As records go, there was one that appeared as if it would stand the test of time forever. Even that, though, has been obliterated.
In 2004, the V10 Renault R24, driven that year by Fernando Alonso before he went on to become a two-time F1 champion with the team, set the benchmark for the fastest lap recorded by a car around Top Gear's test track of 59 seconds dead.
The laps around the Dunsfold Aerodrome circuit, executed by the renowned character 'The Stig' has been an iconic part of the long-running show over the years, with various cars put through their paces.
Turning to an F1 car for the lap that day 21 years ago was a departure from the norm given the cars driven were road-legal.
Fast forward those 21 years, and finally a car has emerged to beat the mark set in F1 machinery - the McMurtry Spéirling hypercar.
Astonishingly, the Spéirling smashed the old record by a staggering 3.1s. How? It was made possible by proprietary ‘fan’ technology that ‘sucks’ the car to the ground, even enabling it to be the first car to drive upside down.
It is downforce on another level!
The Spéirling comfortably beat some of the world’s most iconic hypercars, completing the lap 12.6s faster than the Pagani Zonda R and 13.7s quickest than the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
The system enables the battery-electric hypercar to accelerate to 60mph in just 1.5 seconds and complete a quarter mile in eight seconds, whilst it can corner at more than 3g.
Check out the video below to watch the car's sensational lap.
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