11-04-2025
This Electric Hypercar Just Drove Upside Down
In a technical sense, any car that produces more downforce than its curb weight should be able to drive upside down. There have been a number of racing cars over the years that could theoretically accomplish this cartoonish feat, but it's never been officially attempted. That is until now, with the team behind the McMurtry Spéirling proving once and for all that it can be done. I promise that you're going to want to see it for yourself.
The Spéirling is a single-seat electric hypercar produced by McMurtry Automotive in the United Kingdom. You may have seen clips of the 1000-hp, carbon-fiber machine destroying the hill climb record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, or here in the States at Laguna Seca. The magic isn't its EV powertrain or lightweight, but rather the immense Downforce-on-Demand system pioneered by the brand. This setup utilizes two large fans to generate up to 4400 lbs of downforce, which it can do from a standstill. While lots of cars can put out ridiculous aero figures, most require the car to be moving at a rather rapid rate before the figures apply.
The attempt itself was more drama-free than you might expect. The team custom-built a large platform on which the car could be driven, which could then be rotated 180 degrees to allow the can to hang from its own suction essentially. Co-founder & Managing Director Thomas Yates drove the Spéirling during the attempt, flanked by employees and independent adjudicators to verify the accomplishment. It's genuinely a wild sight to behold, even with background knowledge of the car's various on-track successes. Then again, that Downforce-on-Demand system has openly been a massive part of why the car can corner at more than 3g and rip off an 8-second quarter-mile sprint.
McMurtry Automotive says it will begin deliveries of the Spéirling Pure production model in 2026, with only 100 units slated for buyers. The customer units will see some improvements over the test cars we've grown accustomed to, including a larger 100-kWh battery pack. The automaker says that this larger setup will give customers around 20 minutes of track time at full-blown GT3 Car pace, or record-breaking pace for multiple laps. Unless the average owner has the neck of an F1 driver, that's likely plenty of time per session. The brand also hasn't ruled out another upside-down driving stunt in the future, though what that might look like has yet to be seen. If you start to see tunnel segments floating around in Gloucestershire, you officially know why.
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