The McMurtry Spéirling broke Goodwood's hill climb record by almost a full second using technology Formula 1 banned 44 years ago. Now the electric fan car that left seasoned motorsport observers speechless has a £30 million factory of its own at Silverstone Park.
McMurtry Automotive opened the 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility in September 2024, dedicated to producing the track weapon that generates 2,000kg of downforce while sitting completely still. The Spéirling achieved what no other car could at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022, clocking 39.08 seconds up the famous hill climb and demolishing the previous record held by Volkswagen's purpose-built ID.R prototype.
The technology behind that record should sound familiar to anyone who remembers the Brabham BT46B. Gordon Murray's 1978 Formula 1 car used a rear-mounted fan to suck air from underneath, creating massive downforce that made it virtually unbeatable. The FIA banned fan cars after just one race victory, deciding the technology gave too much advantage. McMurtry founder David McMurtry clearly disagreed with that decision.
McMurtry's twin-fan system works differently but achieves the same devastating effect. Two fans mounted behind the driver suck air from beneath the car, creating ground effect downforce that peaks at 2,000kg when stationary. Combined with a 1,000bhp electric powertrain in a package weighing roughly 1,000kg, the physics become almost comical. The Spéirling can theoretically drive upside down at 70mph.
The new Silverstone facility represents a significant commitment from McMurtry, founded by David McMurtry who co-created engineering giant Renishaw. The factory will produce both the track-only Spéirling Pure and a road-legal variant, though calling any version of this car "road legal" stretches the definition. The street version still generates enough downforce to crack tarmac if parked in the same spot too long.
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Former Formula 1 driver Max Chilton, who developed the car alongside McMurtry's engineers, described the experience as "otherworldly" during testing sessions. Chilton's involvement brings credibility to a project that could easily be dismissed as engineering fantasy. The Spéirling's Goodwood run wasn't a fluke or favorable conditions. It was a systematic demolition of a record that had stood since Romain Dumas's ID.R run in 2019.
The performance figures read like science fiction. McMurtry claims 0-60mph in under 1.5 seconds, faster than a Top Fuel dragster's initial acceleration. The car generates more downforce per kilogram than a modern Formula 1 car while producing zero emissions. The fans consume significant battery power, but the trade-off in cornering capability makes traditional aerodynamics look primitive.
Production numbers remain deliberately vague, with McMurtry targeting collectors and track enthusiasts willing to pay supercar money for technology that makes supercars irrelevant. The company hasn't disclosed pricing, but industry observers estimate seven-figure sums for a machine that renders conventional performance metrics meaningless.
The Silverstone location carries symbolic weight. Britain's premier racing circuit now houses a factory producing cars too fast for Formula 1's own rulebook. McMurtry's engineers have created something the sport's governing body specifically prohibited, packaged it in a road car, and opened a factory to build more of them. The irony would be delicious if the performance wasn't so genuinely terrifying.
Sources: McMurtry Automotive official website, Goodwood Festival of Speed official timing
