Jensen International, restomodder of early Jensens and classic Range Rovers, is to launch an all-new car called the Interceptor, having recently acquired the UK trademark for the legendary name.
The first new Interceptor is, according to Jensen's Durran Heslop, "an idea that has been lurking for a long time". The track-only GTX will later be evolved into a road car (pictured right), which will serve as a lower-volume alternative to the likes of the Aston Martin DB12 and Bentley Continental GT.
The Interceptor GTX is a two-door coupe with a hand-finished aluminium body assembled over an extruded aluminium chassis which, Jensen admits, "contains proprietary parts" from other manufacturers (Aston Martin and Lotus use this sort of structure, too), albeit with suspension that is mostly Jensen's own.
It is front-engined, rear-driven via a transaxle and powered by a tuned GM LS-based 6.8-litre supercharged V8 (only 20% of the original engine remains). It produces 900bhp here but could be tuned up to 1200bhp later. Currently it runs a six-speed sequential manual gearbox with both paddle and central stick shifters, as befits its nature as a stripped-out track and development car.
To that end there are also polycarbonate windows all-round, a bare interior with Motec electronics, a race fuel tank, harnesses for the carbonfibre seats, an FIA-compliant roll-cage, double-wishbone suspension all-round and adjustable Nitron dampers.
It runs AP Racing brakes with steel discs - clamped by six-pot calipers at the front and four-pots at the rear - and comes on 20in alloy wheels shod with 275/40 Michelin Pilot Sports at the front and 345/30s at the rear. There is a vast carbonfibre rear wing, diffuser, side skirts and splitter, all of which will be toned down for the road cars, as revealed in the company's official images.
The Interceptor is around 5.2m long and 2m wide, with a claimed weight of 1650kg distributed 50/50 front to rear. That's big for a two-seat track car, but in line with rivals for the road-going follow-ups, which will include the GTR - referred to by David Duerden, Jensen's managing director, as a "track-forward road car" - and then the GT, "which is a pure road car".
Those road-legal Interceptors will have not only four seats but also four doors, in a style not unlike the Aston Martin Rapide. "The idea is that it's formatted as a road car," said Duerden. "It's intended to be a four-door GT".
