Legendary Jensen Interceptor Returns As A 960 HP V8 Track-Focused Beast
Do you remember Jensen? You know, the good folks that made the Interceptor (arguably one of THE coolest car names ever)? Yes, THAT Jenson. Well, the brand continues its resurrection with the Interceptor GTX, a ferocious 960-horsepower track-focused prototype that revives one of Britain’s most legendary automotive nameplates with raw visceral power.
Marking exactly 60 years since the original grand tourer debuted in 1966, this pure-bred track machine serves as Britain’s defiant, analogue answer to hyper-specialized machines like the Ford Mustang GTD.
Developed as a clean-sheet, ground-up engineering exercise rather than a retro-restomod, the GTX blends traditional coachbuilding with contemporary performance. Its striking aluminum bodywork, handcrafted by Coventry Metalcraft using traditional English wheels, faithfully captures the signature cab-rearward silhouette and wraparound rear glass dome while integrating functional aerodynamics where they count. A massive front splitter, deep side slashes, a flat floor, and a towering structural carbon-fiber rear wing press the machine into the asphalt with over 770 pounds (350 kg) of downforce.
Beneath its long, sexy hood lies an unapologetic heart of pure Detroit muscle, honoring the original Interceptor's reliance on American V8 power. Developed in Texas by Late Model Engines, the bespoke 6.8-liter supercharged V8 features CNC-machined heads, titanium valves, and a 2.65-liter Roots-type supercharger. In standard trim, it churns out 960 horsepower, though the engine is engineered to safely unleash up to 1,200 horsepower and over 1,100 lb-ft of torque when dialed to its most aggressive power maps.
Power is sent via a custom carbon-fiber driveshaft housed within a steel torque tube to a rear-mounted Samsonas Motorsport six-speed sequential transmission. When changing gears via the column-mounted paddles or a central shifter lever, the straight-cut dog gears give every change a mechanical snap directly to the rear wheels. Moreover, to preserve pure driver engagement, electronic driver aids have been minimized; the car relies solely on adjustable traction control, configurable launch control, and race-calibrated ABS acting on AP Racing steel discs.
Jensen has confirmed that this high-downforce beast is merely the opening salvo for a broader brand resurrection. The engineering lessons learned on the circuit will spawn two street-legal road cars: an ultra-high-performance roadgoing Interceptor GTR that retains the GTX’s analogue philosophy, and an elegant, luxury-oriented Interceptor GT grand tourer.
