McMurtry Spéirling defies gravity using fan downforce

Claimed to be a world first, the demonstration took place at Swinhay House, the former residence of Renishaw and McMurtry Automotive founder, David McMurtry, who passed away in December 2024. A McMurtry Spéirling PURE Validation Prototype 1 (VP1) was driven on to a custom-built platform which then rotated 180 degrees to invert the stationary vehicle. Relying on the huge ‘Downforce on Demand’ created by twin 23,000 RPM fans on the car’s undercarriage, the Spéirling remained firmly attached to the platform and was driven a few feet forward before the rig rotated it back to ground.

Behind the wheel was Thomas Yates, McMurtry Automotive co-founder & managing director. Describing the experience as a ‘fantastic day in the office’, he hinted there may be more inverted demonstrations to come for the Spéirling if the right location and set-up can be found.

“Strapping in and driving inverted was a completely surreal experience,” said Yates. “The 2000kg of downforce that the fan system can generate is truly astonishing to experience and it’s great to show the reason why our Spéirling continues to take records around the world.