Merc has AMG, BMW has M, TATA HAS JTS

The carmaker will now cater to the enthusiasts, by bringing performance oriented variants of its passenger cars, under the ‘JTS’ badge

TATA MOTORS HAS partnered with the Coimbatore-based automotive R&D firm, Jayem Auto, to form JT Special Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. Akin to AMG and M, Mercedes-Benz and BMW’s respective performance arms, JTS will bring a slew of performance-oriented variants of Tata Motors’ passenger cars. And the cars will also have show to match the go and will come with body kits, tuned suspension and even performance parts.

First in line to go under the knife will be the Tiago, which will feature the same 1.2-litre Revotron engine but with a remapped ECU, a turbocharger and a high-flow exhaust system for power output in excess of 100bhp. Expect the torque figure to go up by around 30Nm. Tiago, as well all the current range of Tata’s passenger cars are well known for their ride quality, but JTS (rumoured name for the JT Special Vehicles products) variant of the Tigor will get a stiffer suspension setup for improved handling. We also expect the mini hatch to come with a sporty body kit to make it look appealing to enthusiasts.

The JTS treatment would next be applied to the Tigor followed by the Bolt and Zest. As a matter of fact, Tata Motors had already showcased a oneoff variant of the Bolt at 2016 Auto Expo. The display car was powered by the same 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit that does duty in the Bolt, but made an additional 20bhp of power, at 108bhp. Tata claims that this ‘Sport’ variant is capable of doing 100kmph in less than 12 seconds.

All the vehicles will be rolled out of Jayem’s Coimbatore based facility. Being a one-stop shop for everything, including manufacturing and R&D, the JV will work out on a two-platform strategy to reduce complexity and offer a wider horizon for development. More manufacturing centres are expected to come out in the near future as the demand grows.

Jayem has been working extensively with Tata Motors on the testing and development of their road cars for two decades now, starting with the original Indica. For the longest time they were testing Indica mules with the Rover K-Series 1.6-litre petrol engine but that project never saw the light of day. Jayem Automotive, at their facility in Coimbatore, have the largest number of engine dynometers outside of a manufacturer facility, all exclusively testing and validating Tata engines. Jayem were also involved in refining the Nano, have been testing a larger three-cylinder version of the Nano, and their craziest project on that platform was superbike-engined 230bhp Super Nano. Shown two years ago it had a space frame chassis, sequential gearbox, full roll cage, racing slicks and was targeted as an affordable home-grown trackday special.

JT Special Vehicles will remain separate from TAMO, the brand under which the Racemo midengined sports car shown at the recent Geneva Motor Show will be launched by the end of the year. The Thrill of Driving, coming soon to a Tata Motors showroom near you!

The Revotron engine with a remapped ECU and high-flow exhaust makes 100bhp+