J.S.C S.p.A - exclusive sports cars ['91 Predator updated]

[TurboJ]

Thanks guys! The grooves are in a Steam modpack under "vents". They're the curvy ones without a hole; you can bend and compress them into straight grooves like this. Sorry I don't remember the name of the modpcak. But the icon of the vent in question looks like this:

(click for bigger)

[thecarlover]

Ah, I recognise it. It's vmo's McLaren MP4-12C vent. Thanks!

[rcracer11m]

OK thanks I will probably end up using tha on a few of my cars now. I had actually been wondering if someone had made a vent that was supposed to be used as a body line on a car as it would give the opportunity for even more differences between peoples cars.

[TurboJ]

JSC Cinquanta Anni - 1995

In 1995 it had been exactly 50 years since JSC S.p.A had built its first racing engines, marking the debut of a new engine marque and a future automobile builder.
Company needed something very special to commemorate its 50-year history while also to gain some much needed publicity as Europe was only slowly pulling way from economic depression.

Symbolic of a race engine manufacturer turned into a premium sports car brand the decision had been made in early 1992 that nothing would better celebrate JSC heritage than a state of the art supercar!

First shown in a 50th jubilee art book printed in November 1994, the JSC Superquattro Stradale was born:



The 1995 JSC Quattrocorsa Stradale

The 1990s were in many ways the golden years of the supercar. Many new brands had been established recently and technology had pushed the boundaries of performance to new heights. Exciting new build materials and ever more efficient engine and suspension setups were being introduced every year so this period better than any before, was a perfect time for JSC to get back to their roots of ultra-high performance. In its own field the Quattrocorsa Stradale would be at the very top of the game.

At the time two different classes of supercars were present, something new to the industry. The "entry level" supercars were built by established manufacturers and were built with some form of series production in mind. High performance was achieved while keeping the costs down to an acceptable level to actually turn a profit. Then there was the second class, which would later be know as hypercar. On these cars, expense was not spared and the latest high technology was applied wherever possible. These cars cost as much as 3-4 times that of the "entry" level supercars so they were simply built to perform, not to make money.

JSC followed their long-standing philosophy with the Quattrocorsa: It had to have supercar peformance, but also the drivability and practicality of a grand tourer. In essence, the Quattrocorse found itself in between the two classes, combining high tech and tradition as well as power and economy. The name "Quattrocorsa Stradale" was a reference to a four-wheel drive, race-inspired street-driven sports car.



Following the success of some recent design studies and sports car prototypes, the responsibility of styling the Quattrocorse was given to young Giancarlo Zotti. Hence this would be the first top-of-the-line creation by JSC to incorporate in-house styling. What the world saw at unveiling in February 1995 was a combination of traditional Italian supercar wedge style, space age aerodynamics and a sort of cultivated aggression that Zotti's designs would later be known for. The Quattrocorsa was intended to be a grand tourer with supercar performance, so the aerodynamics needen't be ultra-efficient at creating downforce; rather the new design allowed the stylist to follow the design language he wished and create a memorable shape with very original detailing.



To achieve a blend of speed and luxury with reasonable build costs, it was decided that the Quattrocorsa would utilize tried and tested steel tub rather than new and ultra-expensive carbon fiber. A strong stainless steel framework was made that was able to mount a large-capacity engine in the middle longitudinally, and incorporate a cutting-edge four wheel drive system. Body panels were glass-reinforced plastic with nomex-reinforcements at the most critical areas. With all the new technology and luxury equipment fitted on a steel frame, the new car was never going to be super light; in the end it tipped the scales at 1661 kg. But that was not a problem as this was supposed to be a high-speed grand tourer and not a race car. The glass roof added 24 kg to total weight but was just so nice to have... The rear glass allowed direct view to the engine compartment so that JSC's engine expertise would be there for all to see.



The suspension of the Quattrocorsa utilized dual wishbones front and rear, and now for the first time, a semi-hydraulic active suspension system was used. The car had acceleration sensors onboard that fed a central computer information about the driving conditions. With computer-assisted hydraulics the suspension would be soft and comfortable where desired and hard and flat where needed. The result was a car that would corner at high speeds with no body roll, yet be able to cover speed bumps and cobblestone surfaces with ease. Indeed, the car could produce cornering forces of up to 1.24g with its stock tires.

Full-time four-wheel drive with variable torque split was used. This allowed seamless acceleration in all weather-conditions and while the system added quite a lot of weight, the rewarding driving dynamics more than made up for it. This was a car that was equally at home on a ski-trip to Cortina and on a track day at Spa. The system had an active center differential that worked in conjunction with the suspension system in accordance to driving circumstances. Rear end had a limited slip differential to further enhance grip. Power was transmitted through a 6-speed manual gearbox that was fitted behind the engine. This allowed the drive to front axle be delivered using a single, three-jointed propeller shaft.

Variable-rate power steering and traction control helped to make the Quattrocorsa a friendly car to drive in all kinds of weather. Huge 305-mm ventilated disc brakes all round with 4-piston calipers front, 2-piston calipers rear were used with an advanced ABS system. The car could stop from 100 km/h in 31.1 meters braking the production car world record at the time. 19-inch wheels were 3-piece magnesium items with center-bolt locking. Tires were 255 mm front and 315 mm rear. Four wheel drive allowed slightly narrower tires to be used in the rear which kept the bodywork slim at the hips - good for aerodynamics.

The interior had a glass roof, full leather upholstery, automatic climate control and electrically adjustable seats and mirrors with memory. JSC spent heavily on safety: special side-impact protection was used, both passengers had front and side airbags and the seatbelts had an automatic tightening system. The projector-style headlights were powerful and didn't need to be retracted to be useful.











The greatest expense of the Quattrocorsa development project was the aerodynamics. 18 months of computer modelling and wind tunnel work didn't come cheap. But the result was a very efficient CD of 0.29 along with perfect 50/50 downforce balance. The body didn't actually develop positive downforce, but it did make almost zero lift - 15 kg front and rear to be precise, at 200 km/h. Achieving a low drag coefficient with enough cooling for a big twin-turbo engine and negating lift in the process was no easy task. To balance between the different requirements, active aerodynamics were applied. Both the front lip spoiler and the rear wing had electric servomotors to adjust their angle; also the main cooling intakes had thermostatically controlled flaps to minimize drag when cooling didn't require constant air flow. Altogether this meant that the Quattrocorsa, a 200-mph supercar, would only spend 12 liters of fuel per 100 km/h on average; nothing short of amazing considering the 1660-kg total mass. As for top speed, exactly 200 mph, or 324 km/h, was deemed sufficient. High-speed aerodynamics were tuned for absolute grip and stability rather than ultimate top speed. As the designers put it on Road & Track's interview: "200 mph is enough for all possible driving scenarios. We could get more speed, but the result would be an inferior automobile."

SCHEMATIC SHOWCASING THE THERMAL AIRFLOW DESIGN OF THE QUATTROCORSA STRADALE




So what about power? At the prototype stage, even an evolution of JSC's V12 Formula One engine was tested, but it turned out not to be reliable enough while also being very expensive indeed. Instead, JSC took the recently introduced 8C35-95 V8 "customer engine" and turned it to eleven. A new, bigger and stronger cylinder block was made, and existing quad-cam 4-valve heads used with larger valves and ported flow paths. Variable valve control was taken straight out of the production engines, with more aggressive cam profiles naturally. Displacement came to be 4.25 litres with a 8:1 compression ratio. Twin turbochargers had ball-bearings and liquid-to-air intercooling. Instead of Bosch's normal EFI that was used on customer engines, JSC utilized their in-house racing engine management with individual throttle bodies and running on 98-octane fuel, the engine labeled "Estremo895 Doppioturbo 600" made 600 hp at 7200 rpm and 613 Nm at 6500 rpm. Much more power could have been made with this setup, but extreme fuel efficiency and wide torque curve were preferred in keeping with the grand touring focus.

The valve covers had chrome plating commemorating JSC's classic racing engines from 50 years back:



Peformance was deemed satisfactory with a 4.25-litre capacity - not going ultra large in displacement helped keep the engine more lightweight.



SPEC TABLES







COMPARISON WITH RIVALS


The Quattrocorse was very competitive against its main rivals. Of the usual rivals, only the McLaren F1 was faster but lacked all the comfort and sophistication of the JSC product - essentially the two had a different buyer profile. And the F1 cost more than twice what the JSC did...

[squidhead]

Good looking car this!

P.S: Ettore says hello

[TurboJ]

Good looking car this!

P.S: Ettore says hello

Thanks mate! Yeah, stylist Zotti is a fan of mr. Bugatti's work... Nice to hear you like the car

[TurboJ]

Back to the 1960s...

In the beginning of 1960s JSC was riding on the fast lane with their racing engines doing even better than before. They had already tapped into a winning streak in Formula One with Brabham and in endurance racing, their new V12 had helped team Lola score a lap record on Targa Florio 1960.

But in 1961 JSC had a problem. A problem called Jaguar E-type! JSC's Predator 3500 GT had boosted the company well into the world of road cars, but now their "halo" sports car suddenly seemed obsolete. It's not that it wasn't a good car or that it lacked performance or quality - it definitely had all that. The problem was Jaguar's new entry was faster than the Predator - but cost only a fifth of the 3500 GT's price! Of course, JSC's intention never was to beat everybody at everything. But a new breed of sports cars was clearly coming strong onto the scene. In 1963 the Predator 3500 GT's production came to a halt after only 174 examples having been built. Something completely new was now needed. Something really special to catch the eye of the automotive world.

JSC begun working on a successor to the Predator in late 1961. The engine had to be carried over but almost everything else was to be new. The task was to extract more speed and more handling with the same old engine. Following their lessons as an engine supplier to the Brabham F1 team, they decided the future demanded something bold if JSC was to be succesful in the long run.

Presenting the 1966 JSC Predator 3750 C


Styled by Giovanni Michelotti, the '66 Predator would gain most of its performance advantage from efficient aerodynamics. Headlights were even covered by Perspex cupolas.


DESIGN

The 1966 Predator had a mid engine like race cars! To save space and allow better weight distribution, the quad-cam V8 was mounted transversely on a specially developed steel backbone chassis. 5-speed full-synchro gearbox was mounted inline to the engine so drive to the wheels required a 90-degree output shaft together with a longitudinal differential housing. A limited slip differential was fitted. The new car's model name had the "C" acronym for "Centro" - middle engine. 3750 revealed the engine's displacement.

Onto the hot-zinc galvanized steel chassis a double wishbone suspension was attached front and rear. Also rigidly mounted was a new rack-and pinion steering system. The aluminum V8 was actually also bolted straight onto the steel backbone, but there were thin rubber insulators on each mounting point. An upstart company called Brembo developed a braking system that featured inboard rear discs to reduce unsprung weight. Dual-piston calipers were also used all round. Braking distances dropped dramatically: by 25% compared to the '59 model. Campagnolo provided the distinctive magnesium alloy wheels which were now wider at the rear than front in true race car fashion.

Giovanni Michelotti did the styling. When he heard the new car was to be mid-engined, he immediately jumped at the opportunity to design the world's first such road car. One of the advantages of the engine layout was that it allowed the front end be really low for effective aerodynamics. Michelotti combined race-inspired proportions with classic Italian coachbuilding tradition. The result was definitely striking and the shape was found to work really well at high speed. Drag was low yet the Predator didn't suffer from front-end lift like many of its competitors. JSC's craftsmen hand-fabricated each aluminum panel for the bodywork in-house in distinction to the predecessor which had had its body done by Touring Superleggera.

There was going to be a great surprise when soon after the launch, Lamborghini also introduced a mid-engined supercar...



Engine radiator was located at the front and featured twin air extractor vents on the bonnet. Car had two fuel tanks - one on each side of the engine with a separate filler.


ENGINE

From the start JSC wanted the new car to be compact and light. This meant their new V12 was out of the question although it would have significantly boosted straight-line performance. The rational choice was to use an improved version of the trusty AB8V42 engine from the predecessor. One of the problems of the '59 Predator was its thirst for fuel. So what was needed was more power with better economy - not necesserily an easy feat to accomplish. The modifications to the existing engine design were as follows:

* A new long-stroke crankshaft to bring total displacement to 3.75 liters
* New Weber IDF quad twin-choke carburettors with more efficient fuel metering
* New pistons with slightly lower compression ratio
* Milder profiles on all camshafts
* Larger inlet valves

The result was power increase of 9% to 272 hp /5900 rpm. Torque was also up to 344 Nm /4800 rpm.
Importantly the fuel efficiency improved by 15% making the '66 Predator more frugal than most competitors.


Increased capacity and less aggressive cam timing made the '66 engine more torquey without sacrificing top-end power.


PERFORMANCE

The new chassis was significantly lighter than that of the previous model so even though even more luxury equipment was included, the '66 Predator was hardly any heavier than before - a total of 1105 kg.
Mid engine helped grip and aerodynamics had been improved a lot so the new Predator was truly fast.

0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds
1/4 mile in 13.7 seconds at 172 km/h
1 km in 24.6 seconds at 214 km/h
Top speed 253 km/h

E-types would never threaten JSC again. The best thing was by using Brabham's suspension knowhow, the Predator really came onto its own in the corners.
It might not have touched Bologna's new Miura in top speed, but in most cases it would accelerate more quickly on the road and on a race track Ferruccio's finest wasn't even close.



Rear lights were a throwback to the '59 model. Through the glass rear hatch you could see four Webers doing their job propelling the Predator to 250+ km/h speeds.



Campagnolo built the wire-lookalike magnesium wheels. Their significant contribution to lowering unsprung mass made them worth the admittedly scary pricetag.


SPECIFICATION

[squidhead]

It is such a shame you're quite late with this car, it could've made a great runner in the BRC and get your company some publicity for the story sake.

[TurboJ]

It is such a shame you're quite late with this car, it could've made a great runner in the BRC and get your company some publicity for the story sake.

Well, Italians aren't so much known for their punctuality as for their design prowess
Thanks for commenting though!

[squidhead]

Also going through the performance specs, if your pricetag is anywhere in $45k region - we're actually competing for the market Gives me an idea for a photoshop actually A lot of aspects are quite even, but you got a bit more top speed

[TurboJ]

Also going through the performance specs, if your pricetag is anywhere in $45k region - we're actually competing for the market Gives me an idea for a photoshop actually A lot of aspects are quite even, but you got a bit more top speed

Interesting! I can almost see a magazine doing a comparison test BTW, price tag in 1966 is $54.800 without luxury tax so I don't think it's too far to be interesting to the same clientele. Of course, the future engine contracts would indicate no feud between JSC and KHT so possibly the two cars considered here have enough of a different personality not to upset the companies' owners too much by direct competition!

[squidhead]

Interesting! I can almost see a magazine doing a comparison test BTW, price tag in 1966 is $54.800 without luxury tax so I don't think it's too far to be interesting to the same clientele. Of course, the future engine contracts would indicate no feud between JSC and KHT so possibly the two cars considered here have enough of a different personality not to upset the companies' owners too much by direct competition!

Yours is a vintage supercar, one that people take to Monaco. Mine is a racecar retrofitted with license plates. It does have bucketseats and leather, but that is about all of it's luxury. No radio even. I'd say in today's equivalent it's Ferrari 458 Italia vs an Ascari A10, so different clientele would be interested in different cars, but the basis for direct comparision are right there.

[TurboJ]

Yours is a vintage supercar, one that people take to Monaco. Mine is a racecar retrofitted with license plates. It does have bucketseats and leather, but that is about all of it's luxury. No radio even. I'd say in today's equivalent it's Ferrari 458 Italia vs an Ascari A10, so different clientele would be interested in different cars, but the basis for direct comparision are right there.

Sounds about right Perhaps someone will indeed do a comparison test or something to that effect!
The thing about JSC is they focus on a balance between performance and luxury and it's always been very rare for them to race any of their own cars. Makes sense seeing as they make their money by selling racing engines to other car manufacturers...

[TurboJ]

Back to the FUTURE


In the winter of 2016 the motoring press received a post card (yes, no e-mail - a post card) that had an interesting picture on top...


Motoring press quickly regocnized the car on the postcard was none other than the mysterious prototype from the Chicago Auto Show. Now there would be some answers!


It seemed the automotive world would finally get some answers as to what exactly it was JSC had presented to the public at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show. JSC was being more than a little secretive about their latest creation. Press had tried to contact the factory about the prototype for weeks and nothing had been explained. But now there was an invitation to the factory premises in Turin, scheduled for late March.


INTRODUCTIONS

JSC invited the press members to Piazza San Carlo, a historic town square. People stood behind red tapes and waited what was going to happen. After a wait little longer than confortable, this thing glided slowly to the scene:


A menacing wedge shape with all kinds of bulging muscles and gaping air intakes, it was quite fitting the new hypercar would be called "Brutale". Induction air to the engine goes in through roof-mounted Naca-ducts.


The beastly-looking car stopped in front of the audience and a deep bassy rumble vibrated to the spectators' feet. Behind the heavily darkened windows the driver could not be seen. Suddenly the engine was switched off. The driver door rose towards the sky and an unexpected figure stood up from the all-black cocpit. A very old, frail-looking little man with white hair stood up leaning on to a walking stick.

Who the hell was this guy? The audience was puzzled. Then somebody whispered: "You will not believe it but that man is Jean Seli himself." The elderly man stared at the spectators with a sharp look and begun to speak softly. Benvenuti! Soon it was clear that this was indeed Jean Seli, the founder of the company now 96 years old! Through the lips of a translator he now begun explaining why the press had been invited to Turin.

"I have been building sports cars for 57 years now. Today I wish to present you the pinnacle of our development, the 2016 JSC Brutale! Into this very car we have put everything we know. All our experience from all these years. This car will be my last will to the automotive world after I'm gone."

Mr.Seli was then escorted into a large black saloon and it drove off. A spokesman invited everyone to step into JSC's bus to be taken to the factory grounds. Chief test driver Fabrizio Cordelli took off in the Brutale spinning all four wheels on the cobblestone. Meter-long flames were shooting from the side-exhaust as he changed gear in anger, an intruding vail of the engine echoed from the walls of Piazza San Carlo, then the car was gone.



A total of 14 different radiators were hidden inside so the intakes weren't there just for show. Both wings have electric servos that automatically adjust their angles. Air braking can be switched on and off.


INTERVIEWS ON THE 2016 JSC BRUTALE


After arriving to the factory, the audience was escorted to the reception hall where they would get to listen to the Brutale's designers. A spokesman interviewed the key persons separately and the press would be taking notes.


Crammed inside this compact carbon body is all of JSC's know-how. Expect to have an unforgettable driving experience if you ever get the chance. Do insure your license though!


Chief Engineer Ermanno Fraticelli

"The purpose of this car is to show the world what we can do. From the start we knew we were not in this project for financial gains - our job was to pour into this car our passion for sports cars and speed."

"We based the Brutale on a modified Rivoluzione (link coming soon) carbon frame. We were told to keep the total weight below 1450 kg. To achieve this we also had the bodywork made exclusively from carbon fiber
panels. Our partners at Aerospatiale did the carbon work and we're proud to say the chassis is as stiff as on the race car that won LeMans in 2011 using the very same engine. Changing to a transverse engine mounting allowed space for the pushrod suspension but was a real challenge for vibration reasons. We're employing active engine mounts now and that's working beautifully."

"Speaking of the engine, we used the 8AP45ES engine also on the Rivoluzione, but this is a new evolution with 4.9 liters capacity. We're now making 1000 horsepower and 1000 Nm of torque with absolute tractability and reliability. Even though no magnesium is used because of FIA rules, the total weight of the engine is only 234 kg. 40 valves with no variable control, this is purely a re-adjusted version of our race configuration, even including the desmodromic valve actuation. The biggest difference to the race engine is we're running liquid intercooling on the street version."


JSC founder and CEO wanted first and foremost his "last will" to be memorable. Designer Zotti delivered. He later revealed he got the inspiration for this shape from watching a gila monster on his trip to Mexico.


Chief Designer Giancarlo Zotti

"Let's get the obvious out of the way first: I didn't try to make this car beautiful - I tried to make it memorable. The styling language is pure aggression, dark, untamed violence. It's a beast that you want to tame, but not everyone will be able to!"

"With active aerodynamics and large, computer-adjustable wings we have a zero lift setup and a high downforce setting for race tracks. And we have a low drag mode for high speed runs. It's all automatic but you can set it up how you like using the inboard computer."

"Did the car really need that much cooling? No. Next question? Seriously though, with active cooling flaps we're actually getting pretty nice drag coefficient. We have already clocked the car at exactly 400 km/h at Nardo. The distinctive "horn" shapes you see on the side intakes and rear light clusters are meant to be a warning of sorts. Tread carefully or you might be in trouble!"



By moving the complete exhaust system into the front of the rear wheels allowed much more room for underbody aerodynamics and the rear venturi. Rear lights consist of multiple small leds hidden behind the mesh.


Chief test driver Fabrizio Cordelli


"Our job at JSC is to excel, not to break records. But the world has gone crazy of late - you see supercars today having so much power they cannot use their full performance anywhere. We had to do something extreme to get the publicity we deserve. We still want to grow our engine business don't forget."

"We worked really hard on the active hydraulic suspension. The struts are inboard and we can adjust ride height, stiffness, damper settings...Everything automatically. And our four wheel drive system now has what we call "TorSen Plus" that incorporates variable power distribution with torque vectoring. Let me tell you, even if the Brutale has a nice ride on the highway, watch out for your neck when you push into a corner in full anger! We can also stop the car from 100 km/h in under 30 meters now, thanks to Brembo's new 6-piston calipers that are specifically designed for carbon discs. The 7-speed double-clutch gearbox is a development of our road car technology because the box we used with this engine on LeMans was...a little unforgiving if you know what I mean!"

"On our own test track the Brutale is three seconds quicker than the 2011 Rivoluzione. I don't think more needs to be said about performance. What's that? Bugatti Veyron? Well, if you must know we're nearly two seconds faster to one kilometer compared to their Supersport..."



Carbon fiber wheels from Marchesini were the first of the kind for JSC. In 21-inch size they were lighter than previous generation 20-inch magnesium wheels. Tires are 275/345 mm wide asymmetric Pirellis.


Marketing manager Steven Carliss


"We will obviously only be building a limited run of these beasts. This is a technological showcase, not a business proposition you know... I will not admit to any figures yet! However, I would like to remind you of our "Clienti Speciali" division. You can have all kinds of special equipment orders done on the car when you buy one. And you know, the world being as crazy as it is these days, maybe I should reveal that you can also get a 1200-hp power upgrade kit fitted to the Brutale if you're mad enough (and ask nicely). But that's not for the faint hearted!"



A 1200-horsepower upgrade kit is available for special order. Included are racing pistons, ceramic turbos and a water/methanol injection system. With the upgrade kit car has a top speed of 415 km/h.


ENGINE

Flatplane V8 with 95 x 86.4 mm cylinders
4899 cc with 9.3 : 1 compression ratio
5 valves per cylinder with desmodromic actuation
AluSil block and heads
Billet steel crankshaft and titanium connecting rods
DFI with ITB's and JSC CEM4 programmable engine management system
Ball-bearing turbos with billet impellers and liquid intercoolers
Twin 4-inch titanium exhaust system

Power 1000 hp /8300 rpm
Torque 1000 Nm /6200 rpm, 900+ Nm at 4100-7900 rpm


Boost pressure starts building at 2300 rpm. This racing engine in street tune was found to be surprisingly economical - the Brutale uses on average 13.7 liters per 100 km/h. Not bad for 1000 hp.


PERFORMANCE

0-100 km/h 2.5 seconds
0-160 km/h 4.4 seconds
0-200 km/h 6.1 seconds
0-300 km/h 13.7 seconds
1/4 mile 9.2 seconds at 264 km/h
1 km 16.3 seconds at 334 km/h
80-120 km/h 1.0 seconds
Braking from 100 km/h 29.5 meters
Top speed 400 km/h


SPECIFICATIONS

[strop]

Well, that's certainly eye catching. It also has some unique techniques (I see you are a fan of the longitudinally aligned vents, which not many users at all use). What did you use on the bonnet, to either side?

While the car is certainly quick in a straight line I can't help but notice it's not geared to take corners as hard as it might be. I'm not sure what tyres you're using, but in theory that body is capable of pulling a bit more even on the small circle test.