There’s a new coachbuilder out there, and the company calls itself Radford. Today, Radford revealed its first car — the Type 62-2 — and it’s based on the chassis and underpinnings of the Lotus Evora. That’s an extremely good place to begin building from. Plus, the company has some big names attached to it. F1 racer Jenson Button is the one who dialed in the car’s driving dynamics. Mark Stubbs, formerly of Bentley, Bugatti, Aston Martin and more, led the design process. And Ant Anstead, now co-hosting "Wheeler Dealers," is handling the build/production work.

There may be an Evora underneath all the new bodywork, but this vehicle doesn’t look like one on the outside. Instead, it’s meant to take after the original Lotus Type 62 race car. Take one quick look at both, and it appears as though Radford has done a standup job of getting it there. It’s even been revealed initially in livery worn by the old Type 62. We’ll note that there will be two cars with slightly different looks. The first is a “Classic” version without a wing and fitted with staggered 17/18-inch wheels. The other model is called “Gold Leaf,” and it has the Type 62’s wings, can be done in the livery you see here and features larger center-locking 18/19-inch wheels.

Thanks to the aluminum-intensive structure of the Evora, the Radford Type 62-2 weighs just under 2,205 pounds. Radford saved additional weight by using all carbon fiber body panels. This lightweight body is propelled forward via the 3.5-liter Toyota-provided supercharged V6 used in the Evora. Its base tune in the Type 62-2 offers up 430 horsepower. However, upgrading from the Classic to the Gold Leaf brings an increase to 500 horsepower. Radford says it gets the extra power via upgraded pistons, connecting rods, camshafts and new electronic engine mapping. If you want the extra power in the Classic, Radford says you can still optionally have it.

As you may already suspect, a six-speed manual transmission is available on the Type 62-2. Unlike the Evora, though, you can also spec a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s the only transmission available if you spec the engine up to 500 horsepower, so pick your poison on that front — there’s no manual available for the high-power version.

As for the suspension, Radford says it’s lowered the car more and changed the suspension geometry a bit compared to the standard Lotus design — thanks, Jenson. It uses adjustable dampers and features an optional hydraulic nose-lift system. For maximum steering feel, Radford says it fitted a completely unassisted (not power) steering system.

There are currently no photos of the interior, but Radford provides a brief preview on what to expect. Due to the car’s lack of a rear window, it’s fitted with a digital rearview mirror that provides a constant live feed via a camera pointing backwards. The side mirrors are cameras, too, with the live feed playing on small screens mounted to each A-pillar. This car’s last screen is a six-inch display mounted right in front of the driver that can be customized for daily driving duties or for track data. The car also has Bluetooth audio functionality and a five-speaker audio system.

Radford touts easy ingress and egress due to the door design that sees the door panel stretch all the way into the roof like the original Type 62. There’s a tiny luggage compartment in the rear, and Radford is offering bespoke luggage that perfectly fits into the small space. Because this is a coachbuilt car, every owner will have the ability to spec it exactly how they desire. There will only be 62 ever built, and the first deliveries are scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2022. Pricing is yet to be revealed.

Radford revealed its Type 62-2 a month ago, and today the coach-building company is releasing its first 62-2 variant. It’s simply called the JPS, short for John Player Special. You’d be able to guess that just by looking at the car, though, as it’s completely done up in the traditional John Player Special black and gold livery.

This JPS Type 62-2 isn’t just a livery either. It’s the most extreme version of the car, even more so than the Gold Leaf version of the standard Radford that improves matters over the “Classic” model. Engine output sees a sharp turn upwards from 500 horsepower to 600 horsepower in the JPS. It’s still using the 3.5-liter supercharged V6 you’d find in the Lotus Evora (an engine Lotus borrows from Toyota), but this one is heavily modified. Radford says it uses upgraded pistons, new connecting rods, camshafts and an upgraded supercharger. Plus, it’s running a more aggressive engine calibration.

Hauling it to a stop are upgraded brakes — Radford uses carbon ceramic rotors and AP calipers. New and larger carbon composite wheels (18-inch front and 19-inch rear) from Dymag are fitted and wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

Plenty of appearance and aero changes are made to separate the JPS from the other Type 62-2s. Radford says it’s either lightly massaged or made big changes to every area of the bodywork. You’ll notice a giant new splitter up front, larger side air intakes to cool the more powerful engine and a more extreme diffuser in back to produce more downforce. We’ll also note that the JPS “livery” is not a sticker package; it’s all painted on, requiring hours and hours of work by hand.

Pricing for the JPS hasn’t been revealed, but it’s guaranteed to be expensive. This special model will be sliced out of the total production of Type 62-2s. Only 12 of the 62 total cars will be the John Player Special cars, so they’ll be incredibly rare — Radford says it’s currently taking build slot applications, so you still have a shot at buying one. If you want to see the JPS in person, Radford says it will be on display at this year’s Goodwood Revival.

England-based Radford introduced the Type 62-2, a limited-edition coupe with a heritage-laced design, earlier in 2021. But it didn't show us the interior. Now, Radford finally revealed what the car looks like inside, and it's a blend of retro styling cues and modern tech that enthusiasts will love.

At first glance, the Type 62-2's cockpit looks like it's from a different era. The driver faces a meaty three-spoke steering wheel, the shift linkage is exposed, and there is a pair of Bremont instruments (one is a clock, the other is a stopwatch) positioned on the passenger-side of the dashboard. We could be describing a 1970s rally car. However, a closer inspection reveals features buyers expect from a car in 2021.

Look behind the steering wheel (whose spokes are made with carbon fiber) and you'll spot a digital instrument cluster with a layout that can be configured by each buyer. You could, in theory, ask for the tachometer to be front and center, for example. Screens positioned on either side of the dashboard display the footage from the cameras that replace the exterior mirrors, and a phone dock that doubles as a wireless charger is hidden behind the build plate located on the center stack. Users can set their phone there to access navigation and music apps.

Buyers will have three basic trim levels to choose from: Classic, Gold Leaf, and John Player Special. Each one will receive a specific look inspired by liveries that Lotus race cars have used in the past, though buyers will be invited to configure their car exactly how they want it. What won't change is the engine: it's a supercharged, 3.5-liter V6 that found its way into the Type 62-2 from Toyota via the Lotus Emira. Bolted to either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, it develops about 430 horsepower in the Classic model, around 500 in the Gold Leaf, and approximately 600 in the John Player Special thanks in part to a specific supercharger.

Radford will build 62 units of the Type 62-2, and production is scheduled to start before the end of 2021. Deliveries will begin in early 2022. Pricing information hasn't been announced, but don't expect this rare British coupe built largely by hand to come with a bargain price.