McMurtry Spéirling

McMurtry Spéirling
Overview
ManufacturerMcMurtry Automotive
Production2021
DesignerAndries van Overbeeke[1]
Body and chassis
ClassSports prototype
Body styleFastback
LayoutRR
Powertrain
Electric motorTwin motors
Power output746 kW (1,000 hp)[2]
Battery60 kWh (800 V, 75 Ah)[3]
Electric range>483 km (300 miles) (WLTP)[4]
Plug-in charging600 kW
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,000 mm (78.7 in)
Length3,400 mm (133.9 in)
Width1,500 mm (59.1 in)
Height1,050 mm (41.3 in)
Kerb weightUnder 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)

The McMurtry Spéirling is an electric single-seat prototype sports car which was first presented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2021. The car is developed by McMurtry Automotive, a British registered startup founded on 2 June 2016 by Sir David McMurtry (co-founder and executive chairman of Renishaw plc).[5][6] "Spéirling" is Irish for "thunderstorm".[7]

The special feature of this rather small vehicle is "active downforce", with fans sucking the car to the ground even at standstill, giving it a big advantage at slow speeds. It even can and did drive upside down at the ceiling.[8][9] Similar fan systems had been used in motor racing already in the 1970s; they got banned subsequently.

History

According to McMurtry, the motivation behind the car was to challenge the industry trend of increasingly heavier vehicles and, by using first principles design, create a lightweight electric driver's car. The prototype car is the first step to demonstrate what customers will experience on road and track.[4] It is not currently in a racing series but is built to satisfy relevant motorsport safety requirements, with crash structures and a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis with integral rollover protection. Its unique performance differentiator is the fan-powered downforce system, producing 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) of downforce at a standstill.[10]

The car, developed in secrecy over three years, was first presented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 8 July 2021, and driven by Derek Bell.

In December 2022, it set the following times verified by independent GPS timing without rollout by Mat Watson from carwow on Silverstone:[4]

  • 0-97 km/h (60 mph) in 1.55 seconds
  • 0-161 km/h (100 mph) in 2.63 seconds
  • 0-233 km/h (145 mph) in 4.98 seconds
  • 400 m (approx. 1⁄4 mile) in 7.97 seconds

When considering the 1⁄4 mile time, the car had a 249 km/h (155 mph) top speed for roughly the last 3 seconds of the run.[11] The car also ran on bespoke drag slicks and was not a production car model.[12]

Specifications

Below are the specifications for the Spéirling PURE:[13]

  • Peak power output: 745 kW (1,000 hp)
  • Top speed: 298 km/h (185 mph)
  • 0-97 km/h (60 mph) in 1.55 seconds
  • 400 m (approx. 1⁄4 mile) in 7.97 seconds
  • Weight: 900 kg (1,980 lb)
  • Battery capacity: 60 kWh
  • Rear wheel drive

Estimated driving time on a race track at a GT4 pace is about 25 minutes.[4]

The car has rear-wheel drive using two electric motors placed inside a specially designed "e-axle",[5] and uses carbon brakes. The monocoque has room for a driver 150 to 200 cm (4.9 to 6.6 ft) tall. The battery is integrated into a separate safety cell inside the monocoque.

Active downforce

A special design aspect of the car is its active downforce system without the use of large splitters or wings, by means of twin fans which provide an extra 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) of downforce from a standstill. This allows the car to corner at a G-force of more than 3g.[14] When the fans are at full speed, they emit about 120 dB of noise.[15]

The use of fans powered by separate motors to provide downforce was first conceived of by Jim Hall for the Chaparral 2J, a Can-Am car he designed, constructed and raced in 1970. However, the 2J was banned at the end of the 1970 Can-Am series. A downforce fan system was also used in the Brabham BT46B Formula One car, which was designed by Gordon Murray. It won its only race, the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, before the car was withdrawn from racing by Brabham and the technology was banned for the following season.[16][17]

Tyres

The tyre width is 210 mm (8 in) on the front and 240 mm (9 in) on the rear, both on 19 in (483 mm) rims. This is modest for a sports car and is comparable with regular road cars which tend to have tyre widths from 195 to 205 mm (7.7 to 8.1 in).[18]

Records

Goodwood Festival of speed

On 26 June 2022, the Spéirling achieved a new Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb record, completing the 1.87-kilometre (1.16 mi) course in 39.08 seconds with McMurtry test driver Max Chilton behind the wheel.[19][20]

Upside down

On 11 April 2025, the McMurtry Spéirling PURE Validation Prototype 1 (VP1) was driven upside down for 5 seconds by Thomas Yates, McMurtry Automotive co-founder.[8][9]

Top Gear

On 11 April 2025, the McMurtry Spéirling, driven by the Stig, set a new Top Gear circuit record, beating the Renault R24, which had held the record since 2004, by more than 3 seconds.[21]

See also

Comparable electric cars

Other fan cars

References

  1. ^ "McMurtry Spéirling - Exterior Design". Andries van Overbeeke. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  2. ^ Healy, Jack (2022-12-15). "McMurtry Spéirling review: driving the fastest accelerating car in the world". carwow. UK. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19.
  3. ^ "Speirling – McMurtry Automotive" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-04-05.
  4. ^ a b c d carwow. I broke the 1/4-mile world record in this new HYPERCAR! – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b Vasilash, Gary (2021-07-23). "McMurtry Automotive reveals composites-intensive, fully electric Spéirling demonstrator vehicle". www.compositesworld.com. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  6. ^ Edgren, John (2021-07-19). "Er dette verdens raskeste elbil? 0–300 på ni sekunder". Tu.no. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  7. ^ Kew, Ollie (2022-06-27). "What is the McMurtry Spéirling?". Top Gear. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  8. ^ a b "The McMurtry Spéirling is the first car in the world to DRIVE UPSIDE DOWN". www.topgear.com. 2025-04-11. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  9. ^ a b "=McMurtry Spéirling : une hypercar si rapide... qu'elle roule à l'envers ! (+ vidéo)". www.sportauto.fr (in French). 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
  10. ^ "Goodwood Edition 22". McMurtry Automotive. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  11. ^ Office, personMcMurtry Press. "0-60mph and ¼ mile records set for carwow at Silverstone in McMurtry Spéirling". McMurtry Automotive. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  12. ^ "McMurtry Spéirling hits 60 mph in 1.4 seconds, quarter-mile in 7.97". www.motorauthority.com. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  13. ^ "Speirling".
  14. ^ "Speirling". McMurtry Automotive. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  15. ^ "Goodwood Record-Setting McMurtry Spéirling to Spawn Roadgoing Car". Car And Driver. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  16. ^ "McMurtry target Goodwood FoS victory with fan car competing in motorsport for the first time since 1978". McMurtry Automotive. 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  17. ^ Edelstein, Stephen (2021-07-09). "British startup McMurtry unveils electric track car with downforce-generating fan". Motor Authority. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  18. ^ Valmot, Odd Richard (2013-10-06). "Alt du bør vite om dekk". Tu.no. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  19. ^ "39.08! McMurtry fan car breaks Goodwood Hill RECORD! | Festival of Speed 2022". YouTube. 2022-06-26.
  20. ^ Potts, Greg (2022-06-27). "The McMurtry Speirling has broken the Goodwood hillclimb record". Top Gear. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  21. ^ "The McMurtry Spéirling has SMASHED Top Gear's 20-year lap record". www.topgear.com. 2025-04-11. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
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