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History lesson, folks. Those of you familiar with the classic Jensen Interceptor from the 1960s and 1970s can completely skip this introductory paragraph. For the rest of you, the Interceptor was a two-door GT Coupe (or convertible or hatchback) built by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976 in the UK. Powered by a Chrysler V8 ranging from 383 to 440 cubic inches (some even equipped with the famous Six Pack trio of two-barrel carburetors, and a handful of FF models included all-wheel drive), the Interceptor married a muscular drivetrain with bespoke, hand-built coachwork.

Suffice it to say, like many British enthusiasts, we have a very soft spot in our hearts for the original Jensen Interceptor, so when we heard that CPP, the company that already bought Bowler and is trying to acquire Spyker’s sports car arm and Zagato, was working on a revival, our interest was piqued. The company is being contracted by Healey Sports Cars of Switzerland (another classic British marque), which apparently holds the rights to the Jensen name.

CPP says the car will be developed in Coventry and built at a new production facility on Browns Lane starting in 2014. There’s no word on what will power the revived Jensen, but anything short of Chryser’s 392 Hemi that powers the latest SRT8 models would be a bit of a disappointment. CPP promises to show the car off by late 2012, which is still a far way off, so here’s hoping everything moves forward smoothly. Check out the rather fetching official renderings in our gallery and the press release after the break.

CPP promises modern Jensen Interceptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brook Anderson’s modernization of the legendary Jensen Interceptor appears to be progressing nicely, as a video showing the car in near-finished trim has made its way online. As previously reported, Anderson is stuffing an 8.3-liter Dodge Viper V10 under his Jensen’s bonnet to supply power (a natural evolution, if you ask us, given the Chrysler V8s used in the production Interceptors).

A four-speed automatic and commensurate suspension and brake upgrades will help the super-restomod harness the monster power underhood. The video description pegs the car’s completion for July. Unfortunately, that’s about it for details thus far, but we’ll keep you updated as more info comes to light. In the meantime, hop the jump to check out new video of the in-progress Viperceptor.

Continue reading Viper-engined Jensen Interceptor homage edges closer to completion

Viper-engined Jensen Interceptor homage edges closer to completion originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The automotive history books may remember Jensen for the FF – the first all-wheel drive car on the market – but it was the rear-drive Interceptor on which it was based that won its fan base. With only 6,400 examples made over the course of its 10-year production run, the Interceptor remains a highly coveted automobile among the faithful, who saw the Carrozzeria Touring-designed GT as the epitome of the British sportscar.

Naturally its 60s/70s construction left a little to be desired in the long run, but one company is dedicated to giving the Interceptor a new lease on life. Jensen International Automotive – previously known as V Eight Ltd and relaunched with new financial backing – is “producing” a limited number of Interceptor S models in the UK. And by producing, we mean modifying. JIA takes an existing Interceptor and fits it with a lighter and more powerful General Motors LS3 V8 (in the place of the original Chrysler engine), AP Racing disc brakes and an independent rear suspension.

The result is an 800-pound weight reduction to yield a 4.5-second 0-60 run and a top speed upwards of 160 miles per hour. Not bad for a car four decades old. But with prices for the finished product – of which JIA will only churn out 18 per year – coming in at upwards of £105,000 (4k), you’d have to really love the old Jensen to justify the value.

[Source: JIA via PistonHeads]

Jensen Interceptor S keeps the classic alive originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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