Tag Archives: vehicles

NEW CARS

McMurtry Spéirling Pure

For the past few years, the McMurtry Spéirling has been the electric hypercar that seemed to ignore the laws of physics. It climbed the hill at Goodwood faster than Formula 1 machinery, demolished lap records, and became famous for generating more downforce at a standstill than most supercars produce at triple-digit speeds. Now, the tiny British company behind those headline-grabbing performances has finally revealed the production version, and it appears the road from prototype to customer car hasn’t dulled its edge one bit.

Meet the McMurtry Spéirling Pure.

At first glance, it looks nearly identical to the record-setting prototype. Underneath the compact carbon-fiber bodywork, however, the company says the production model is almost entirely new, with 95 percent of its components redesigned or replaced. The updates go well beyond durability and manufacturability, bringing improvements to the battery, powertrain, cooling system, chassis, and even cockpit ergonomics.

The most significant change comes in the battery department. The original 60.0-kWh pack has made way for a much larger 100.0-kWh unit, giving the Spéirling Pure enough energy to sustain repeated high-performance sessions instead of just delivering eye-opening acceleration runs. McMurtry says the car can complete between 40 and 50 kilometers of flat-out driving at LMP2 race pace before requiring a recharge—a remarkable claim considering the level of performance on offer.

Performance, unsurprisingly, remains the headline act.

The Pure is powered by a pair of electric motors producing a combined 986 horsepower, with every bit of it sent exclusively to the rear wheels. Despite lacking all-wheel drive, McMurtry claims the Spéirling Pure rockets from 0 to 100 km/h in just 1.55 seconds, putting it in territory occupied by purpose-built drag racers rather than conventional hypercars.

As astonishing as those numbers are, straight-line speed isn’t what makes the Spéirling unique.

That distinction belongs to the car’s active downforce system. Two high-speed fans mounted beneath the chassis work alongside sealed skirts to create more than 2,000 kilograms of downforce from zero speed. Unlike traditional wings and diffusers that require airflow to become effective, the McMurtry’s fan-assisted system delivers maximum grip the instant the car begins moving.

It’s a concept famously explored by racing cars decades ago, but McMurtry has refined it into something suitable for customer ownership. The twin-fan arrangement also introduces redundancy—if one fan were to fail, the second continues generating substantial suction, maintaining stability and giving the driver an additional margin of safety.

That aerodynamic advantage pays dividends everywhere. According to McMurtry, the Spéirling Pure is capable of generating up to 3G under braking and while cornering, levels of acceleration normally reserved for elite single-seater race cars. It also shortens stopping distances significantly, even in situations where the driver loses control, because the fan-generated downforce remains effective regardless of vehicle speed.

The engineering changes extend beyond outright performance. McMurtry says the carbon-fiber monocoque now complies with global motorsport safety standards while simultaneously offering more elbow and legroom inside the cockpit—a welcome improvement in a car whose dimensions remain extraordinarily compact.

Keeping such a machine running between track sessions has also been considered. Recharge times vary between roughly 20 and 60 minutes depending on charger output and ambient temperatures, meaning owners won’t necessarily spend an entire afternoon waiting to return to the circuit.

Exclusivity, meanwhile, is guaranteed.

McMurtry plans to build just 100 examples of the Spéirling Pure, each carrying a starting price of approximately $1.3 million. Buyers can also purchase factory-backed support for racing and track-day events, underscoring the company’s intention for these cars to be driven rather than displayed.

And there will be plenty of places to drive them. McMurtry says the Spéirling Pure will be eligible for GT1 Sports Club events and Global Time Attack competitions in the United States, while European owners will be able to compete in the Time Attack Masters championship.

Most electric hypercars promise breathtaking acceleration. The McMurtry Spéirling Pure promises something far rarer: a completely different understanding of what mechanical grip feels like. With nearly 1,000 horsepower, almost instantaneous acceleration, and a fan system capable of pinning the car to the asphalt before aerodynamic wings even wake up, the production Spéirling doesn’t merely chase performance records—it redefines the physics behind them.

Source: McMurtry Automotive

News

Jeep Reveals the Design DNA Behind Its Award-Winning SUVs

Winning a design award is one thing. Explaining why your designs continue to resonate with buyers decades later is another. Jeep is doing both.

Fresh off taking home the 2026 Car Design Award for Brand Design Language, the iconic SUV maker has offered a closer look at the philosophy behind its vehicles by releasing a design sketch that distills the defining elements of every modern Jeep. More than a styling exercise, it’s a visual manifesto that shows how the brand balances nearly 85 years of heritage with the demands of electrification and modern mobility.

Presented by an international jury of automotive journalists since 1984, the Car Design Award is among the industry’s most respected honors. This year’s judges praised Jeep for preserving its unmistakable identity while successfully evolving into the electric era—a transition that has challenged even the most established automakers.

Despite the shift toward battery-powered models, Jeep’s signature seven-slot grille remains front and center, accompanied by the trapezoidal wheel arches and upright proportions that have defined the brand for generations. According to the award jury, those instantly recognizable cues prove that a brand can embrace new technology without abandoning its roots.

“Jeep has a strong heritage that we respect when developing each new model,” said Daniele Calonaci, Design Director for Enlarged Europe. “It is this heritage that at the same time encourages us to continue to develop and improve the brand.”

That philosophy extends well beyond styling. At Jeep, designers insist every feature serves a purpose, whether it’s improving visibility, increasing durability, or enhancing off-road capability.

The newly released sketch highlights the characteristics that have become synonymous with the brand. Short overhangs improve approach and departure angles, generous ground clearance helps conquer rough terrain, while pronounced wheel arches and rugged structural elements prepare the vehicles for obstacles that would stop most crossovers in their tracks. These aren’t simply aesthetic flourishes—they’re functional components born from decades of off-road development.

Durability remains another cornerstone of the Jeep formula. Protective cladding, reinforced bumpers, and additional shielding for vulnerable components—including the underbody, headlights, and radar sensors—are designed to withstand the abuse that comes with venturing beyond paved roads. It’s a reminder that Jeep still builds vehicles with genuine trail use in mind, even as urban commuting becomes the primary mission for many owners.

The brand’s growing lineup also reflects changing customer expectations. Buyers can now choose from traditional gasoline engines, hybrid powertrains, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric models, giving Jeep one of the broadest propulsion portfolios in the SUV segment. Yet regardless of what’s powering the wheels, the company says each model is expected to deliver the same blend of everyday usability and all-terrain confidence.

Practicality hasn’t been overlooked, either. Jeep’s trademark boxy silhouette isn’t just a design signature—it’s also an efficient way to maximize interior space. Folding rear seats open up as much as 1,560 liters of cargo capacity, while numerous storage compartments throughout the cabin reinforce the brand’s focus on everyday versatility.

The design sketch serves as more than a celebration of an award-winning identity. It offers a glimpse into the blueprint guiding Jeep’s future, one where recognizable styling, authentic capability, and functional design continue to shape the brand as it enters the next chapter of electrification.

For Jeep, preserving its identity has never meant standing still. Instead, the company is proving that some of the best automotive designs evolve without losing sight of what made them iconic in the first place.

Source: Jeep

NEW CARS

Bugatti Mistral Blanc Éternel

When most automakers talk about premium materials, they mean carbon fiber, titanium, or hand-stitched leather. Bugatti, on the other hand, reached for porcelain.

Fifteen years after partnering with Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM) to create a one-off Veyron Grand Sport trimmed with handcrafted porcelain, the French marque has revived the unlikely collaboration for what may be an even more fitting farewell. Meet the Bugatti W16 Mistral Blanc Éternel, a bespoke roadster created through the company’s Sur Mesure personalization program that serves as both an artistic statement and a tribute to Bugatti’s legendary W16 engine.

The Blanc Éternel isn’t just another heavily customized Mistral. It’s a rolling send-off for one of the most remarkable production engines ever built. As Bugatti prepares to retire its quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16, this unique commission celebrates the powerplant that defined the Veyron and Chiron eras before making way for an entirely new chapter.

Porcelain remains the centerpiece of the collaboration, appearing in places few would expect to find such a delicate material. Handcrafted ceramic accents finish the iconic EB emblems, fuel filler cap, engine inserts, gear selector, speaker grilles, and even the armrests. It’s the kind of craftsmanship that feels more at home in a gallery than inside a 1,578-horsepower hypercar.

The exterior is just as dramatic. Finished in a brilliant white paint scheme with contrasting black pinstriping that traces the body’s sculpted surfaces, the Blanc Éternel almost resembles a hand-drawn illustration brought to life. The graphic treatment continues inside the cabin, where the same flowing black lines create visual continuity between the exterior and interior. The result is a design that looks as though it stepped straight out of an animated film while remaining unmistakably Bugatti.

Beneath the artistic flourishes sits the same mechanical masterpiece that makes every W16 Mistral significant. The roadster is powered by Bugatti’s iconic 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16, the final production application of an engine that has spent two decades rewriting the hypercar rulebook with its immense power, effortless performance, and record-breaking speed.

Its successor couldn’t be more different. The upcoming Tourbillon abandons turbocharging—and even the W16 configuration altogether—in favor of a naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V16 developed alongside hybrid technology. Three electric motors join the combustion engine, signaling a new era for Bugatti while preserving the brand’s obsession with extraordinary engineering.

That makes the W16 Mistral Blanc Éternel more than another one-off commission. It’s a commemorative piece marking the end of one of the automotive world’s defining engineering achievements. Bugatti has always blurred the line between automobile and artwork, but with porcelain woven into one of the final W16-powered cars ever built, the Blanc Éternel stands as both a collector’s masterpiece and a graceful farewell to an unforgettable engine.

Source: Bugatti