At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, British EV start-up McMurtry stunned the crowds breaking the hill climb record. The blistering run has spawned the necessary interest in this 1 000 bhp single-seater so that the Spéirling Pure will go into production.

As a supercar for the modern ages, the Spéirling Pure builds its performance upon a battery pack of 60 kWh, capable of providing half an hour of track day pleasure before its needs a recharge.

The onboard network of 800 volts (like the Taycan and Ioniq models) can perform this at quick speeds, a proclaimed 20 minutes.

Dancing on the ceiling

However, its most special trait isn’t the zero-emission racing potential but its downforce. Helped by a pressure-regulating and patented fan, inspired by the legendary Brabham BT46B from the 1978 Formula 1 season, the car develops at a standstill twice its weight (1 000 kg) in downforce. Activate the fan, and the Spéirling can hang on the ceiling of your home without dropping.

As a single-seater, the Spéirling is relatively small. It measures 3,4 meters long (just like the Smart Roadster from 2003) and is only one meter high. But tiny can be mighty, as its electric powertrain develops slightly more than 1 000 bhp. Consequently, accelerating from 0-60 mph takes only 1,5 seconds. It’s rear-wheel drive and sits on slick tires.

Every electric supercar, and hypercar, benefits from the low center of gravity from the battery pack and the instantaneous giant amount of torque available, but pulling over 3G in corners means that the Spéirling is something special within this new breed, aiming at preserving the dynamic and competitive part of cars in a future without engine roars and emissions.

A bargain?

McMurtry has announced that it will build 100 units of the Spéirling and that the production will start in 2024, with deliveries one year later. And though the price ticker of 955 000 euros isn’t for enthusiasts looking for the affordability of the first Lotus Elise, it’s still a bargain compared to heavyweights like the Lotus Evija or the Rimac Nevera, costing twice as much.

For those wondering where McMurtry comes from, the brand was brought to life by the Irish inventor and billionaire Sir David McMurtry, founder of the UK’s largest supplier of metrology equipment.

He enrolled several engineers from Formula 1 and Derek Bell as a test driver for his automotive venture. After taking the crown from the Volkswagen ID.R at Goodwood, more record runs are on the agenda.