Ligier JS2
| Ligier | |
|---|---|
 JS2 (street version)
|
|
| JS2 | |
| Production period: | 1970-1975 |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body versions : | Coupe |
| Engines: |
Gasoline engines : 2.6-3.0 liters |
| Length: | 4250 mm |
| Width: | 1720 mm |
| Height: | 1151 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2350 mm |
| Empty weight : | 960-980 kg |
| Previous model | Ligier JS1 |
The Ligier JS2 was a sports car built by Ligier between 1970 and 1975 . According to the manufacturer, 225 copies were built including the racing versions.
Street version
The JS2 was the successor to the JS1 and was presented to the public in October 1970 at the 57th Paris Motor Show. The vehicle was Ligier's own design and was developed by Ford as a mid-engined road car with a V6 engine . The JS2 had a pressed steel platform frame and a polyester body . The vehicle had independent suspensions on triangular wishbones on all four wheels. A rack and pinion steering was added at the front . The Ford engine developed 140 kW (190 hp) and accelerated the car to a maximum of 240 km / h. Even for the conditions at the time, the JS2 consumed a lot of fuel with 24 liters per 100 km.
Racing versions
In 1972 the first racing version was designed for the 24-hour race at Le Mans . A V6 engine with 2.7 liters displacement from Maserati , which was also used in the Citroën SM, was used as the power unit. This also replaced the Ford engine in road vehicles from 1972. The racing engine had a four-way bearing crankshaft , a cylinder head with two overhead camshafts and 24 valves (in contrast to the engine in the street version, which only had 12 valves). Three vehicles were used in Le Mans , two works cars and one privately owned by Claude Laurent with a 3.0-liter engine. All three racing cars failed due to engine damage, the works car of Pierre Maublanc and Jacques Laffite held out until the last hour of the race.
In 1973 Laurent's JS2 made it to the finish line in 19th place, the two works cars were again canceled. 1974 saw the first finish of a works car, the vehicle of Laffite and Alain Serpaggi reached ninth place overall. At the Tour de France for automobiles there was a double victory for the JS2 in the same year . The winner was Gerard Larrousse - of the control with Jean-Pierre Nicolas said - before a second JS2, the Bernard Darniche piloted.
The greatest success of the car came at the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1975 , when the works car with Jean-Louis Lafosse / Guy Chasseuil at the wheel, a long duel with the two Gulf GR8s , driven by Jacky Ickx / Derek Bell and Vern Schuppan / Jean-Pierre Jaussaud delivered. In the end, Lafosse / Chasseuil had to admit defeat to the GR8 by Ickx / Bell, just one lap behind.
At the end of 1975 the production of the JS2 was stopped. On the one hand, the plans to relocate production of the Maserati engine to the Ligier factory had failed. In addition, from 1976 Ligier wanted to concentrate entirely on Formula 1 - the team had entered the world championship in 1975 .
