Electric Supercar Achieves 1,000 Horsepower and Double Downforce in Historic Test

The McMurtry Speirling has made automotive history by breaking two significant records in a single day at Top Gear’s renowned test track.

The electric race car, boasting an astonishing 1,000 horsepower, not only set a blistering lap time of 0:55.9 seconds but also became the first car to drive upside down, achieving this extraordinary feat for ten seconds.

The Speirling’s innovative design sets it apart from traditional vehicles. Instead of merely routing power to the wheels, this supercar utilizes enormous fans that create a vacuum beneath it, effectively boosting its grip without adding to its mass.

McMurtry Speirling Makes History by Driving Upside Down for Ten Seconds

This groundbreaking technology allows the Speirling to generate an impressive 2,000 kilograms of downforce—double its weight—enhancing its track performance significantly. The Speirling’s time obliterates the previous record set by Renault’s F1 car in 2004, marking a monumental shift in the realm of electric performance cars.

This pioneering vehicle also evokes nostalgia by incorporating a concept previously banned in professional racing: the fan car. Once seen in the motorsport scene in the 70s with the Chaparral 2J, this approach creates a low-pressure zone under the vehicle, holding it down with force without the drawbacks of traditional aerodynamic designs that often introduce drag.

While the upside-down driving segment may not involve high-speed thrills, it proves a critical turning point in automotive engineering.

McMurtry describes this moment as a “proof of concept” hinting at future developments, including potential inverted tracks that could sustainably challenge the norms of vehicular design and driving dynamics. As the company explores these possibilities, the limits of what cars can achieve are clearly being redefined.