Its factory plans to take business up a gear might be stuck on red, but Gloucestershire firm McMurtry Automotive (MA) isn't letting that get in the way of smashing yet another world record.

Last Sunday, a US team for the Wotton-under-Edge-based business rolled out their entry to the infamous reverse corkscrew hillclimb at California's Laguna Seca track and – as with everything that the Spéirling electric fan car has a go at – a new record was smashed.

In fact, the Gloucestershire-built Spéirling claimed TWO records and maintained its 100% win rate in competition at Laguna Seca, achieving the results through the same hyper-track car and driver combination which now holds the outright record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Max Chilton, former F1 and Indycar driver, was at the wheel and, unsurprisingly, MA used the event as its US "dynamic debut" – an opportunity to connect to its customer base in the world's most profitable car market.

If numbers matter, Mr Chilton clocked in at 28.6s, compared to the previous record set by a 1976 Lotus Type 77 Formula One Car at 34.69s.

A spokesman for the team said: "The six seconds advantage was achieved using the unique McMurtry fan downforce system to enhance grip coupled with the instant torque of the 1000bhp electric powertrain.

The latest coup only adds more silver to the MA cabinet: just up the road in Castle Combe, Wiltshire, the Spéirling, running at 80% power with a 155mph speed limit, set the circuit's quickest ever lap time of 54.559s, a record lap of the 1.85-mile circuit. For context, that was 4.037s faster than the outright fastest race lap record set by an F3 car in 2021 and quicker by 9.796s than the GT3 lap record set by a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 in 2022.

If your pulse quickens at such stats, you'll perhaps already know the number 39.08 seconds, which marked the fastest ever time recorded at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hill Climb, in 2022.

So clearly MA isn't standing still, with orders for the £895,000 car already on its books and first deliveries scheduled for 2025. Yet the automaker's plans to shift up a gear with purpose-built production, showroom and administration facilities on land adjacent to Renishaw PLC's New Mills headquarters on the outskirts of Wotton-under-Edge remain stuck on red.

Fifteen months on from the original application which began with a Heritage Impact Statement in May 2023 and was accompanied by detailed drawings from assigned architects Roberts Limbrick, a distinct lack of planning progress is evident, with no update to the process since May.

But Tony Davey, Chair of Stroud and District Chamber of Trade, says that fine aspects of the project are likely to be causing inevitable delays.

Mr Davey said: "It's an excellent proposal, with exciting implications for employment in a rural location where it is much-needed and it is good to see the progress that has been made. As for why it seems to be stalling now, it appears there are challenges over the drainage, landscaping and access which need to be overcome. To that, I would also add that clarity on bus transport connection needs to be achieved."

He added: "It might be jarring in the context of hyperspeed cars, but the erosion of bus services that the Wotton area is seeing could mean that we see new opportunities for work here which would be out of reach for people with no other form of access."

Any local resistance to the proposal, Mr Davey said, would also be balanced against the fact that the proposed land for the site is designated for such use.

He added: "I really hope it moves ahead with any issues overcome because we have an incredible story of business and industry innovation in the Stroud area and the McMurtry story is the next chapter – the sooner it can progress, the better."

Punchline-Gloucester.com has approached Stroud District Council for comment. UPDATE: In a subsequent reply after publication of this report, Stroud District Council said: "The application is still being considered in consultation with relevant parties."