How to beat the Interceptor
Reach five stars of heat and the police send their best: the Interceptor, an armored pursuit car with a health bar of its own. It takes three hits to bring down, and it's worth 3,000 points when you do.
When it shows up
The Interceptor only comes out at five stars (see the police heat guide for how you get there). It pulls in from about 60 meters behind you in the next lane over, and its health bar appears at the top of the screen with three segments.
While it's on your tail, the rest of the chase eases off a little: only one other cruiser will chase you at a time. But the helicopter keeps you spotted for the whole fight unless you shoot it down with an EMP, and Smoke won't wipe your heat until the Interceptor is gone.
How it attacks
The ram
The Interceptor lines up and charges into your lane. You get about a second of warning: it glows red and chevrons light up on your lane. Change lanes or jump as soon as you see them.
The brake-check
From its second move on, it may instead pull in front of you and slam on the brakes (about four times in ten). Hop over it, or, better, slam down onto its roof for a hit.
Six ways to hit it
It takes three hits. Two hits within 0.8 seconds of each other only count once, so space them out.
- EMP. A hit, and it's stunned for two seconds, which gives you a free moment to line up the next one.
- Shockwave. The first of the three pulses counts as a hit. The other two don't.
- Lane Laser. Get in its lane and fire. A hit.
- Stomp. Land on its roof, either by slamming down from a hop or as it brake-checks below you.
- Lure it into a crash. If it rams into traffic or a barrier, that's a hit. Lead it into a crowded lane and step aside.
- Ram it. Hit it while you're boosting, on Nitro or inside a Force field.
Tip: at five stars, skill boxes appear about twice as often as at the start, and they're much more likely to hold a Lane Laser, Shockwave or EMP. Grab every box you can reach during the fight.
The reward
The third hit takes it down: +3,000 points ("Boss down!") and your heat drops to two stars, so the roadblocks and spike strips stop coming and you get room to breathe.
If you don't finish it
The Interceptor gives up after a 40-second chase, or as soon as your heat falls below four stars. It doesn't stay gone: 45 seconds later it can come back, if you're at five stars again.
Spotted in Jungle Run 
The boss on the Snowy Pass
A plan that works
- Before you hit five stars, try to keep a fighting skill (Lane Laser, Shockwave or EMP) in your slot.
- When the health bar appears, watch for the red glow and chevrons, and move out of its lane.
- Fire your skill when it's close, then grab the next box.
- Wait for a brake-check and stomp it, or lead it into traffic.
- After "Boss down!", enjoy two-star heat for a while, and the 3,000 points.
Want to know which skills turn up most at high heat? See the skills guide.