Automotive
McMurtry just flipped the script on what a automotive can do—literally—by becoming the primary to drive a hypercar the wrong way up from a standstill. The all-electric McMurtry Spéirling has made history as the primary automotive to attain inverted driving, powered by its groundbreaking fan-based Downforce-on-Demand™ system.
The stunt, performed at McMurtry’s Gloucestershire headquarters, wasn’t only a daring party trick—it was a proof of concept a long time within the making. Co-founder and Managing Director Thomas Yates got behind the wheel for the record-setting feat, which took place on a specially built, rotating rig in front of employees and independent adjudicators. And yes, there’s video proof. (You need to see it.)
The Science of Sticking to the Ceiling
While F1 fans have long speculated that certain race cars could drive the wrong way up because of extreme levels of aerodynamic downforce at speed, nobody has actually done it—until now. The Spéirling’s proprietary fan system generates as much as 2,000kg of downforce from a standstill. That’s good enough to beat gravity and literally suck the automotive to a surface above it.
This incredible level of grip means the automotive doesn’t need airflow over wings like traditional racecars. As a substitute, it creates a vacuum underneath the chassis, allowing it to speed up, brake, and corner like no other automotive on Earth—or on this case, above it.
For the demonstration, the Spéirling climbed a ramp onto a rotating platform, which then flipped the automotive the wrong way up. Once inverted, Yates confidently drove the hypercar forward, completely unsupported by anything aside from the raw power of the fan system.
One other Day, One other Record
The upside-down stunt isn’t even the one headline McMurtry made this week. The Spéirling also just smashed the all-time record on the Top Gear Test Track—beating a V10-powered Formula 1 automotive by a staggering 3.1 seconds. Add that to its previous titles on the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Laguna Seca Corkscrew Hillclimb, and the Spéirling is quickly becoming essentially the most dominant force in electric hypercar performance.
“Strapping in and driving inverted was a very surreal experience,” said Yates. “The 2000kg of downforce is really astonishing and it’s great to point out why our Spéirling continues to take records all over the world.”
From Record Breaker to Reality
McMurtry is gearing up for production of the Spéirling PURE, with only 100 units planned. Customer deliveries are set for 2026, and the production model will include a beefier 100kWh battery pack that permits as much as 20 minutes of GT3-level track performance or several record-breaking hot laps. The battery tech uses P50B Molicel 21700 cells for optimum power and density.
The automotive used for the gravity-defying demonstration was the Spéirling PURE Validation Prototype 1 (VP1), finished in a striking falcon-inspired camouflage—a nod to McMurtry’s original 2021 fan automotive and its logo, the peregrine falcon (a fitting mascot, being the fastest creature on Earth).
Built to Race, Engineered for Safety
Despite the wild visuals, safety stays paramount. The Spéirling meets motorsport standards akin to LMP1 endurance racecars. Its unique ability to generate downforce at any speed—even during spins or lack of control—means it might probably scrub speed almost immediately, often stopping off-track excursions entirely.
As McMurtry continues the late Sir David McMurtry’s legacy of relentless innovation, the Spéirling is proving that the long run of performance isn’t just electric—it’s mind-bendingly imaginative.
The query first whispered by fans back in 2021—“Can it drive the wrong way up?”—has finally been answered. And not only with speculation, but with a jaw-dropping stunt that may go down as one of the vital audacious feats in automotive history.
When the Spéirling finally reaches customers, it won’t just be the fastest EV on the track—it’ll be the primary automotive that proved gravity is just one other obstacle to overcome.
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This Article First Appeared At www.automotiveaddicts.com
