One year after trouncing the hillclimb record at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, McMurtry Automotive is set to showcase a limited-run, production version of its all-electric Spéirling fan car called the PURE. A validation prototype of this soon-to-be commercially available sealed-skirt fan car will be on display at this year’s hillclimb ahead of pre-production… Oh, and it costs over a million dollars.
When the McMurtry team rolled up to Goodwood last summer, it knew it had a winner on its hands. Most of the public, however, had no idea. 39.08 seconds – that’s all it took for McMurtry’s zippy Spéirling electric fan car, driven by former F1 driver Max Chilton, to race into the record books – not just for the 2022 event but as the fastest 1.86km (1.16 mile) hillclimb in its 30-year history.
As you’ll notice in the video of the record-setting climb below, the Spéirling delivers instant acceleration and almost unfathomable cornering but appears to emit exhaust or vapor around each corner.
That’s because the McMurtry Spéirling is a fan car. No, not a car entered into the competition by EV fans, but an electric vehicle that utilizes a bespoke fan downforce system designed by McMurtry to deliver constant and approachable downforce, regardless of speed, angle, or wind direction. In other words, this EV is as sticky as it is fast, and boy, is it fast.
We’re talking 1,000 hp (745 kW) peak output and a top speed of 190 mph – all from an EV that weighs less than 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). Following the whiplash it probably caused Goodwood spectators as it sped by last year, McMurtry is returning to the UK event to showcase a validation prototype of the fan car, the Spéirling PURE, ahead of an exclusive production run.
McMurtry to showoff Spéirling PURE fan car at Goodwood
This morning, McMurtry shared the first images (seen above) of the Spéirling PURE fan car – a production-intent version of the record-setting Spéirling that raced up Goodwood last summer. McMurtry says the Spéirling PURE has already achieved a 15% increase in fan efficiency, 14% less weight, and significantly enhanced tolerance to flow variation.
The production version will arrive as the first commercially available sealed-skirt fan car, allowing customers to experience the 3G cornering its bespoke technology provides at accessible speeds. Better still, its creators state the PURE version will prove to be even more capable than the original Spéirling track car in that it has been designed with a focus on multi-lap runs on full race circuits.
That sort of performance will, of course, require quick charging turnaround, which the niche automaker is also promising, stating the PURE will be able to fast charge in under 20 minutes. Due to its top-tier performance, McMurtry states the Spéirling PURE is eligible for the GT1 Sports Club – an exclusive driving program for super and hyper track cars holding race weekends all over the globe. Before then, however, McMurtry still has some development to do.
To begin, the company will publicly debut a validation prototype of the Spéirling PURE at Goodwood next month, followed by continued testing of the electric fan car in the UK and Europe through 2023. McMurtry says it still intends to chase new records during the validation process as it works toward pre-production prototypes in 2024. McMurtry founding director Thomas Yates spoke:
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.
McMurtry says production of the Spéirling PURE fan cars will be limited to 100 units, each starting at a price of £820,000 ($1.05 million) before taxes and shipping. Customers who pre-order the new electric fan car are expected to receive delivery sometime in 2025.
Headed to Goodwood? The Spéirling PURE will be on display July 13-16 in the McMurtry stand at the Supercar paddock near the start line. Send us pics!
In the meantime, here’s that record-setting lap from the original Spéirling last year.