A maximum speed of 255mph, an aerodynamic design honed to perfection and race-winning powertrain technology define the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo SV – the latest all-electric virtual race car developed for Gran Turismo, and built in the real-world as full-scale design study.
The Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupé – the first all-electric Jaguar sports car created for the globally-renowned Gran Turismo series revealed in October 2019 – has already proved highly successful, attracting gamers with its radical, heritage-inspired design, driver-focused interior, and outstanding ride and handling.
Yet to the team from Jaguar Design, SV and Jaguar Racing, the Vision GT Coupé represented only the starting point for development of the Vision GT SV. It was an opportunity to re-evaluate everything that could improve performance and in doing so, re-think what an electric Jaguar endurance race car could be.
Fundamental to that process was detailed analysis of gamer feedback from online videos and forums. This ‘virtual world testing’ combined with many hours ‘behind the wheel’ enabled the design and engineering teams to determine exactly how to optimise the Vision GT SV to create the perfect electric gaming endurance race car.
Julian Thomson, Design Director, Jaguar, said: “Jaguars created for the race track and the road have always shared the same DNA – whether that’s the D-type and XKSS, or the I-PACE and the I-TYPE. So, when the design team behind the Vision GT Coupé were asked to create the ultimate electric gaming endurance racer for Gran Turismo, they worked with engineers from SV and Jaguar Racing to create something really special.
“The Vision GT SV is a dramatic and visually arresting car which showcases what’s possible when the traditional boundaries governing real-world car design are completely removed. In bringing this car to life with a full-size design study we’ve been able to showcase the most extreme version of an electric Jaguar race car that is inspired by the past but looks fearlessly to the future.”
Designed as the ultimate virtual endurance racer, the Jaguar Vision GT SV pays homage to its illustrious forebears not only in a host of styling and surfacing references but in its unique circuit board livery which nods to milestones such as the Le Mans debuts of the C-type and D-type in 1951 and 1954 respectively.
Engineered by experts:
The streamlined, lightweight composite body structure now houses four Jaguar Racing and SV-designed electric motors to the Coupé’s three, generating a combined output of 1,903PS (1,400kW) and 3,360Nm of instant torque with the traction and dynamics benefits of intelligent all-wheel drive and torque vectoring. Acceleration from 0-60mph takes just 1.65 seconds, on the way to a maximum speed of 255mph.
The task of harnessing the Gran Turismo SV’s power to deliver an even more exhilarating racing experience for gamers fell to Jaguar’s SV engineering team.
Jamal Hameedi, Engineering Director, Jaguar SV, said: “We were given one objective: take everything that makes the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé so special – the performance, the handling and the soundtrack – and take it to another level.
“The team didn’t just achieve that target – they exceeded it, developing a virtual electric car which really could compete successfully in the extremes of 24-hour endurance racing. Not only that, they were able to see their work in the virtual world, turned into reality with the production of the stunning full-scale model which will no doubt excite gamers about what’s to come in Gran Turismo.”
The Vision GT Coupé’s elegant silhouette is still clearly recognisable in the GT SV, including the curvature of the C-type and D-type-inspired fenders, and – even with the additional motor driving the front axle – the wheelbase remains unchanged at 2,721mm.
Measuring 5,540mm from nose to tail, the GT SV is 861mm longer overall – a change driven entirely by aerodynamics. To deliver the increased downforce needed for greater traction for faster cornering and increased high speed stability on long straights, the GT SV has a new front splitter and a new deployable rear wing.
To solve the often conflicting requirements of increasing downforce while also minimising drag, the SV team worked with Jaguar’s designers to develop a full suite of features which work together to improve dynamics, stability, performance and efficiency.
In addition to the larger, more effective splitter – which produces downforce over the front axle – apertures in the front valance channel air across the face of the front wheels to reduce turbulence and help air to flow cleanly towards the rear of the car. Air passing through the wheel wells is also smoothed towards the rear via exit vents in the fenders.
The completely enclosed, sculpted underbody – which includes a keel element behind the front axle to aid high-speed stability – accelerates airflow, reducing its pressure and therefore helping to reduce lift, before it exits at the rear via a large venturi.
The single most effective aero feature developed for the GT SV is its deployable rear wing, inspired by endurance racing cars from Jaguar’s rich lineage, including the XJR-14. Meticulously developed from concept to final design through many iterations, the wing’s main, fixed, section wraps over and around the back of the car, blending smoothly into the rear haunches.
The wing is designed as an integral element of the sculpted bodywork while also providing the aerodynamic performance required for endurance racing: two moveable sections automatically rise at speed to deliver extra downforce when needed but drop back to their nominal positions to minimise drag.
As a result, the GT SV has a drag coefficient of Cd 0.398 – remarkably low for a race car – but also generates 483kg of downforce at 200mph.
Micheal O’Regan, Aerodynamics Senior Engineer, Jaguar SV, said: “All the aerodynamic features have been painstakingly optimised through cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics analysis – in exactly the same way we do with real-world projects such as the Jaguar I-TYPE Formula E race cars.
“What I’m most proud of is how we’ve developed the GT SV into a credible electric race car with performance on a par with current endurance race cars – and in such a short space of time.”
Electrifying performance:
Jaguar Racing engineers developed the GT SV’s extraordinary quad-motor all-electric propulsion system. They also designed the system for the first Jaguar Vision GT car, applying all of their knowledge and experience from developing the Jaguar I-TYPE over six successive seasons.
The work was split into two main projects: A second 407PS (300kW) motor to the front axle to deliver the higher power and torque ratings required. Then the thermal management system was further improved to cope with the higher loads and to ensure that sustained high speeds and extreme acceleration could be maintained throughout an endurance race.
With one motor driving each wheel, the GT SV’s propulsion system generates a combined output of 1,903PS (1,400kW) and 3,360Nm torque. Each motor has its own single-speed transmission: these are designed to give the strength and robustness needed for the high torque ratings, together with minimal mass and friction for optimum efficiency, and the capability to deliver the car’s 255mph top speed.
As well as electric all-wheel drive the one motor per wheel configuration also enables infinite control of lateral and longitudinal torque distribution, delivering a step-change in torque vectoring capability for even greater traction, agility, and control.
Power comes from a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery pack which is housed low down in the GT SV’s light, stiff body structure, delivering a low centre of gravity, a low roll centre and near-perfect weight distribution.
James Barclay, Team Director, Jaguar Racing, said: “Working on the development of Jaguar’s Formula E I-TYPE race cars in parallel with the Vision Gran Turismo SV has given the Jaguar Racing engineers an unprecedented opportunity to apply their expertise to two incredible electric race cars – our most advanced Formula E car yet, and an endurance racer for the virtual world.
“Both have been designed and developed using state-of-the-art simulation tools to push all-electric powertrain and software technology to the limit, and we can’t wait to see them perform in Season 7 and Gran Turismo.”
The thermal management system is enhanced by an additional liquid nitrogen circuit which provides extra capacity to enable the battery to provide maximum power for longer while remaining within its ideal temperature range. The nitrogen cooling is also linked to the boost button within the cabin to ensure that even during the most demanding operating conditions the battery will not exceed its upper temperature limit.
The ultimate virtual driving experience:
The unique, powertrain soundscape so fundamental to the visceral driving experience of the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé has been further enhanced for the GT SV version. Reflecting the increase in power and torque from the four electric motors to its precursor’s three, the GT SV generates a sound that is even more purposeful and distinctive, and is authentically yet futuristically Jaguar. Building to a crescendo at the 40,000rpm redline, it reflects the GT SV’s true racing DNA and delivers unrivalled driver reward.
The experience is heightened by an interior designed for racing. The pure, sweeping surfaces within the cockpit truly envelop the driver and position the instruments and perfectly weighted controls exactly where they need to be. Every component is beautifully crafted with absolute precision from advanced lightweight materials, including the new TYPEFIBRE fabrics used to cover the two sculpted composite seats. TYPEFIBRE is an innovative system of performance materials being developed by Jaguar to deliver a lighter alternative to leather with outstanding comfort and durability. TYPEFIBRE fabrics will be tested by Jaguar Racing in the I-TYPE 5 during season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
