Road test: the Jensen Interceptor R mixes British restomod with American muscle


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As the road clears, I finally get to punch it. The prominent burble goes guttural, then crescendos to a revelling roar, and the rear of the car squats as the nose charges forth.

It feels as if my body is being left behind, and I cling to the vintage Moto-Lita steering wheel as the space within the cabin seems to warp and stretch. Are my arms actually getting longer? This question is only fleetingly pondered as my eyes refocus to engage with the fast-changing scenery.

My mind, meanwhile, is in a quandary. This is not a supercar. It's not even new ... well, not entirely. I'm at the wheel of the 1970s Jensen Interceptor, possibly one of the coolest car names to ever exist. Except this is an Interceptor R, which never did exist.

You've just read this paragraph twice trying to figure out what’s going on. I'll explain, but first let’s wind back the exquisite Smiths Instruments analogue dash clock to the Swinging Sixties.

Reviving the Jensen brand

The prone-to-overheating original Chrysler V8s are ditched in favour of new GM 6.2-litre V8 engines, eight-speed transmissions and cooling systems
The prone-to-overheating original Chrysler V8s are ditched in favour of new GM 6.2-litre V8 engines, eight-speed transmissions and cooling systems

When British manufacturer Jensen Motors revived the Interceptor name in 1966, it turned to Carrozzeria Touring of Italy to style the imposing and handsome steel bodies, then fitted big block Chrysler V8 engines boasting up to 330 brake horsepower.

Production lasted until 1976 when the company fell into receivership. The FF version of the Interceptor is particularly notable for being the first production road car to offer all-wheel drive (13 years before the Audi Ur-Quattro) and ABS anti-lock brakes (Mercedes didn't introduce them until 1978).

Those FFs are rare: only about 300 were made out of nearly 6,500 Interceptors, of which, too, only 1,000 or so survive globally. Jensen International Automotive (founded in 2010 and not related to the original company) sources and restores old Interceptors, updating them with modern mechanicals and electronics to create the ultimate restomod classic British car.

You can take your own Interceptor to the team, and mix and match the level of restoration or upgrade desired, but in terms of turnkey-finished Interceptors, only about six are produced a year. It takes 18 months and 3,000 man-hours to build one.

Standard specs and customisation options

The cabin is roomy for two, while the rear is more suited to children and the luggage space is ample
The cabin is roomy for two, while the rear is more suited to children and the luggage space is ample

Visiting the company in Oxfordshire, I count three cars in various states of completion. Each has had its leaf-spring rear suspension and live axles removed and replaced with a Jaguar-sourced independent set-up requiring considerable surgery to install. Bigger ABS brakes (AP Racing six-pot callipers upfront) and traction control are added. This handles, rides and stops far better than when the cars were new.

I inspect two further bare shells sat sideways on rotisseries, the massive tubular chassis beams underneath, testament to the Interceptor's inherent strength and why it can handle nearly double the power it was originally endowed with. The heavy, thirsty and prone-to-overheating original Chrysler V8s are ditched in favour of brand-new GM 6.2-litre V8 engines, eight-speed transmissions and cooling systems.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to specification and personalisation, but engine-wise you choose between the LS3 or LT4 motors. And then you have a Jensen Interceptor with either 556bhp or a colossal 650bhp in supercharged guise.

This finally brings us to that “R” that is Jensen International's own evolution of the car, featuring extensive work not just under the skin, but in the cabin, too. There’s a completely new dashboard, with machined alloy toggle switches, electric windows and mirrors, modern infotainment including Bluetooth connectivity, and a big red starter button.

Make a powerful statement

Customisation options include parking sensors and rear cameras
Customisation options include parking sensors and rear cameras

Hit that for jaw-dropping acceleration even on this older demo car fitted with a 560bhp LSA motor and six-speed auto. With a five-metre footprint and weighing 1,600 kilograms, it feels more planted than bulky. This is no lumbering braggart, this is an erudite charmer. The power itself is never overwhelming but arrives like a well-thrown fist in a soft leather driving glove when you call for it.

The suspension upgrade means that while there are telltale rattles and wind noise redolent of classics, there is no flex, no wander. It has the high-speed stability of a modern car. The brake pedal travels a little before hooking up, but then is well moderated and drops anchor-hard when you need it.

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 650bhp

While the car floats along comfortably on the straight, hurling it through bends finds little roll or pitch, and it retains surprising poise and assured composure when changing direction. Go harder and it will lean, but this isn't a sports car. What it most definitely will do is crush distances in great comfort for two (the rear seats are best left for children, though the luggage space is ample).

There’s no compromise when driving this “classic” in the urban environment, either, thanks to the modernisation (you can even add parking sensors and rear cameras) and you outclass all the latest exotica just by turning up in this thing.

Three of these already live in the Middle East (the one in the UAE is apparently used as a daily driver), and while it’s hard to put a price tag on them, estimate spending at least Dh1.5 million. For that, you'll get Sixties swank and devil-may-care charisma, but without compromising on the mod cons. Oh, and hold on tight, this is one quick ride.


The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 650bhp

Torque: 880Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: Dh1.5 million

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

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How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Bah

Born: 1972

Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992

Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old

Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school

 

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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FIXTURES

Thursday
Dibba v Al Dhafra, Fujairah Stadium (5pm)
Al Wahda v Hatta, Al Nahyan Stadium (8pm)

Friday
Al Nasr v Ajman, Zabeel Stadium (5pm)
Al Jazria v Al Wasl, Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium (8pm)

Saturday
Emirates v Al Ain, Emirates Club Stadium (5pm)
Sharjah v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Sharjah Stadium (8pm)

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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RESULT

Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: July 19, 2021, 11:59 AM`