“Fan Car History: Before Tesla Roadster, These Vehicles Used Fans for Downforce” — what this page in the network covers. Tesla's new Roadster made headlines with its SpaceX package featuring cold-gas thrusters, but the concept of using fans for downforce is far from new. The most famous example is the 1978 Brabham BT46B 'fan car,' designed by Gordon Murray, which used a rear-mounted fan to extract air from under the car, creating immense suction and downforce. It won its only race, the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, before being banned.
Another notable fan car is the 1970 Chaparral 2J, which used two snowmobile engines to power fans that sucked the car to the road, dominating Can-Am racing until it too was outlawed. The McMurtry Spéirling, an electric track car, uses a fan to generate over 2,000 kg of downforce, setting records at Goodwood in 2022. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.