Many gearheads have theorized that race cars, because of the sheer amount of downforce they produce, can theoretically drive upside down. McMurtry Automotive has definitively proven it's possible with their Spéirling hyper track car.
Earlier this week, the UK-based performance car manufacturer put the theory to the test at their headquarters in Gloucestershire, England and was attended by employees and independent adjudicators.
If you have any doubts that these photographs may have been photoshopped, McMurtry has uploaded the video of the entire attempt here.
During the record attempt, Thomas Yates, Co-founder & Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive, drove the Spéirling up a ramp and onto a purpose-built platform. The floor of the platform then rotated, fully inverting the hypercar. The Downforce-on-Demand system of the vehicle created a sufficient vacuum underneath the hypercar’s floor to hold it upside down, exceeding the force of gravity. Once fully inverted, Thomas drove forward, for a few inches, with the vehicle’s weight entirely unsupported by the vehicle’s vacuum system. The vehicle’s fan system can produce 2000-kg of downforce, more than enough to overcome its own light weight.
How is it possible?
It has long been discussed that high-performance race cars, such as those used in Formula 1, could theoretically be driven upside down. This is due to the amount of downforce that they generate at speed. However, it has never been attempted.
Mercedes-Benz had made an attempt in 2012 for a commercial. Using an AMG GT driven by F1 driver Michael Schumacher, the vehicle drove in a corkscrew in a tunnel and was only upside down briefly. However, in this instance, the vehicle driving upside down was not a result of downforce but merely centrifugal force.
In this instance, the McMurtry Spéirling began from a dead stop, while upside down. It then drove upside down for a few inches while staying adhered to the inverted platform.
This is possible because of McMurtry’s patented Downforce-on-Demand system. The Spéirling’s fan system creates a seal with the surface and can ‘suck’ the hypercar to the ‘floor’ of a specially-built rotating rig, much like how vacuum can stick to a flat surface when powered on.
The system was not designed to allow the car to be driven upside down. Rather it was created to help the vehicle accelerate, brake, and turn with significantly more grip than other hypercars and racecars, especially at low speed. Importantly, this downforce is available at any speed, even at a standstill. Other hypercars and racecars can only produce downforce at high speeds using aerodynamic surfaces.
This proprietary system also enables the battery-electric hypercar to accelerate to 60mph in just 1.5 seconds, complete a quarter mile in 8-seconds, and corner at more than 3g (three times the force of gravity).
Four years in the making
The car was presented with a gloss black falcon camouflage livery on a matt black base coat. This is a tribute to the original McMurtry fan car which was unveiled in 2021 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where the public first asked “So can you drive it upside down?”.
Quite cheekily, the vehicle features sponsor logos and graphics that were printed upside down, specifically for the stunt. The falcons are modelled on the company logo, the peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth. There are other graphics including under the rear wing, which are optimized for viewing when upside down.
The car
The McMurtry Spéirling is a British-built, single-seat, electric hypercar that operates in a league of its own. It was envisioned by one of Britain’s most successful businessmen, the billionaire and prolific inventor Sir David McMurtry, who passed away in December. McMurtry Automotive continues his legacy with a small, agile team of talented and creative engineers.
The specific car used to set this record is the McMurtry Spéirling PURE Validation Prototype 1 (VP1). It is an evolution of the hypercar that set the Goodwood record and is the next step towards a finalized production model, of which only 100 will be made.
The first Spéirling PURE customer deliveries are set for 2026 and will feature a number of enhancements over this prototype, namely a higher 100-kWh capacity battery back. This will allow for extended sessions in the Spéirling, providing 20 minutes of track time at ‘GT3 pace’ and ‘record-breaking’ pace for multiple hot laps. The lithium-ion battery cells that will be used are P50B Molicel 21700s delivering both exceptional power delivery and energy density.
“This demonstration was an exciting proof of concept using a small purpose-built rig, but is perhaps just the beginning of what’s possible,” said Yates “With a longer inverted track or a suitable tunnel, we may be able to drive even further! Huge congratulations and thanks to the entire McMurtry Automotive team, especially the engineers involved in the car and fan system’s design, they are the heroes of today. ”
Safety
While the stunt may appear dangerous, the Spéirling is built to the rigorous motorsport safety standards of LMP1 cars — the fastest cars at the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours. In track and racing conditions, the downforce produced by the Spéirling also plays a vital safety role. As downforce levels are unrelated to speed or direction of travel, testing has demonstrated that if a driver enters a spin or other uncontrolled maneuver, the amount of grip and downforce available means that application of the brakes will often see them stop almost immediately, often while still on the tarmac.