A radar system includes a radar transceiver for generating transmit signals and for receiving signals reflected by targets. The radar system includes a mixer for combining the transmit signals and the reflected signals into a mixer signal. A radar signal processor includes a sampling device, connected to the mixer, for sampling the mixer signal and for generating a sampled mixer signal. A spectrum estimation device, connected to the sampling device, generates a range profile signal including a plurality of range bins each containing a magnitude of a spectral component. A threshold device, connected to the spectrum estimation device, generates a target space array from the range profile signal. A target decision device, connected to the threshold device, generates estimated range and speed signals for a closest target from the target space array.