The only hypercar in the world that literally leaves you upside down
In a stunning world first, McMurtry Automotive, with its Spéirling track hypercar, has set a new upside-down record. Thomas Yates, co-founder and Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive, used the British hypercar's patented fan system that produces 2 tonnes of Downforce-on-DemandTM to drive upside down. The technology demonstration took place at McMurtry's headquarters in Gloucestershire, England.
This monumental feat is another record for the Spéirling, which has also broken the Top Gear Test Track record by 3.1 seconds, previously held by the 2004 V10 Renault R24 Formula 1 car. The single-seater McMurtry Spéirling, which operates in a competition of its own, also holds the outright record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb and the Laguna Seca Corkscrew Hillclimb.
Thomas Yates, co-founder and Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive, commented:
“That was just a fantastic day in the office! Driving inverted was a completely surreal experience. The 2000 kg of downforce that the fan system can generate is truly astonishing, and it’s great to show the reason why our Spéirling continues to break records around the world.”
How is it possible? It has long been discussed that racing cars, such as those used in Formula 1, could theoretically be driven upside down. This is due to the amount of downforce they generate at speed, but it has never been attempted.
Equipped with McMurtry’s patented Downforce-on-DemandTM system, the Spéirling can accelerate, brake, and turn with significantly more grip than other hypercars and racing cars, especially at low speeds. This is because this downforce is available at any speed, even when stationary, unlike other hyper and supercars, which can only produce downforce at high speeds using their aerodynamic appendages.
During the record attempt, Thomas Yates drove the Spéirling onto a purpose-built platform. The platform floor rotated, fully inverting the hypercar. The Downforce-on-DemandTM system created a sufficient vacuum under the floor to hold it upside down, exceeding the force of gravity. Once fully inverted, Thomas drove forward on the platform completely unsupported.
This patented system allows the electric hypercar to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in just 1.5 seconds, complete a quarter mile (400 m) in 8 seconds, and corner at over 3G.
The first customer deliveries of the Spéirling PURE are scheduled for 2026 and will feature a series of improvements over this prototype.
The Spéirling is built to the rigorous motorsport safety standards of LMP1 cars, the fastest cars at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In track conditions, the downforce produced by the Spéirling also plays a vital role in safety. As downforce levels are not related to speed, tests have shown that if a driver loses control, with the amount of grip and downforce available, the car often stops almost immediately, often still on the asphalt.
Video of the record upside down