekend, and then driving it home again!

The Caterham Acadamy championship continues to pioneer fair amateur racing with no outside racing team support allowed. All drivers have access to Caterham mechanics and engineers throughout every weekend as a part of their package.

Radical SR1 XXR Cup​

A much newer championship than the Caterham Acadamy, the Radical SR1 XXR cup is the first rung on the Radical ladder in the UK and further afield.

Core to the Radical design are the aerodynamic grip, nimbleness and balance every Radical car possesses. These sports prototypes are a step up technologically from their competitors Caterham. However, the price and accessibility reflect that.


Radical SR1 XXR at Thruxton Circuit, 2024. Image: Radical Motorsport

Unlike road cars that have been modified for track use, the full Radical range has been designed for track use from the factory. This means that no Radical is road legal. The chassis is optimised for performance, focusing on aerodynamics, high downforce, and stability at high speeds. This ensures that the car provides maximum grip and agility during high-performance driving.

You would be right in thinking that the Radical, a sports prototype, has a huge advantage over the Caterhams in performance with the advanced aero. But the Caterham teaches raw car control without the added effect of aerodynamic assistance. What is better to learn for a rookie driver? Let us know in the comments below.

Caterham & Radical's LMP2 Venture​

Interestingly, both brands created a prototype built to the LMP2 ruleset in the past. Caterham's offering competed at Le Mans in 2013, but would never see the track again after that with the brand being put on the reserve list for the 2014 running of the race and therefore pulling the plug on the project.


Caterham LMP2. Image: Mark Seymour via WikiMedia Commons CC-BY-2.0 | Radical SR9. Image: Mitch via WikiMedia Commons CC-BY-2.0

Radical's offering came in the form of their SR9. Produced in 2006, the SR9 was a ‘value for money’ LMP2 car that used Radical’s own Powertec RPD 3.0 litre V8. Radical then decided to make bespoke cars like the SR3 which would ultimately launch the brand internationally.

Revolution: A new challenger approaches​

Many sim racers may not have heard about the sports prototype brand, Revolution, but they have been competing for many years and are taking the next step up with their impressive lineup. The small UK-based car brand's mission statement is clear: redefining the 'cost no object' philosophy in amateur motorsport to encourage more people to take the plunge and give it a go!


Whilst buying your own Revolution car is certainly still expensive, over £100,000 to be precise, the magic of the Revolution brand is their arrive-and-drive offerings. Whether it be a whole season or just some test days, the Revolution team offer full factory support regardless and many drivers have had their start through this setup. One notable name is multiple Olympic Gold Medalist, Sir Chris Hoy!

In the ever-evolving realm of motorsport, a noticeable rift has emerged between top-tier series with a 'cost no object' philosophy and the amateur level motorsport enthusiasts. The former pushes technology to unprecedented levels, often leaving the latter and manufacturers lagging behind.

Revolution Race Cars has taken up the challenge to bridge this gap. Our mission is to bring cutting-edge technology and the very highest safety standards within reach of the broader motorsport community, ensuring that innovation is not confined to the elite. - Revolution Race Cars

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Earlier in the month, Revolution expanded beyond the shores of the UK and Europe to the USA with new investment from long-term customers. This expansion is vital for the brands' relevancy in taking the fight to their much bigger rivals, Caterham and Radical.


Revolution 427 sports prototype. Image: Revolution Race Cars

It wouldn't be a surprise if you hadn't heard of the Revolution brand before, especially if you are not from the UK. The brand is yet to be included in any sim racing title as first-party content. To my surprise, there is no mod available for this sports prototype available either.

This brand is starting to push through internationally with the aforementioned contract and expansion into the USA. Expect to see that Revolution name popping up more often throughout future sim racing titles.

Caterham Academy in Sim Racing​

So how do these two classes of race cars do on the track? What are they like to drive? We took the Caterham Academy car mod from the creator, Ben O'Bro, and put it through its paces in handling challenges, single-lap pace and most importantly, wheel-to-wheel racing.


Caterham Academy cars at Brands Hatch. Image: Ben O'bro

What we found was that the car feels raw and most importantly for a car like this, intuitive. The real cars are slidey and always require maximum concentration from the drivers to keep them on the circuit when pushing hard; the Assetto Corsa version is no different.

If you take the wrong gear through a corner say goodbye to your momentum and expect to lose a plethora of places in a race or have to focus on your next lap if you are qualifying. The car is punishing when you get something wrong but encourages the driver to start pushing before that. This is essential for a novice to learn where the limit is.

Moving over to Automobilista 2, the Academy car feels more planted and forgiving. The car is less desperate to slide if you push it hard and the car also feels heavier in the corners. The driving experience of keeping momentum is still present, but the overall feeling loses out to Assetto Corsa in this instance.

This was a big shock considering that the Academy cars are first-party content in Automobilista 2 and a mod from the OverTake community for the Assetto Corsa version.


Caterham Acadamy, rFactor 2. Image: Studio 397

The final sim we tested the Academy cars within was rFactor 2. This version felt the most alive with the car constantly trying to slide on the unstable road tyres they use in real life. The AI was also struggling with multiple unforced errors and accidents, proving this to be the most difficult and arguably true-to-life experience out of the three simulators.

Radicals in Sim Racing​

For the Radicals, we have previously spoken about their entry-level SR1 XXR class. However, in sim racing, this class does not appear as first-party or modded content from what we could tell. The closest we could find was the Radical SR3 in rFactor 2, the official Radical-supported SR3 XXR Assetto Corsa mod and both the Radical SR10 and classic SR8 in iRacing.

For these cars, the feeling of being able to jump in and be quick from the off was obvious. This explains why the Radicals are immensely more popular in terms of online racing than any class of Caterhams. The aerodynamic advantages of the Radicals are obvious and you do lose a lot of that raw feeling that the Caterhams give you.


Radical SR3 XXR mod for Assetto Corsa, officially supported by Radical themselves.

The SR3 XXR mod in Assetto Corsa is especially good as it uses real-world car data from Radical. Seeing car manufacturers getting involved with sim racing actively like this is a massive step forward for the community.

Moving to Studio 397's rFactor 2, the Radical is right at home. The SR3-RSX is a fan favourite when it comes to the accessibility of this sim and the online lobbies show it. Despite the game's irrelevancy in terms of updates, thanks to the studio's focus on Le Mans Ultimate, the Radical Rookies lobbies always seem to draw a good crowd.


Radical SR3 XX. Image: Studio 397

Along with the SR3-RSX, rFactor 2 also has its slightly bigger brother, the SR3 XX. Whilst mostly irrelevant online, this track beast is fantastic to lap in single-player against the AI or in time-trial scenarios. The same comparison between this Radical and the rest of the fleet is that they are user-friendly and pushing hard in them is rewarding and fairly forgiving until you overheat the tyres and you go flying off into a wall.

Radical vs Caterham​

Overall, the competition is fierce. Caterham has the hugely supported Academy series with a really low point of entry, whereas the Radical SR3 Cup is more for those looking to step out of something like a Caterham. the main difference has to be the aero. The Radical is simply quicker in all scenarios and sim racing shows this too.

Across the whole range of Radicals and Caterhams, the Radicals always had the on-track advantage when it came to lap time and ease of driving. However, the Caterhams provided this raw driving experience that teaches experienced and inexperienced racers and sim racers the basics of car control in a low-powered and low-risk environment. Check out what happens when you throw a grid of Caterhams into an Automobilista 2 open lobby.


Caterhams in an Automobilista 2 open lobby

So which is the best budget sportscar in sim racing? For us, it has to be the Caterham. The raw driving experience is much more engaging across all sims that we tried, however, the lack of multiplayer support does let the Caterhams down.

In the end, it comes down to preference, however. The two concepts require different driving styles, and if you prefer going slightly sideways a lot of the time, Caterham is probably your go-to. Meanwhile, if you like a more precise driving style, Radical likely has the best offering for you.

Which brand do you think dominates the entry-level motorsport scene? Which is your favourite to drive in your sim of choice? Let us know down in the comments below!