McMurtry Speirling beats Mercedes-AMG One to set new lap record
What's the story
The McMurtry Speirling, a compact electric vehicle (EV) from McMurtry Automotive, has set a new record on the Hockenheim track in Germany.
It outpaced the Mercedes-AMG One by 14.1 seconds.
The EV completed a lap of the Grand Prix (GP) course in just one minute and 24.4 seconds, compared to the AMG One's time of one minute and 38.5 seconds.
This feat has crowned the Speirling as the fastest closed-wheel car around Hockenheim.
Record breaker
Speirling's victory surpasses previous records
The Speirling's triumph is not just limited to beating the Mercedes-AMG One. It also surpassed a Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) race car.
It improved the old record set in 2020 during a DTM qualifying session by 3.9 seconds.
However, it's important to note that the Speirling is a purpose-built, track-only machine with a single seat and racing slicks, making it a different class of vehicle compared to its competitors.
Power efficiency
Impressive performance with only 75% power usage
Despite using only 75% of available power and downforce during its run, the Speirling demonstrated impressive performance.
The record-breaking lap was done on June 8 with former F1 driver Max Chilton at the helm.
Chilton also set a lap record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK while piloting this ultra-fast EV.
The vehicle is compact in size but packs an impressive punch with around 1,000hp channeled to its rear wheels.
Vehicle specifications
A compact powerhouse with quick charging
The McMurtry Speirling measures only 3,449mm long, 1,580mm wide, and just 1,018mm tall.
It weighs less than 998kg but despite its small size, engineers have managed to fit in a 60kWh battery that can be fully charged in less than 20 minutes.
This high-performance vehicle comes with a hefty price tag of £895,000 (nearly ₹9.49 crore) before taxes and delivery fees.
Only 100 units of the McMurtry Speirling will be produced, with deliveries expected to start in 2025.