Last year the McMurtry Speirling was crowned the king of Goodwood. With a ridiculous 39.08-second run up the 1.16-mile driveway course, it broke the former Volkswagen ID.R race car’s record by nearly a full second.
Now the Speirling is back at the Festival Of Speed for 2023. The exact same prototype that broke the course record last year took on the hill climb again on day two of the Festival – and it still looks as quick as ever, even in the rain.
The damp track was no match for the 1,000-plus horsepower penny racer as it rocketed down the front straight and into the first corner with breathtaking speed. At just 126.0 inches long and weighing less than 2,205 pounds, the Speirling attacks corners like a go-kart with a rooster tail of rain shooting out behind it.
Considering it’s only the second day of the 2023 Goodwood Festival Of Speed, McMurtry isn’t attempting to break any records here, so it could be even faster. The actual timed runs will take place over the weekend; who knows, maybe McMurtry will break its own record this year.
Those hoping to get their hands on a Speirling can indeed do so. McMurtry now has a street-legal customer car called the Speirling Pure that the company introduced a few days back. That version has a confirmed 1,000 hp, weighs less than 2,200 pounds (or 1,000 kilograms), and has additional tweaks to the suspension and better aerodynamics for road use, among other upgrades.
Of course, the road-going Speirling isn’t cheap. The company asks a whopping $1.04 million (£820,000 before taxes).
