McMurtry Automotive, the UK manufacturer co-founded in 2016 by the late engineering pioneer Sir David McMurtry and former Formula 1 engineer Thomas Yates, is reviving the fan idea almost 50 years later, minus the controversy. The Sp\u00e9irling PURE is the production version of the original Sp\u00e9irling, the prototype that already holds records at Goodwood<\/a> and on the Top Gear test track. It will make its global debut at The Quail in Monterey, California, on August 14th.<\/p>\n Brabham’s fan car lasted one race before F1 shut it down. McMurtry took the idea Brabham was never allowed to develop and, with input from its earliest customers, turned it into a full-production hyper-track car.<\/p>\n From prototype to production<\/p>\n Nearly every part is new<\/p>\n McMurtry said the production Sp\u00e9irling PURE has 95% new components compared to the prototypes that set records at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb<\/a> and on the Top Gear test track<\/a>.<\/p>\n The biggest change is the battery. Capacity grew from 60 kWh in the prototypes to 100 kWh in the production car, using Molicel P50B NCA 21700 cells, extending how long the car can run on a single charge. The regenerative braking system<\/a> now recovers up to 200 kW at any state of charge, while the new Helix drive motors deliver extra torque via an upgraded gearbox.<\/p>\n McMurtry relocated the powertrain cooling system from the rear to the front of the Sp\u00e9irling PURE. The company said doing so improves efficiency and aerodynamics, even as the car grew slightly to accommodate the larger battery (the wheelbase went from 78.7 to 86.6 inches on account of the battery).<\/p>\n The carbon fiber monocoque is new too, built to meet global motorsport safety standards. It adds elbow and legroom in the cabin, a wider door opening, and a repositioned A-pillar for a clearer view out. The secondary door is now hinged with wider spacing, making it easier to get in and out.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n \t\t Horsepower has become overrated. <\/p>\n The fan system that makes it stick to the track<\/p>\n Downforce, even when standing still<\/p>\n McMurtry calls its version of the fan car concept Downforce-on-Demand. Fans at the rear of the car draw air out from beneath it, while a skirt around the car’s perimeter seals the low-pressure area against the ground. Together, they generate up to 4,400 lbs. of downforce, available from zero mph, long before the car is moving fast enough for a normal wing or diffuser to be effective.<\/p>\n For Sp\u00e9irling PURE production, McMurtry redesigned the fan blades for durability and moved the fan motors to improve the car’s center of gravity. The skirt system also picked up an onboard air compressor. Where prototype Sp\u00e9irling models needed an external air bottle to charge the system, the production car’s skirt retracts automatically when loading onto a trailer or moving through the pits.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tI\u2019m a racing instructor, and more horsepower doesn\u2019t make cars more fun
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