The McMurtry Spéirling Pure has officially gone on sale, so you can now buy a version of the electric, high-downforce car that set the hill climb record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year.
Faster than F1
That means that this all-electric car is faster than a Formula One car and has an Irish background, too. The founder of the McMurtry company, David McMurtry, was born in Clontarf and made his fortune selling precision measuring equipment worldwide. Now, he's taking on the challenge of making electric cars.
The Spéirling Pure - named after the Irish word for a thunderstorm - is no ordinary electric car. Its 60kWh battery powers an astonishing 745kW (that's 1,012hp) rear-mounted electric motor, which only drives the rear wheels. How does this car accelerate without burning up its tyres? Simple - it's a fan car.
At the rear is a fan which sucks the air out from under the carefully aerodynamically designed carbon-fibre bodywork. In essence, it works just like a Brabham BT46 formula one 'Fan Car' from the seventies, creating oodles of downforce (more than 2,000kg, in fact), but because it uses a fan, you can get all of that grip-enhancing aero at zero km/h.
0-100km/h in 1.5 seconds
That means that the Spéirling Pure is capable of some staggering performance feats. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 1.5 seconds and goes on to a top speed of more than 300km/h. It's not been designed for the road - not yet, anyway - so that 60kWh battery probably won't get you very far, but it will be enough to experience a few laps of a race track, cornering at up to 3G(!). The battery has been designed to be fast-charged in just 20mins so you can get back out there.
According to McMurtry's figures, as a baseline, the car can do ten laps of Silverstone National at lap record pace and then fast charge in 20 minutes to run again. The car can potentially go even faster for a shorter qualifying simulation.
Improvements have been made to the car since the prototype was shown last year, including a lighter carbon-fibre structure, wider tyres, improved fans, tweaked aerodynamics, and an improved electric motor. The single-seat cabin is roomy enough to accommodate drivers up to 6'4" tall and weighing as much as 150kg. The whole car weighs less than 1,000kg - quite an achievement in electric car terms.
€955,000 if you want one
How much for all this thrill? McMurtry quotes a UK price of £820,000 for the Spéirling Pure, which translates to €955,000 or thereabouts. And because it's a track car, not a road car, you won't have to pay VRT (although you will still have to pay VAT...).
Thomas Yates, founding director, said: "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."
Max Chilton, the development driver, said: "Proving the Spéirling's advantage via the outright hillclimb record at Goodwood was a proud life achievement. Since then, it's been rewarding to see what customers can achieve in the driving seat too. It's hugely satisfying to be part of the company that are bringing this game changing technology to driving enthusiasts."
Just 100 will be made, and deliveries will start in 2025. Want one? Better get over to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and talk to the guys on the McMurtry stand.