The McMurtry Speirling has a fan that sucks air from underneath the car, creating incredible 4,410 lbs of downforce while stationary!
The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022 ended this Sunday after various events, including the debut of new cars and appearances from renowned motorsport personalities. However, the Hillclimb, considered the heart of the festival, caught major attention. The reason was a new hill record set by the McMurtry Automotive Speirling as it climbed the famous 1.1-mile route in a mere 39.08 seconds, surpassing the VW ID.R’s 39.9 seconds feat back in 2019.
Although the McMurtry might come off as a leaner and gentler version of the batmobile to many DC enthusiasts, it packs a serious punch. Despite being an EV, the Speirling McMurtry didn’t fail to make noise both metaphorically and literally. Notably, it is a ‘fan car’ consisting of low side skirts and twin fans to evacuate air from under the car. The system creates a vacuum, literally sticking the vehicle to the ground without a big aerodynamic drag penalty. It also produces over 100 dB of noise during a drive-by, making it very loud, though not in the regular supercar sense.
Fan cars aren’t anything new — Brabham famously tried the concept with its BT46 F1 car, winning the first race it appeared. Unfortunately, the team quickly withdrew the car from the championship because Bernie Ecclestone, then team owner and Formula One Constructors’ Association (FOCA) chief executive, didn’t want to upset other teams. Regardless, the BT46 showed that the concept works and can provide immense cornering grip when utilized correctly.
But the McMurtry Speirling has other aces up its sleeve, like the twin-motor configuration at the rear axle producing 1,000 bhp and 4,410 lb-ft of torque! As a result, the electric hypercar can reach 60 mph in just 1.5 seconds and 186 mph in mind-blowing 9 seconds.
Wonder how an RWD car can be that quick off the line? It’s all thanks to the fan tech, which provides 2,000 kg (4,410 lbs) of downforce from a standstill, giving the tires exceptional traction. It also helps that the McMurtry Speirling weighs only 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg), despite packing a 60-kWh battery, achieving a power-to-weight ratio of 1,000 bhp per ton!
Furthermore, the active ride height suspension and bespoke 210/640R19 front and 240/640R19 rear ensure exceptional grip. Meanwhile, huge carbon-ceramic 390×34 mm discs and six-piston mono-bloc calipers take care of braking duties. Finally, the 800V electric system and Molicel battery cells ensure quick charging and power delivery.
Ex-Marussia F1 driver Max Chilton was behind the wheel during the record Goodwood ruin and claimed to have been able to sleep only an hour ahead of the festival’s climax due to the pressure. Well, we guess now he can sleep like a baby!
The tiny speedster was indeed developed by ex-F1 engineers to break records and will be appearing in climbs and races worldwide. However, McMurtry Automotive also promised a production, street-legal version, though the development is still at an early stage.
Gallery: McMurtry Automotive Speirling
