The Jensen Interceptor name is returning, but not in the form anyone would have expected. Rather than recreating the British grand tourer of the 1960s, Jensen International Automotive (JIA) has developed an entirely new machine with 960 hp (716 kW), rear-wheel drive and a very clear focus on the racetrack.
Called the Jensen Interceptor GTX, it is a track-only flagship designed to deliver a properly analogue driving experience, complete with a supercharged V8, sequential gearbox and serious aerodynamic hardware.
More importantly, the GTX is just the beginning. JIA plans to use it as the foundation for an entirely new family of Jensen Interceptor models.
A New Jensen Interceptor From The Ground Up
Despite the familiar badge and unmistakable proportions, the Interceptor GTX isn’t a restomod or continuation car.
It has been designed, engineered and hand-built in the UK around a clean-sheet platform. JIA sees the GTX as its first statement of intent for the revived Jensen brand, with two road-going derivatives already in development.
An even more performance-focused Interceptor GTR is planned as a street-legal interpretation of the GTX, while an Interceptor GT will place greater emphasis on comfort and traditional grand touring.
The three cars were developed as part of the same programme, meaning much of the GTX’s exterior design and underlying engineering should eventually make its way onto the road.
Classic Interceptor Proportions Without Going Retro
JIA hasn’t attempted to simply modernise the shape of the original 1966 Jensen Interceptor.
Instead, the designers imagined how the Interceptor might look today if Jensen had remained in continuous development over the decades.
There are obvious connections to the original, particularly the long bonnet, rearward cabin and distinctive floating C-pillar. Beyond those cues, however, the GTX is very much a modern performance car.
Aerodynamics have played a major role in shaping it, with almost every opening and surface serving a functional purpose.
Its huge adjustable rear wing can generate more than 350 kg of downforce, while a front splitter, flat floor, rear diffuser, extensive cooling ducts and a two-plane rear aerofoil help manage airflow around the car.
Lightweight Aluminium Chassis And Carbon Fibre Aero
Beneath the hand-formed aluminium body sits a bespoke bonded and extruded aluminium chassis engineered to combine low weight with substantial structural rigidity.
Carbon fibre is used extensively for the aerodynamic components, while the lightweight architecture is intended to give the Interceptor GTX the agility required for circuit driving without sacrificing stability at high speeds.
It’s a very different philosophy from the relaxed grand tourer that originally wore the Interceptor badge.
Supercharged 6.8-Litre V8 Packs 960 HP
The centrepiece of the GTX is its supercharged 6.8-litre V8, which sends all of its power exclusively to the rear wheels.
The engine is based on General Motors’ LT-series V8 architecture, familiar from the Chevrolet Corvette, but calling it a modified GM crate motor would be selling it rather short.
Less than 20 percent of the original GM components remain. The engine uses forged internals and numerous motorsport-specific parts developed to JIA’s requirements.
Houston-based Late Model Engines was responsible for developing and assembling the unit. In its most extreme configuration, the engine is reportedly capable of producing as much as 1,200 hp (895 kW) and almost 1,500 Nm.
Jensen has deliberately turned things down for the GTX, which produces 960 hp (716 kW) and revs to 7,000 rpm.
Sequential Gearbox Keeps Things Properly Analogue
Power reaches the rear wheels through a six-speed Samsonas Motorsport sequential transmission using straight-cut dog gears.
It isn’t going to be quiet or particularly subtle, but that’s exactly the point. Rather than insulating the driver, Jensen wants the noise and mechanical character of the transmission to become part of the experience.
A stainless steel exhaust should ensure the supercharged V8 provides an equally dramatic soundtrack.
The eventual road-going GTR and GT will be considerably easier to live with. Buyers are expected to have the choice of a conventional H-pattern manual or a fully automatic transmission, depending on the model.
Motorsport Suspension And AP Racing Brakes
JIA has fitted aluminium wishbones at both ends of the GTX, combined with bespoke Nitron three-way manually adjustable dampers.
The suspension was developed alongside Nitron, which conveniently shares JIA’s Oxfordshire home turf.
Stopping power comes from motorsport-grade AP Racing brakes using steel discs rather than carbon-ceramic rotors.
Custom 20-inch one-piece forged aluminium wheels complete the package and are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber.
A Cabin Built Around The Driver
The interior makes no attempt to disguise the GTX’s track intentions.
There’s an FIA-approved safety cage, carbon fibre racing seats, six-point harnesses and an integrated fire suppression system.
A configurable MoTeC digital display supplies the driver with the important information without filling the cabin with unnecessary screens or distractions.
Jensen hasn’t completely abandoned luxury, though. Alcantara, orange contrast stitching, padded surfaces and leather door pulls add some visual warmth to an otherwise competition-focused environment.
According to Jensen managing director David Duerden, the GTX is intended to demonstrate what the company believes a modern Jensen should represent, combining individuality, driver involvement and high-quality engineering while establishing the foundations for the road cars that will follow.
Jensen Interceptor GTX Price And Production
Exclusivity won’t come cheaply.
The Jensen Interceptor GTX is expected to cost somewhere between £850,000 (approximately R18.39 million) and £950,000 (approximately R20.55 million).
Production isn’t expected to begin before 2028. JIA plans to spend the next year continuing development of the track car before customer examples enter production.
Timelines for the road-legal GTR and more luxurious GT have not yet been confirmed.
The GTX may be wildly different from the Jensen Interceptor remembered by enthusiasts, but that appears to be intentional. Rather than trading entirely on nostalgia, JIA is attempting to establish what Jensen could become in the future.
And a 960 hp rear-wheel-drive V8 track car is certainly one way to get people’s attention.
