Customer-ready McMurtry Spéirling revealed
Easier to run on track, simpler to climb into and see out of, still absolutely crackers
Well, here it is: the full production version of the mighty little McMurtry Spéirling. Dubbed the Spéirling Pure, it claims 95 per cent new components in its shift from record-smashing prototype to customer reality. Coulda fooled us; despite its extensive list of tweaks and the addition of a full set of lights and indicators (for trackday safety, not roadgoing purposes, of course), it looks very much as it did when we first saw the Spéirling a whole five years ago.
It’s a car we’ve covered extensively since in its pursuit of a bulky Wikipedia entry, with record lap times at Laguna Seca, Hockenheim, the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb and – perhaps most notably – upon the Top Gear test track, where The Stig whisked it to a 55.9s lap to shave three seconds from a two-decade-old record set by a Formula 1 car. Oh, and McMurtry’s driven it upside down, too…
Plenty to whet the whistle of potential buyers, then, and now there’s a heap more practicality to get their million-quid sale over the line. Practicality being a relative term, of course. The battery is bigger (up from 60 to 100kWh, for longer track stints), with the car growing slightly in every direction – including a wheelbase which swells from 2.0 to 2.2m – to squeeze it in. The battery itself is ‘futureproofed’ for evolution changes, too.
Attention has been paid to the ease of getting one on circuit, too. “With just a driver and a competent friend, the Spéirling Pure can be run at track days or competitive events,” we’re told, “a stark contrast from what is required to run other ultra high-performance track vehicles. If owners desire, however, a full factory support programme is available.”
You’ll need to source a track with high-speed charging on hand, of course – where you can cross your fingers for a 20-95% charge at the skinnier end of its claimed 20-60 minutes – though the options list includes a portable power bank which can charge from any three-phase pit garage outlet. Run distance – aka range – is 25-30 miles “at LMP2 car race pace”. A charging break and a long stare into the distance may be quite welcome after that.
Its twin rear motors now provide more torque, with the gearbox improved to match. A peak figure isn’t claimed, though power tops out at 1,000hp for 0-60mph in 1.55s with a sneaky one-foot roll out. Top speed is 190mph, but it’s the 3g cornering and braking forces and 2,000kg of instantly available downforce that’s of most curiosity. McMurtry’s trademarked Downforce-on-Demand tech has evolved for production and sees the full two thousand produced from a standstill via a pair of high-speed fans – allowing built-in redundancy if one fails – spinning at up to 23,000rpm. They stay operational during a spin, too, to help you come to a standstill in much less distance.
There are benefits beyond their obvious intrigue factor. “As air is expelled from the rear, the Spéirling produces a sound more commonly associated with a jet engine than an electric vehicle,” says McMurtry, “a striking contrast to the near silence typically expected from EVs.” Eat that, fake Hyundai Ioniq N noise…
A new carbon monocoque accommodates not only the larger battery, but a roomier interior with more elbow and legroom and space, apparently, for folk up to 6ft 7in to drive. A wider door opening and a repositioned A-pillar (for better visibility) shrink the inevitable intimidation factor a little further. And there’s more: hydraulic steering replaces the prototype’s electric setup, for greater feedback, while wider Michelin slicks (up 11 per cent at the front, three per cent rear) with 15mm of extra sidewall serve up more compliance. Electronically adjustable dampers reside on the options list for yet more flexibility.
It’s a mighty options list, too, should spending £995,000 (plus taxes) not seem extravagant enough. A much smaller take on the hypercar it may be, but you can still customise it to your heart’s content to ensure yours looks unique at the copious McMurtry Owners Club events on offer. There’s driver training to help you learn how to use its downforce (phew) plus socials with other owners and the chance to feed ideas into the development of future models. A process that’s already educated the Pure.
“Feedback from our earliest Spéirling Pure deposit holders has been instrumental in shaping our final customer offering,” says McMurtry co-founder Thomas Yates. “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 the result of listening intently to the people who are going to drive it.” As well as trackdays, its owners can compete in their car, too; McMurtry says it’s eligible for European Time Attack Masters at the Nürburgring and Global Time Attack in the USA, among other events.
All those production tweaks do impact the Spéirling’s weight, the Pure not quite living up to its suffix by adding around 300 kilos to the 1,050kg prototype. Nevertheless, McMurtry says it anticipates its lap times being “very similar to the prototypes”. And though it’s grown, a 3.8 by 1.8m footprint is still smaller than a Ford Fiesta’s. Need to witness it for yourself? The finished Spéirling will be on show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week ahead of first customer deliveries later in the year.
)Amazing work and journey by the team behind the whole thing. The customer car looks like a perfect evolution of a bats
t crazy prototype - if I won the euromillions, I'd 100% be getting one. 
30 miles range should be good for 2 laps of The Ring.
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