Okay, maybe it’s not all doom ‘n gloom on the automotive front:
A legendary British muscle car, which went out of production 50 years ago, is set to be reborn as a luxury model for the 21st century – and it won’t be powered by batteries and electric motors.
The returning classic will be built near Oxford and powered by a V8 petrol engine, bosses behind the new project promise.
Banbury-based car firm Jensen International Automotive (JIA) on Wednesday confirmed that its ‘all-new, ultra-high-performance, luxury Grand Tourer’ will arrive this year.
And from the single teaser image shown, the new car is set to follow in the tyre tracks of the iconic Jensen Interceptor, with a two-door shooting brake silhouette.
Here’s the teaser pic:
Of course, that looks nothing like the old Jensen, more’s the pity:
…but at least they’re adhering somewhat to the Jensen formula of “British styling, American engine”, opting for the Corvette 6.2-liter V8 instead of the Chrysler 6.3-liter. This way, they can call on 495hp compared to the older engine’s 250hp (anemic by today’s standards, but quite astonishing in its day).
From the looks of things, their target market would be… one-time Jaguar drivers.
Now tell me that didn’t push the needle of the old Irony Meter off the scale.
I’ve never been the car guy you are, Kim, although I thoroughly enjoy your posts about them. THAT, however. With a Corvette engine? Yikes, its giving me a chubby.
I always liked the old Interceptor, and would love to have one now, but I always thought the styling made it look a bit tail heavy, with that big back window. The convertible looked more balanced. If the new one comes to pass, it won’t make it into my garage, but like you said, it should do well with former Jaguar owners.
At least the heterosexual ones.
That’s not that bad looking of a car. It’s certainly not great but let’s see what comes off of their production line. The engine sounds promising. Given today’s styling this just might be a decent car
Is it just me thinking Jaguar and the car sector is missing the obvious trick here? How come no one has made a modern interpretation of an E type?
Oh, and when I was a kid, my father had a friend who owned a brand new interceptor, which was quite a thing given they were breathtakingly expensive when new.
My father was something of a car guy, having worked at the Motorsport division of Ford UK for a while. The owner of the Jensen used to come round to our house and complain bitterly about what a shit car the Interceptor was.
He sold the interceptor after a couple of years, the view being it was a woefully under developed car, prone to shaking itself to pieces and a general nightmare to work on.