The British-built McMurtry Spéirling electric fan car recently set two new records and maintained its 100% win rate in competition at the ‘Laguna Seca Reverse Corkscrew Hillclimb’ on Sunday, August 11th.
The same hyper-track car and driver combination currently holds the outright record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Max Chilton, a former F1 and Indycar driver, was at the wheel for the two-day event as part of the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion.
This event marked the US dynamic debut of McMurtry. The country is home to several existing McMurtry customers who are looking forward to test driving the prototypes that the team has brought for car week.
During the hill climb, the McMurtry Spéirling achieved a time of 28.6s, beating the previous record of 34.69s set by a 1976 Lotus Type 77 Formula One Car. This six-second advantage was achieved using the unique McMurtry fan downforce system to enhance grip, coupled with the instant torque of the 1000bhp electric powertrain.
The McMurtry Spéirling also set a new record on the revised shorter layout introduced for 2024, achieving a time of 21.958s in the top 3 shootouts. This performance outran a 1967 Ford Falcon race car, which achieved a time of 29.004s, and a 2022 Ferrari SF90, which achieved a time of 29.822s.
McMurtry is planning private customer test drives in the coming weeks and will also showcase the cars at public events, including the Motorlux party on Wednesday, August 14th, at the Monterey Jet Centre, as well as at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, on Friday, August 16th. Demo Laps on Laguna Seca Full Circuit will take place on Saturday, August 17th, and L’Auberge Carmel on Sunday, August 18th.
The reverse corkscrew hillclimb uses the legendary Corkscrew corner plus turns 11, 10, and 9, which are driven the opposite way in regular racing. Inspired by the spectacle and variety of entrants at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Laguna Hillclimb started three years ago.
The McMurtry Spéirling generates 4,400 pounds of downforce from 0mph using onboard fans, providing remarkable dynamic performance. The customer versions of the cars will be equipped with advanced P50B battery cells from Molicel, enabling 20 minutes of track running at GT3 pace before recharging again in 20 minutes. It has demonstrated the potential to run much faster, as shown by the records achieved.
Max Chilton noted that the reverse hillclimb at the Corkscrew is quite a special experience due to the blind approach and unsighted exit. He mentioned the significance of having fan downforce to help keep him secure on the ground during the climb.
The McMurtry Spéirling is the basis for an even more capable track car, now available to order – the McMurtry Spéirling PURE. This track car also utilizes the unique downforce-on-demand system and offers a 1,000bhp electric powertrain with selectable performance drive modes from GT3 to F1 at the pace of Indycar levels.
The next driving demonstration will take place back at Laguna Seca during the Monterey Motorsports Reunion on Saturday, August 17th, from 11:50 to 12:00. Two cars will take to the track, piloted by McMurtry Managing Director Thomas Yates and experienced historic racer Philip Kadoorie, to demonstrate that this seemingly unattainable performance level is still accessible to normal driving enthusiasts.
Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive, Thomas Yates, stated, “The Reverse Corkscrew Hillclimb has been such an enjoyable way to showcase the cars in motion for the first time on US soil. Everyone here at Laguna Seca has experienced excitement that has made it very memorable. Over the coming years, you’ll see more of McMurtry in the US.”
Objectives for the Spéirling PURE track car:
- Make record-breaking performance accessible to track driving enthusiasts.
- Bring back legendary fan car technology.
- Restore passion for small and lightweight cars.
McMurtry aims to become one of the world’s most prestigious and long-standing automotive brands, founded on motorsport innovation. Inspired by legends of the past, McMurtry champions small and lightweight cars and proudly showcases British innovation and engineering design
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