The revival of beloved but niche nameplates from recent automotive history continues with the unveiling of the new Jensen Interceptor GTX. This all-new track-only supercar takes the name of a true late 60s, early 70s classic, a proto-supercar from a small manufacturer that brought together American muscle (the timeless Chrysler V8 engine) with Italian styling (by Carrozzeria Touring) with British ingenuity and idiosyncrasy. The 1967 Jensen FF featured four-wheel-drive, anti-lock brakes and traction control a full decade ahead of luxury German rivals.
Jensen Interceptor GTX
That innovative, individualist approach is what underpins the company’s new revival, the Interceptor GTX. Squint, and you can see shades of Touring’s elegant original, particular in profile, with aluminium panels, a large rear glass screen and a fluid roofline. Those hints of elegance are all but smothered by the aero, with layers of carbon spoilers, splitters and sills creating a mean, purposeful look that’s way more muscle than the inspiration.
Jensen Interceptor GTX
Underneath all this bluster is an aluminium chassis and a supercharged 6.8-litre V8, based on a highly modified GM unit, putting out 960bhp to the rear wheels. For now, the GTX is a one-off – an ‘enhanced prototype’ – that’s legal only for the track. It should ultimately manifest as a production-ready GTX, a street legal but still thoroughly menacing high-performance car. Fans of the original might have to wait a little longer, but if you mentally strip away the carbon excesses, you start to get a hint of what a luxury GT bearing the Jensen name could look like.
Jensen Interceptor GTX has an adjustable rear spoiler
Jensen Interceptor GTX has an adjustable rear spoiler
The GTX was designed, engineered and handcrafted in the UK, and the company is adamant that it hasn’t gone down the restomod path, rather starting from scratch. ‘We 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,’ says David Duerden, Jensen International’s Managing Director, adding that ‘our intention was never to build a continuation car or revisit something that already existed.’
Jensen Interceptor GTX
Eventually, the GTR will be a low-volume, high price performance-focused model, with the GT eventually following on, a luxurious grand tourer that will have much more spiritual alignment with the 1966 Interceptor. ‘We’re taking the process one step at a time and, crucially, making sure that each stage is properly funded, designed, engineered and developed,’ Duerden explains, ‘We’re very clear about what we want those next stages to become, while being fully flexible to work with our customers and respond to their specific needs.’
The Jensen International Group has several decades of experience in the classic Jensen aftermarket, as well as creating bespoke continuation models of the original. Working with American motor industry magnate Jeff Qvale, the company hopes to tap into the -hungry, heritage-sensitive high-end automotive clientele. ‘For me, this project is very personal because Jensen was such a significant part of my father’s life and our family history,’ Qvale says, ‘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.’
Jensen Interceptor GTX
Jensen Interceptor GTX
The new car has been styled by independent studio Avant Design, with the intention of projecting the design language of the original into the present day. Slim LED lighting elements are combined with large air intakes and those dramatic aero components, including a vast adjustable wing that adds some 350kg of downforce at the rear. Coventry Metalcraft handled the aluminium bodywork using a mix of traditional hand-crafted methods and modern technology, while Artiglio Automotive Studio, a specialist automotive composites manufacture, oversaw the carbon fibre.
The interior shown in these images is purely track-focused, including motorsport-grade polycarbonate glazing and an FIA-approved safety cage, Tillett carbon fibre competition seats and six-point harnesses. Although the essential architecture is all there, future GT buyers will just have to dream of a plusher, less functional configuration.
Under the aluminium bonnet sits a supercharged 6.8-litre V8
Can the Interceptor GTX spearhead a revival of this great name? Regardless of model, future Jensens are highly likely to be priced alongside or above even the more bespoke offerings from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Bentley. We hope it all goes according plan, if only to ensure that the 1966 Interceptor gets more credit for its striking form and innovation.
Jensen Interceptor GTX