The Speirling electric fan car will soon be legal on the streets
British startup McMurtry Automotive is planning on building a road version of their Speirling electric fan car, a speed machine that had just set a record and won the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. At the event, Formula 1 driver Max Chilton finished the ascent in only 39.08 seconds.
The Speirling electric fan car was the first fan vehicle to participate in the “officially sanctioned motorsport since the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.” The previous record has been held since 2019 by the Volkswagen ID.R. McMurtry Automotive has told Autocar that they already have a functioning prototype, and a road-ready version is on the way.
“We want to provide something that you can drive through the center of London, and then take onto a track,” said McMurtry Automotive managing director Thomas Yates. In order to include features like headlights, taillights, windshield wipers, and front and back license plates, the road version will probably also be a little bit slower.
Weighing at 2,205 pounds with a length of 10.5 feet, the McMurtry Automotive Speirling electric fan car is built with carbon fiber and a dual-motor powertrain that’s connected to a 60 kwH battery. Car and Driver has reported that the electric fan car will generate around 1,000 HP.
The pair of turbines hidden below the bubble cockpit that draw air from beneath the vehicle and blast it out the back is a game changer. The two fans may generate up to 4,000 pounds of downforce, which helps to keep the car on the ground while it accelerates.
When it debuts, the Speirling electric fan car will set you back at least $1.22 million. Anyone who is interested can visit the McMurtry Automotive website to sign up for updates.