As the name suggests, downforce-on-demand provides constant downforce at any speed. The keen among you will know that McMurtry isn’t the first to come up with this fan concept, and that’s for good reason. Most high-downforce racing cars generate downforce linearly, meaning that as speed increases, so does downforce. This makes it unpredictable, as there’s a crossover point when slowing down where you’ll start to rely on mechanical grip instead of the aerodynamic safety blanket.
The Spéirling utilizes two fans spinning at up to 23,000 rpm to produce 4,409 pounds of downforce—roughly double the car’s curb weight—from a standstill. You don’t have to be a mathematician to realize that should give it the ability to drive upside down. Those fans, however, make it so that despite the Spéirling’s electric powertrain, it’s not what we’d call quiet. Let’s just say it’d be right at home sitting next to an F16 on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
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