McMurtry Spéirling PURE: Electric Hyper Track Car Debuts
McMurtry Automotive launches a new era of automotive performance by revealing the production form of its single-seater electric hyper track car, the Spéirling PURE, ready for owners to experience. McMurtry designed the Spéirling PURE from the outset to deliver unfiltered driving exhilaration and fun, and the car now features 95% new components compared to prototype models. The result is truly accessible F1-level performance that any driver can enjoy, with a strong focus on a plug-and-play ownership experience.
Following a decade-long research and development programme, during which Spéirling prototypes have covered thousands of kilometres in testing, McMurtry has leveraged its engineering creativity and worked outside industry norms to create a track vehicle that stands apart from anything else in the automotive world. McMurtry first captured global attention in 2022 when the Spéirling prototype set a new Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb record, beating many established manufacturers along the way. In 2025, it shattered the Top Gear Test Track record, a mark that was once held by the 2004 Renault F1 car. That same year, the Spéirling prototype broke new ground, becoming the first car ever to drive upside down.
Thomas Yates, McMurtry's co-founder and managing director, says: "The Spéirling PURE marks the beginning of a new era in track driving with mind-bending performance to suit all levels of owner, from weekend enthusiasts to professional drivers. In production form, the car is significantly more usable, but no less outrageous. In terms of exhilaration, grip, acceleration, sound, aesthetics , and technology, we offer something that other manufacturers do not. Less than ten years ago, there were just a handful of us with the brief and ambition to create a car company. We've come an awfully long way since then, patenting revolutionary new technologies, gathering a world-class team of talented individuals and raising the bar in the performance vehicle sector. Feedback from our earliest Spéirling PURE deposit holders has been instrumental in shaping our final customer offering. They recognised our vision, and their input has helped us turn a record-breaking prototype into an extraordinary and highly usable track car that people can own and enjoy. This final form is not just the result of our engineering ambition but also of listening intently to the people who will drive it. Designed and built by hand at our new state-of-the-art factory in the Cotswolds, England, we'll deliver this year and hand over the first Spéirling PURE to customers. We cannot wait to see what owners across the globe achieve in their cars, but rest assured, we also have some big plans of our own…"
The production Spéirling PURE represents the culmination of relentless research and development, featuring 95% new components compared to prototype models. On the powertrain side, McMurtry has increased battery capacity to 100kWh, up from the 60kWh batteries used by the prototypes, improving overall running time with Molicel P50B NCA 21700 cells. A standardised, modular McMurtry battery design builds in scope for future evolution upgrades, while increased regenerative braking now recovers up to 200kW of energy at all states of charge. New Helix drive motors bring additional torque and pair with an upgraded gearbox. McMurtry has also moved the powertrain cooling system from the rear to the front of the car, delivering dual benefits in efficiency and aerodynamics. Although the production-spec Spéirling PURE has grown slightly to accommodate the larger 100kWh battery, airflow across the car and through its rear tunnels remains much cleaner.
On the chassis and bodywork, McMurtry has introduced new exterior and interior designs that stay true to the original Spéirling philosophy. A new carbon fibre monocoque meets global motorsport safety standards, accommodates the larger battery, enhances cabin space with more elbow and leg room, improves ingress and egress through a wider door opening, and repositions the A-pillar for a wider field of view. The wheelbase has grown from 2m to 2.2m to accommodate the new 100kWh battery, and a hinged secondary door with wider hinge spacing further aids ingress and egress. A swan-neck-style rear wing incorporates a boot compartment underneath for a helmet and a HANS device, and new headlights enable evening and nighttime track running. Track day safety features now include indicators, hazard lights, brake lights and main beam flash.
McMurtry has refined the Downforce-on-Demand system with new fan blades for enhanced durability, new fan motors and cooling design, and an assembly position relocation that improves the centre of gravity. Under-car downforce skirt durability and travel improvements now allow the system to perform for thousands of kilometres, and an onboard air compressor is part of the Downforce-on-Demand skirt system. Drivers can retract the skirt independently for trailer loading and slow-speed manoeuvring, such as in the pits. In contrast, Spéirling prototypes required an external air bottle to pre-charge the system.
On suspension and steering, McMurtry has increased suspension articulation and raised the nominal ride height by 20% when in use. Off-the-shelf slick Michelin tyres are 11% wider at the front and 3% wider at the rear, with a 15mm increase in sidewall height at both ends to improve compliance. McMurtry has replaced the electric power steering system with a hydraulic power-assisted steering system that uses Formula 1-style valving for lighter steering and increased driver feedback, and offers electronically adjustable dampers as an optional extra.
The Spéirling PURE delivers a unique driving experience through McMurtry's patented, revolutionary Downforce-on-Demand technology. This system produces up to 2,000kg of downforce from 0mph, giving drivers absolute confidence to push the car to its limits at 3g in corners and under braking. Two high-speed fans generate immense suction beneath the Spéirling PURE, effectively pulling it onto the road surface much like a giant, highly controlled vacuum. Bespoke fans spinning at up to 23,000rpm draw air from a sealed region beneath the chassis through filters, creating immediate and consistent downforce. As the system expels air from the rear, the Spéirling produces a sound more commonly associated with a jet engine than an electric vehicle, a striking contrast to the near-silence typically expected from EVs The system uses dual fans for built-in redundancy, so even in the highly unlikely event of an issue with one unit, the driver retains control of the car. Unlike traditional downforce, which is generated by direction-specific airflow over wings or under diffusers, the Spéirling PURE maintains downforce in the event of a spin, allowing drivers to bring the car to a controlled stop in a much shorter distance.
The exterior design of the production-spec Spéirling PURE shows significant changes from the prototype models, yet the McMurtry design team focused on maintaining the car's unique stance and proportions. The car's wheelbase has grown by 10%, its width by 14%, and its length by 11% to accommodate the larger battery and onboard systems, though it still fundamentally remains a small vehicle. New carbon fibre bodywork wraps around these new dimensions. Relocating the Downforce-on-Demand fan system has reduced the centre of gravity and revealed the fan inlet ducting, creating a unique design element.
The Spéirling PURE's interior moves significantly beyond purely functional design to become a more refined and sophisticated environment. Each seat is custom-moulded for its owner, using a process similar to that used in Le Mans prototypes, ensuring a precise fit that provides exceptional comfort, support and a strong connection to the car. Owners can select a range of option colours, stitching, stripes and logos for the seat, steering wheel and dashboard trim. A bespoke racing-style steering wheel gives drivers intuitive access to key controls at speed, with a fan rev paddle for pitlane fu. At the same time,e a central screen delivers instantly legible graphics for key information such as power and fan settings, state of charge, speed and temperatures.
Vehicles capable of extreme performance are often difficult to service and complicated to run, which detracts from the enjoyment of ownership. The Spéirling PURE breaks this trend, since McMurtry designed it from the outset to give owners a straightforward, plug-and-play experience. With just a driver and a competent friend, owners can run the Spéirling PURE at track days or competitive events, in stark contrast to what other ultra-high-performance track vehicles demand. Owners who want extra support can also access a full factory support programme that makes running a Spéirling PURE seamless. With many global race tracks now home to high-speed charging infrastructure, owners can recharge the Spéirling PURE from 20% to 95% in 20 to 60 minutes, depending on ambient temperature and charger power. As an optional extra, McMurtry has developed a portable 100kWh storage, 120kW output power bank that allows Spéirling PURE charging at any venue, and any conventional three-phase pit garage source can charge the power bank itself. McMurtry has also added access panels to the monocoque and bodywork, so technicians can service the fully assembled Spéirling PURE far more easily, with key components readily accessible, such as the fan filter cassette, which can be emptied through quick-access panels in the side pods.
An extensive options programme lets customers make each Spéirling PURE truly their own. During the order process, customers collaborate with an in-house designer to create a highly personalised specification, choosing from an array of wheel designs, unique graphics and paint finishes, and bespoke interior trim, so no two cars will be the same.
Owners can compete in the Spéirling PURE at events such as Global Time Attack in the USA and European Time Attack Masters at the Nürburgring, and McMurtry also recommends non-competitive but race-inspired events, such as GT1 Sports Club.
McMurtry named the Spéirling PURE after the Gaelic word for thunderstorm, and the car is the brainchild of the late Irish engineering pioneer Sir David McMurtry and former Formula 1 engineer Thomas Yates. As the inventor of the globally ubiquitous touch-trigger probe measurement device and founder of Renishaw plc, the UK's largest metrology equipment supplier, Sir David handpicked Thomas Yates from Mercedes F1's High-Performance Powertrain division to establish McMurtry Automotive in 2016. Together, they set out to create a new type of vehicle that ran counter to the industry's trend toward bigger, heavier cars. To put the McMurtry name on the map, they revived and modernised fan car downforce technology inspired by the successful 1970s Can-Am and Formula 1 fan cars, and built the Spéirling around it.
Visitors can see a Spéirling PURE creatively displayed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week, from 9 to 12 July, before the car makes its official public debut in full production form at The Quail in Monterey, California, next month on 14 August.
McMurtry also runs the McMurtry Owners Club, which organises a calendar of bucket list track events throughout the year, supported by factory engineers, technicians and driver coaches. The club forms an exclusive community for McMurtry owners, turning Spéirling ownership into a shared social and driving journey. Its Advanced Driver Training helps drivers extract the most from their Spéirling; the first event in Sweden, for example, focused on ice driving innear-zeroo grip conditions before drivers experienced the Spéirling's supreme downforce on track. Through Technical Access, members receive deep dives into the engineering and production of their cars, including exclusive updates and technical insights that McMurtry does not release to the general public. The club's Global Track Support organises and manages all logistics for international driving events at premier racing circuits, ensuring a seamless transition from arrival to the cockpit. At the same time, its Social Networking connects a passionate, global group of enthusiasts, turning a solo driving experience into a cohesive community of people who share an obsession for cutting-edge engineering. Owners will also feed forward into the development of McMurtry's next models.
