Zenos returns with 380hp E10 RZ
Revived carmaker will re-enter roadster market with 'formidable' new variant costing from £140k
Of all the extinct British carmaker names, Zenos is not necessarily the one we’d have chosen for reanimation. The cars were very cool in their own quirky way - but the firm sold comparatively few of them, despite prudently targeting the lower end of the two-seat roadster market. As a result, it went under in 2017, its remaining assets acquired by AC Cars. Which, in the intervening years, appeared inclined not to do much with them as it busied itself resurrecting the Cobra in various forms.
Well, now that’s all changed: there’s a shiny new website promising ‘the start of a new generation of cars for Zenos’ and it’s already accepting registrations of interest for an updated version of the E10 that it says will launch next year. This will be called the RZ and is said to represent the ‘pinnacle’ of a new lineup. The revived manufacturer says it expects to deliver no more than 30 cars in its first full year, each of them costing approximately £140,000.
This, it seems fair to say, is a bold strategy. The 250hp Zenos E10 S that Dan T drove ten years ago cost from £29,995, and as entertaining as it was, it was not sufficiently popular to prevent its maker entering administration. Doubtless increasing the unit cost was necessary to relaunch the project (and sustain it as a going concern) but it’ll be interesting to see if customers are more inclined to engage with the concept now that so many of its conventional, combustion-powered rivals have disappeared.
At any rate, the new Zenos has begun to modify the E10 to help justify its new position in the market. It features a new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and six-speed manual gearbox, the former reportedly sourced from Volvo and liberally tweaked with a new CAM bus control, induction system, and intercooler. This has been sufficient to liberate around 380hp and 376lb ft of torque, considerably more than was used to power its predecessor and clearly intended to deliver a more senior level of performance.
To that end, the front and rear tracks of the car have been widened, and the centre of gravity slightly lowered. The spine of the E10 is still comprised of an aluminium extruded chassis and carbon fibre tub, and you get pushrod front suspension with coilovers at the back. There is said to be only one working prototype currently, but Zenos says the production cars will feature a limited-slip differential and are expected to weigh in at 780kg - which will make for 500hp-per-tonne status.
Additionally, and to distinguish the latest E10 from what went before, Zenos says the all-composite body will feature a revised front and rear with new light clusters, alongside an overhauled cabin that benefits from new instrumentation, infotainment display, and switchgear. It expects a full unveil of the RZ to occur early next year, with a second model, dubbed the R2 and fitted with a more familiar 325hp 2.3-litre turbocharged engine, waiting in the wings. The latter is projected to start at around £120,000. Ambitious? Yes. Especially when you can get a used one for circa £22k. Still - welcome back, Zenos.
At something like the original price, even adjusted for inflation plus a bit, they're tempting but at anything near the cost of a proper car like an Alpine they make no sense. At 140K? They'll be a dead company again in no time.
I genuinely wish Zenos well, but doubt I'll ever see one on the road.
also no roof etc, so need a helmet etc, so not much always to use, they could hold special brand Trackday's though, like some brands has done.
what are they doing?
Im sure its going to be a wonderful thing with 500bhp/ton, just not 140k wonderful.
https://www.zenoscars.com/e10/
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff