British electric fan car sets records at iconic US track
The British-built McMurtry Spéirling electric fan car made a stunning US debut at the Laguna Seca Reverse Corkscrew Hillclimb, setting two records and maintaining its 100% win rate. Driven by former F1 and IndyCar driver Max Chilton, the McMurtry Spéirling dominated the event during the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion.
The Spéirling, which already holds the outright record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, first shattered the Hillclimb record on the longer layout with a time of 28.6 seconds, beating the previous record of 34.69 seconds set by a 1976 Lotus Type 77 Formula One car. McMurtry’s fan-powered downforce system and a powerful 1,000bhp electric powertrain were key to this six-second advantage.
On the newly introduced shorter layout for 2024, Chilton and the Spéirling set another record with a time of 21.958 seconds in the top-three shootout. This performance far outpaced a 1967 Ford Falcon, which clocked in at 29.004 seconds, and a 2022 Ferrari SF90, which finished at 29.822 seconds.
The event marked McMurtry’s first dynamic appearance in the US, where existing customers eagerly anticipate testing prototypes during Monterey Car Week. In addition to the Hillclimb, McMurtry plans to showcase its cars at various events, including The Motorlux party, The Quail Motorsports Gathering, and Laguna Seca’s full circuit demo laps.
The British-built McMurtry Spéirling generates 4,400 pounds of downforce from a standstill, thanks to its innovative fan system, and is powered by advanced P50B battery cells from Molicel. The upcoming McMurtry Spéirling PURE, now available for order, builds on this technology, offering selectable performance modes and the potential for even greater speed.
The next McMurtry demonstration will be on Saturday, 17th August, at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, with two cars taking to the track to showcase this groundbreaking electric vehicle.
For more details, you can visit this link (drivespark.com) (Futurride)
