McMurtry Spéirling Is So Poorly Designed That It Recently Made Headlines for Driving Upside Down | Carscoops

      The 999-horsepower Spéirling generates 4,400 lbs of downforce, providing grip even at a standstill.

      5 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      The McMurtry Spéirling performed an upside-down drive solely using active downforce produced by fan technology.

      This marks the first instance of its kind following years of speculation that such a feat was possible.

      The demonstration opens up new prospects for performance safety and engineering focused on the driver.

      Someone notify Jim Hall, as his innovative concept of utilizing a fan to adhere a car to the ground has now received ultimate confirmation—this time, in an inverted position. Over fifty years after the Chaparral 2J utilized fans to generate ground-hugging downforce at any speed, the McMurtry Spéirling has showcased the potential of that technology. In simple terms, it drove upside down, held to the surface not by gravity but by aerodynamic force alone.

      Read: Rimac Nevera and McMurtry Spéirling Show a Red Bull F1 Car Who's Boss

      The Spéirling is a compact yet highly capable electric supercar. Nearly every time we discuss it, it breaks another track record. However, this time, it’s setting an unprecedented standard. It is the first car ever to drive upside down, secured to the ground solely by downforce.

      999 Horses, Zero Chill

      As a reminder, this impressive machine produces 999 hp (745 kW) and weighs just 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). If those figures weren't remarkable enough, the car employs a fan system that pulls the chassis to the ground. It can generate an astounding 2,000 kg (4,400 lbs) of downforce even at 0 mph (0 km/h). That’s how it accomplished one of the most astonishing feats we've witnessed in a long time.

      During the demonstration, if you can refer to it as such, the Spéirling drove up a ramp onto a specially designed platform. There, it activated its “Downforce on Demand” system, pulled itself to the ground, and the platform rotated. It stopped only when the platform was completely inverted. At that moment, the driver moved the vehicle forward while remaining on the platform. Subsequently, the entire structure returned to its original position, and the McMurtry drove off as if it were a routine task.

      Thomas Yates, Co-founder and Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive, was behind the wheel for this stunt. “That was just an incredible day at work! Buckling in and driving inverted was an entirely surreal experience,” he stated. “The 2,000 kg of downforce generated by the fan system is truly remarkable to experience, and it’s exciting to demonstrate why our Spéirling continues to set records worldwide.”

      Yates mentioned that this was merely a glimpse of what the technology could achieve. “This demonstration was an exhilarating proof of concept using a small custom-designed rig, but it may be just the beginning of what's feasible. With a longer inverted track or a suitable tunnel, we might drive even further! A huge congratulations and thank you to the entire McMurtry Automotive team, especially the engineers involved in designing the car and fan system; they are the true heroes of today.”

      The Safety Implications

      Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the stunt is its implications for real-world performance—and more importantly, safety. Conventional race cars depend on speed to generate downforce, which means they lose grip during slower sections, spins, or emergency maneuvers when it’s crucial. McMurtry’s fan system reverses this logic by providing full downforce even at minimal speeds.

      “The amount of grip and downforce available means that applying the brakes will often result in almost immediate stopping, frequently while still on the tarmac,” states McMurtry. For customers, this translates to a safer and more manageable experience.

      This leads us to one of the brand's primary objectives: making record-breaking performance accessible to genuine driving enthusiasts. With this type of technology, it’s not merely about achieving higher speeds. It’s about doing so with control, confidence, and—if you really want to impress—upside down.