The British firm McMurray Spiraling debuted at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed, a small (only 126 inches long) but powerful electric track car that eliminates drag-inducing aerodynamic features for a fan-powered ground effect system. That creates the downforce. We are talking about the ability to create a downforce of more than 4,400 pounds (from the previous 1,100 pounds) in stagnant conditions.
For this year’s festival, which runs June 23-26, McMurray plans to try to climb the Sunday shootout hill of the event, not just to win, but to set a record. The current record for the 1.16-mile mountain climb that revolves around the grounds of Goodwood House is set in 2019 by Roman Dumas behind the wheels of the 670-hp Volkswagen ID.R Time Attack Special for 39.9 seconds.
There’s certainly a chance for Spiralling’s incredible downforce, which is more than what a Formula 1 car produces at 150 miles per hour, and with the high output generated by a pair of rear-wheel-drive electric motors. Powering motors is a 60-kilowatt-hour battery.
McMurtry did not say how powerful the Spearling was but claimed that the car has about one horsepower for every 2.2 pounds of weight. The car is claimed to weigh less than 2,200 pounds.
Performance claims include 0-60 mph with a time of less than 1.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 150 mph, the latter being limited due to McMurray’s transmission setup for mountain climbing. Usually the maximum speed is more than 200 miles per hour.
Former F1 driver Max Chilton, who was hired as Spearling’s chief development driver in February, has been given the responsibility of driving.
Max Chilton with McMurray Spiraling
In a statement, Chilton said, “The constant downforce is an innovative feature that can be used extensively as a driver.” “It’s very different from what I’m used to driving on F1 and IndyCar, and in this year’s test I have to adjust my driving style to maximize performance.”
Mountaineering qualifiers will be held June 25, with a shootout the next day.
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