McMurtry’s Spéirling goes into production

Few who were there, or even just watched on YouTube will forget the spectacle of the McMurtry Spéirling smashing the hill record at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Well, the good news for a small number of exceptionally well-heeled customers is that the company is going to put a development of the car into production and, hard to believe though it is, we are told that the new car, called the Spéirling Pure, will be faster still.

Just 100 Pures will be made, all track-only, each retailing for £820,000 plus VAT. Deliveries will begin in 2025 but those who want to see the car sooner than that will find it in the Supercar Paddock at the 2023 Festival of Speed from July 13-16. It will not, however, be trying to break its own record as the first running prototypes won’t be built until next year.

Although touted to be quicker than the original, the spec of the Pure mirrors it very closely: it’s slightly lower, wider and longer but still weighs under a tonne. While McMurtry claimed a 1hp per kg power-to-weight ratio for the first car, the Pure is quoted as having a 1000hp peak output although its top speed has dropped from over 200mph to 190mph, which shouldn’t inconvenience anyone on a race track or, indeed, anywhere else.

Crucially the sealed skirt fan system that’s core to the car’s philosophy and speed is retained, meaning it can generate 3g of cornering force at any speed – most normal road cars struggle to get past 1g. The fan system sucking the car onto the ground produces so much downforce at rest that the car won’t break traction despite being propelled by its rear wheels alone. It also means its downforce is constant regardless of speed, wind direction or yaw angle.

McMurtry founding director Thomas Yates said: ‘The Spéirling Pure will herald a new era on the track. The sound, grip, acceleration, aesthetics and technology of this car are distinct. Witnessing the car as a spectator or from the cockpit offers a rare and exhilarating experience. With pre-orders from around the globe, I can’t wait for fan cars at the racetrack to become a new normality.’ We’ve driven the original; now we want to try this one.