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It certainly is. Strip away the massive rear wing and the race car body kit from this GTX model, and you\u2019ve basically got the road-legal Interceptor GTR and the somewhat less wild Interceptor GT.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s a very modern shape, with faint hints of the recent Chevrolet Camaro at the front, and down the back an obvious tribute to the original Vignale-designed Interceptor\u2019s goldfish bowl window and distinctive rear pillar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Nope, that\u2019s not the route this iteration of Jensen is taking. This Interceptor is all-new, according to Jensen International Managing Director, David Duerden: \u201cWe were determined to create something entirely new that carries the spirit of the Jensen Interceptor forward in a modern, authentic manner and, perhaps in the case of our first car, the track-focused GTX, in a way people would not expect.\u00a0Obviously, the 1966 Jensen Interceptor is a significant inspiration for us. And not just visually, but in terms of what that car represents. From the outset, though, our intention was never to build a continuation car or revisit something that already existed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not quite. You see, out of the ashes of the original Jensen company \u2014 which made cars in the north-west of England for 70-odd years \u2014 the Jensen International company was founded, and that for 20 years has been restoring and updating classic Interceptors, including \u2014 yes \u2014 creating a restomod version, the Interceptor R.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n This new Jensen initiative is being led by Duerden, Client Relations Manager Durran Heslop and the wider Jensen International team, led by Technical Director Jack Glennon, all of whom have lots of Jensen-based experience, and some of the investment is coming from businessman Jeff Qvale, whose name you might recognise.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n His dad was Kjell Qvale, who for years was heavily involved with the likes of De Tomaso and the original Jensen company. \u201cFor me, this project is very personal because Jensen was such a significant part of my father\u2019s life and our family history. I spent a great deal of time at the factory during the 1970s, working across different departments and seeing first-hand what it took to build and develop these cars. Those experiences stayed with me,\u201d said Jeff Qvale.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n \u201cWhat excites me about the Interceptor GTX is that it isn\u2019t trying to recreate the past or compete with the most extreme modern hypercars. The car follows the traditional Jensen philosophy of a powerful, hand-built British GT with real character, but reinterpreted using modern engineering and technology to write a new chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Interceptor gets a classic \u2018coachbuilt\u2019 aluminium body \u2014 hand-made by Coventry Metalcraft \u2014 and it\u2019s very rear-biased in its design, with a long bonnet.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n There\u2019s tradition in how the Interceptor\u2019s body is made, but modernity in how it\u2019s designed. The car has been through a fully digital design process, to ensure tight engineering tolerances.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The body is so stiff, in fact, that the GTX version gets a proper carbon-fibre aero kit, developing up to 350kg of rear downforce from that towering race-ready wing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The chassis is all-aluminium, just like the body, but Jensen hasn\u2019t confirmed yet if it\u2019s using a bought-in chassis or designing its own.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n That\u2019s a General Motors V8 \u2014 something of a break with tradition, as the original Interceptor was Chrysler-powered. However, it\u2019s not all GM. The basic engine design and layout come from GM, but Jensen says that fewer than 20 per cent of GM components are used; the rest comprises a fully forged rotating assembly and high-grade motorsport components, all custom-built for the Interceptor.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Developed by Late Model Engines (LME), based in Houston, Texas, the Interceptor GTX\u2019s 6.8-litre V8 uses a massive Roots-type supercharger to develop as much as 1,200hp, depending on the setup, but Jensen has settled on 960hp for the GTX for the moment, revving the engine to 7,000rpm.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the outset, exceptional performance and a genuinely involving driving experience were always hugely important to the Interceptor programme, particularly in this first track-focused GTX form,\u201d said Duerden.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n \u201cBut durability, drivability and reliability mattered just as much. We wanted to create a car that feels mechanical, responsive and properly analogue, but also something capable of absorbing sustained hard use without compromise. That\u2019s why we chose to work with Late Model Engines and why we\u2019ve used only the very best proven motorsport-grade engineering solutions throughout the project. The GTX is an extreme car in terms of performance, but it also needed to feel robustly engineered, usable and dependable.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Power goes to the Interceptor\u2019s rear wheels via a six-speed sequential racing transmission with a Wavetrac differential in the back. We assume that the road-going versions of the Interceptor will be less extreme in their specification.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The Interceptor gets mega brakes to rein in all that power, with a full AP Racing brake setup, developed for the car by the specialists at BG Developments.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The system incorporates floating steel discs, competition-derived pad compounds, a fully configurable motorsport anti-lock-braking calibration and cockpit-adjustable brake balance for optimum adjustability, feel and response.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Steel brake discs were selected over carbon-ceramic alternatives to prioritise consistency, usability and repeatable performance under varied track conditions.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n \u201cThe driver still needs to drive the car properly,\u201d said Duerden. \u201cThe electronic systems are there to support the experience, not dilute it. Apart from the adjustable traction control, launch control and motorsport ABS systems, we\u2019ve deliberately avoided unnecessary electronic intervention. We wanted the GTX to feel mechanical, connected and genuinely analogue in the way it delivers its performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The all-aluminium, extruded and bonded chassis gets aluminium double wishbones front and rear, paired with custom-built Nitron three-way adjustable dampers \u2014 manually adjustable, so you\u2019ll have to get the spanners out, at least in the GTX version. There\u2019s hydraulic power steering, for better feedback, and 20-inch alloys with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Well, now that the world has seen the new Interceptor, the orders should come flooding in, right? Hopefully so \u2014 certainly, this is one of the best-looking new cars we\u2019ve seen for a while, and there\u2019s no doubting the draw of the Interceptor badge.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Assuming those orders do come in, this track-only GTX model will lead, in due course, to Interceptor GTR and GT models, for road use.<\/p>\n
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\nIs this a restomod?
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\nSo is this an all-new company as well?
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\nTell us more about the Interceptor
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\nWhat about the engine?
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\nWhat else do we know?
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\nWhat about the chassis?
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\nWhat happens next?
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