A British nameplate that hasn’t worn new sheet metal in decades is back on track, literally, with an American-built V8 rated for as much as 1,200 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque. Oxfordshire-based Jensen International Automotive has revealed the Interceptor GTX, a track-only grand tourer that puts a supercharged, Texas-built engine under a body wearing one of Britain’s most storied badges.

An American Heart in a British Body

The GTX’s 6.8-liter V8 traces its roots to General Motors architecture but is built from the ground up by Late Model Engines in Houston, Texas, then force-fed by a 2.65-liter Roots-type supercharger. In its current testing specification, the engine is dyno-verified at 960 horsepower. But according to Top Gear’s reporting on the reveal, the block is rated to handle up to 1,200 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque, meaning the number under the hood is engineered with serious headroom well beyond what’s currently being run.

Power goes through a six-speed sequential motorsport transaxle with paddle shifters, sending drive to the rear wheels only. The car rides on an all-aluminum chassis with carbon-fiber aerodynamic elements that AOL reports generate more than 770 pounds of downforce, and it tips the scales at roughly 1,660 kg (about 3,660 lbs) with fluids, per Evo’s reporting.

Key Points

• Engine: 6.8-liter supercharged V8, built by Late Model Engines (Houston, TX), on GM-based architecture
• Power: 960 hp as currently tested; rated capacity up to 1,200 hp and 1,100 lb-ft
• Transmission: Six-speed sequential motorsport gearbox, rear-wheel drive
• Weight: Approximately 1,660 kg (3,660 lbs)
• Price: More than £850,000 (roughly $1.1 million), per Evo
• Production: Described as an ultra-limited run, with reports of 10-15 GTX units possible
• Status: Track-only, not road-legal in current form

The Interceptor name last wore new metal decades ago as a British muscle-GT hybrid known for stuffing American V8 power into elegant Italian-styled bodywork. Jensen International Automotive, the modern custodian of the brand, is using the track-only GTX as a proof-of-concept rather than a straight-to-market product. The company has said it intends the extreme, race-spec build to validate the powertrain and chassis before greenlighting a road-legal follow-up.

What Comes Next

Jensen’s stated plan is a three-tier lineup: the GTX as the track-only flagship, a sportier GTR expected to be road-legal, and a more comfort-oriented GT grand tourer aimed at buyers who want the look and the V8 without the slick tires and roll cage. Evo notes that testing on the GTX is beginning immediately following the reveal, with the road-going variants following once the track car has proven itself.

No firm on-sale date or confirmed price has been published for the eventual road cars. For now, the GTX exists as a rolling engineering exercise, one wearing a nameplate that hasn’t been this loud, or this American under the skin, in a very long time.