The sports car that defied gravity.

The Formula 1 Dream

What if an electric car could generate enough downforce to theoretically drive upside down on the ceiling of a tunnel? British-based McMurtry Automotive is taking this concept to the extreme with an electric hypercar costing approximately $1.3 million, capable of generating nearly two tons of downforce—even when completely stationary.

Instead of relying solely on wings and airflow speed, it uses powerful fans to literally suck the car down onto the asphalt. In conventional race cars, downforce increases as the vehicle accelerates, meaning that at low speeds, wings and spoilers produce relatively little force. The Speirling PURE VP1 solves this problem in a different way.

Two electric fans spinning at up to 23,000 revolutions per minute extract air from a sealed area beneath the chassis, creating a low-pressure zone; movable skirts help seal this space against the ground, effectively turning the car's underbody into a giant suction cup. The result is a level of grip so intense that the vehicle can handle cornering and braking forces approaching 3Gs. It is precisely this ability to generate downforce—independent of speed—that fuels the idea that, under the right conditions, the car could generate enough force to support its own weight, even while upside down.

And there is no shortage of power, either.

Two rear electric motors deliver nearly 1,000 horsepower, propelling the small single-seater from 0 to 96 km/h in approximately 1.5 seconds. With only 100 units planned, it is unlikely to become a common sight on the streets, yet its technology demonstrates something extraordinary. When aerodynamics no longer rely solely on airflow, even gravity begins to seem negotiable.