Update: On Saturday at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed, the McMurtry Speirling recorded a hillclimb attempt of 40.056 seconds. That is second all-time behind the Volkswagen ID.R, which climbed the Goodwood hill in 39.9 seconds.
Just last week, British EV brand McMurtry Automotive announced that it's returning to Goodwood to try and break the standing hill climb record set by the Volkswagen I.D. R. The contender? A peculiar-looking mini Batmobile called the Spéirling.
In a valiant attempt during the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the adorably short electric fan car went near the electric VW race car's time but ultimately failed to break the record. The video atop this page shows the McMurtry Spéirling completing the famous hills of Goodwood in 41.29 seconds.
Gallery: McMurtry Spéirling At Goodwood
Of note, the Volkswagen I.D. R has set the Goodwood Festival of Speed ablaze in 2019 by completing the hill climb in 39.90 seconds with Romain Dumas at the helm. It broke its own record that was clocked in the previous year and ultimately etched its name in the history books by setting an overall record.
As of this writing, the McMurtry Spéirling's 41.29-second attempt stands as the second-quickest overall, despite failing to beat the Volkswagen's. It has outdone the 41.60 seconds time set by the McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13 in 1999.
Former F1 driver Max Chilton was the one piloting the Spéirling at this year's Goodwood. He also led the development of the electric fan car.
The McMurtry Spéirling is a singe-seat, pure-electric track car that has a power-to-weight ratio of 1,000hp/tonne with a weight of under 2,205 pounds (1,000 kilograms). It can sprint to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in under 1.5 seconds – quicker than a Bugatti Chiron.
It uses a system of twin fans that pull air from under the car, allowing the track toy to employ 4,409 lbs (2,000 kg) of downforce on demand – double its own weight. At 150 mph (241 km/h), the Spéirling produces more downforce than an F1 car.
Live Photos: Jeff Perez For Motor1.com
