It Sucks, In a Good Way
When proving that horsepower isn’t everything in building the fastest car, the McMurtry Spéirling is undoubtedly among the prime examples. This all-electric hypercar features a unique twin-fan system capable of generating 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) of downforce, enough to hold the car upside down at a standstill like Spider-Man. On the track, that means maximizing grip, limiting wheelspin, and improving cornering.
Fittingly, such a vehicle was recently featured by Travis Pastrana, an American professional racecar driver and stunt performer. For a guy like Pastrana, who has competed in rally racing, performed the first double backflip on a motorbike, and jumped out of a plane without a parachute, new thrills may be harder to come by. Yet he was ecstatic driving a Spéirling prototype at Dunsfold Aerodrome in England, home to the Top Gear test track.
Time To Let It Rip
Pastrana started slowly to get a feel for the car, including its steering and braking. Eventually, he unleashed the full power of the McMurtry Spéirling, which comes from two electric motors delivering 1,000 horsepower, in a drag race against unusual opponents, including a quad bike and a motorized unicycle. He could be seen giggling, something enthusiasts can relate to when going for a full send, before clocking a quarter-mile run in under eight seconds at 160 mph.
Speaking about the McMurtry Spéirling, the 11-time X Games gold medalist called it the fastest car he had driven, saying, “You can do things you can’t do with any other vehicle… I’m going faster than I’ve gone in any vehicle I’ve ever driven in my entire life.”
That’s a huge compliment from someone who has driven countless fast cars, including a NASCAR Toyota Camry at the 2023 Daytona 500 and a 670-horsepower Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo for a Gymkhana film.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Beyond this test drive, the McMurtry Spéirling has achieved several feats. Chief among these is the outright Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb record of 39.08 seconds, set by Max Chilton in 2022. Pastrana saw that run and initially thought the footage was sped up. The Spéirling’s time remains quicker than that of every other car that has attempted the hillclimb, including those with roughly twice the horsepower, like the 2,107-horsepower Rimac Nevera R.
The fan-assisted model also posted a 55.9-second lap time at Dunsfold Aerodrome, beating the previous record holder, a 2004 Renault R24 Formula 1 car, by about three seconds.
Now, McMurtry is bringing the electric hypercar to customers with the Spéirling Pure, a track-only production car limited to 100 examples. Pricing starts at approximately $1.3 million before taxes and options, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.
