New Jensen Interceptor GTX will be track-only, to begin with
Jensen’s comeback will begin with a track-only dry run, with the few-off track GT laying the groundwork for road cars
As the iconic Jensen Interceptor reaches its 60th birthday, the name is making a comeback. Not with a remake of a historic model or an EV, but an all-new V8-engined grand tourer inspired by the Interceptor. Set for a reveal by the middle of this year, we now know the new Jensen International Automotive Interceptor GTX won’t be a road car. It will be a track-only special with the job of previewing a range of roadgoing GT models Jensen intends to introduce.
Designed from a clean sheet, the new model will be produced in very low numbers and will supposedly offer a ‘fully analogue driving experience’. The car is designed as an ‘enhanced prototype build’ that ‘will establish the foundations for several future Interceptor variants. The company is insisting that the car is neither a restomod or a continuation, but an all-new car built from the ground up.
There have been a few attempts at reviving the Jensen badge over the years, none of them successful (remember the S-V8? Neither do we). This latest project is being led by Jensen International Automotive. Though the company isn’t actually affiliated with the makers of the original Interceptor, Jeff Qvale, son of the former owner of Jensen Motors, has joined on for the project. JIA is behind the current reimagined Interceptor R restomod.
The new car is being developed by a dedicated team within the company. While confirmed to be track only for now, it will take the form of a front-engined luxury GT, with a bespoke aluminium body and chassis. Other details are scarce, though JIA do insist the car will feature what it describes as a ‘bespoke’ V8 engine, that’s now confirmed to be supercharged.
Impressive, given that the original Interceptor never had an engine all of its own, borrowing throughout its drawn-out life V8 engines from Chrysler. The ‘analogue’ billing, affirmed again by Qvale, also suggests the new GTX should feature a manual gearbox, though this is as yet unconfirmed. We’ll know more soon, given JIA intends to reveal a first prototype soon – what it describes as a ‘pre-production, ultra-high-performance special’.
Whatever the case, the project is orders of magnitude more ambitious than JIA’s well-regarded Interceptor restomods, which are built around existing cars (although the firm does have experience with bespoke builds, including a hybrid-powered Interceptor and a shooting brake version).
The shadowy teaser images give a few clues of the car’s Interceptor-inspired cues. The sharply angled nose, expansive glasshouse, Kamm-tail rear and unique upsweep at the C-pillar are all reminiscent of the original. But it all comes together in what appears to be a thoroughly modern whole, with contemporary light units and detailing. The latest image gives us a look at an aggressive rear diffuser with an integrated exhaust exit.
Will it be a success, or be the next inductee into the TVR home for obscure British brand revival non-starters? Launching as a track-only model does stink slightly of ‘developing a high-performance road-legal car from scratch is expensive and we need more funds’. We’ll know more when the covers come off later this year.
