McMurtry Spéirling PURE: The £1M+ Electric Hypercar That Sticks to the Road

Production of the McMurtry Spéirling PURE, an all-electric, single-seater hypercar capable of driving upside down, is now underway, the British automaker confirmed this week. The vehicle, priced at $1.36 million (or £995,000), is limited to a production run of 100 units, with 24 already sold.

McMurtry Automotive, founded in 2016 by Irish billionaire and inventor Sir David McMurtry, has developed a patented “Downforce-on-Demand” system for the Spéirling PURE. This system utilizes two high-speed fans to generate substantial suction beneath the car, effectively adhering it to the road. The fans, rotating at up to 23,000 rpm, create downforce of up to 2,000 kilograms – exceeding the car’s weight of approximately 1,300 kilograms.

The technology allows the Spéirling PURE to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.55 seconds and reach a top speed of 190 mph. The car’s compact dimensions – roughly the size of a MINI Cooper hatchback – belie its performance capabilities.

In April 2023, McMurtry demonstrated the car’s ability to drive upside down, a feat captured in a video that garnered over 116 million views on YouTube, attracting the attention of content creator MrBeast. The demonstration involved rotating the vehicle 180 degrees on a custom platform, where it remained stable and even moved forward while inverted.

“I was terrified,” said Thomas Yates, McMurtry Automotive managing director and co-founder, recalling the test. “More worried about a million-dollar prototype crashing than my own life. I kept dreaming the rig would fail and we’d be stuck upside down.”

The Spéirling PURE has also set lap records at Goodwood and on the “Top Gear” test track. In 2022, driven by former Formula 1 driver Max Chilton, the car completed the Goodwood course in 39.08 seconds, establishing a fresh record. More recently, driven by “The Stig” on the “Top Gear” track, it posted a time of 55.9 seconds, surpassing the previous record held by a Renault F1 car from 2004 by 3.1 seconds.

McMurtry believes its fan technology could address the “dirty air” problem in motorsports, which hinders close racing. The system’s constant downforce, even when the car loses control, could also enhance driver safety. The company’s headquarters are located at Swinhay House in Wotton-under-Edge, England.

While McMurtry’s long-term goal is to produce road-legal versions, the Spéirling PURE is currently designed for track use only. Production is taking approximately three months per vehicle. First deliveries are scheduled to begin this summer from the company’s new factory in the UK. The passing of Sir David McMurtry in 2024 briefly halted production, but his sons have since committed to continuing his work through McMurtry Technology, focusing on commercializing the company’s intellectual property.