LONDON: In an unprecedented feat, Britain's McMurtry Automotive has driven its record-breaking Spéirling hypercar upside down.
Co-founder and managing director Thomas Yates used the car’s innovative Downforce-on-Demandsystem, which generates powerful downforce at any speed, including a standstill, to "stick" the car to the ceiling of a specially designed rotating platform.
The stunt, which took place at the company’s Gloucestershire headquarters, is another milestone for the Spéirling, which recently set a new lap record on the Top Gear Test Track by 3.1 seconds, surpassing the time of a 2004 Renault F1 car. The Spéirling also holds records at Goodwood and Laguna Seca.
The Spéirling is a British-built electric hypercar designed by the late Sir David McMurtry, an inventor and businessman. It is equipped with McMurtry’s fan system that produces up to 2,000kg of downforce, enabling extremely high grip at both high and low speeds.
Yates, who drove the car during the stunt, described the experience as surreal, emphasising the power of the downforce system.
During the demonstration, Yates drove the car onto a rotating platform, which inverted the vehicle. The fan system created a vacuum beneath the car, allowing it to remain securely attached to the ‘ceiling’ while Yates drove it unsupported.
The Spéirling’s Downforce-on-Demand technology also allows it to accelerate to 100kph in 1.6 seconds and corner at more than 3G.
The car, presented with a black falcon camouflage livery, is still a prototype but represents a step towards McMurtry’s final production model, set for customer deliveries in 2026.
Safety is a key focus, with the Spéirling built to the rigorous standards of LMP1 race cars.
