Lately, it seems like sports cars are coming back into fashion. And by that I don't just mean the would-be substitutes with a hybrid system or a diesel engine. There are also real beasts , and among them is the brand new Zenos E10 . This is an open car with extremely low weight intended for districts and circuits.
Two big names are behind the creation of the Zenos brand – Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards . Both have worked their way through high positions at Lotus and Caterham , and less than two years ago they started their own company, where they intended to use all their knowledge . According to the first information, they succeeded perfectly. Design is always a subjective matter, but I personally find the Zenos E10 a bit odd. But this is not about appearance, on the contrary, it is the last thing we should be interested in this car!
The Zenos E10 was presented at the recent Autosport International 2014 in Birmingham, and the manufacturer says that during its development it focused mainly on the lowest possible weight and relative affordability , not only in the case of purchase, but also in the operation itself. The car measures a modest 3,560 mm in length, has a wheelbase of 2,300 mm , a width of 1,870 mm , a height of 1,010 mm , and a wheelbase of 1,560 mm for the front wheels and 1,600 mm for the rear wheels. The curb weight of the E10 Zenos is stated as 650 kg , which was achieved by manufacturing the monocoque from a combination of aluminum and recycled carbon fiber . Protection in the event of a rollover or side impact is provided by a steel frame.
All wheels are independently suspended on double wishbones and shock absorbers were supplied by the renowned company Bilstein . The Zenos E10 also has four disc brakes with a diameter of 285 millimeters , which were supplied by Alcon in racing specification for the front axle and manufactured by the new British brand themselves for the rear axle. The front discs have a diameter of 16 inches and the rear one more , the tires come from the Avon company and have dimensions of 195/50 R16 and 225/45 R17 .
The heart of the car is a two-liter atmospheric four-cylinder from Ford with an output of 203 hp at 7,200 rpm and a torque of 210 Nm at 6,100 rpm . These values are transmitted to the rear wheels by a five-speed transverse manual transmission . With a ratio of over 300 horsepower per ton, the Zenos E10 can sprint from 0 to 96 km/h in 4.5 seconds and the maximum speed is 217 km/h . For all this, the manufacturer does not ask for much, namely 24,885,- including VAT , which translates to roughly 830,000 CZK. A comparably equipped Caterham Supersport R it costs about 3,000 pounds (approx. 100,000 CZK) more, KTM claims around 50,000 pounds (1,665,000 CZK) for the X-Bow and the Vühl 05 costs 60,000 pounds ( 2 million CZK).
The first 75 units of the Zenos E10 will be produced in a special Launch Edition , which will cost 28,995 pounds , i.e. approximately 966,000 crowns. For this, customers will receive many items from the extra equipment, namely a six-speed manual , a limited-slip differential , a removable steering wheel, composite seats with four-point belts, heated footwells, OZ wheels and ZZR Avon tires. If you bought these elements separately, they would cost almost £6,000, but the Launch Edition costs just £4,000 more than the base.
The Zenos brand plans to produce around 200 units of the E10 per year , with over 150 in the first year. It shouldn't be a problem, as the manufacturer already registers over 200 people interested in the car who signed up via the official website. If you think the E10 is all Zenos is up to, you're wrong. Its roadster version E11 and coupe version E12 should arrive around 2018. So we are very curious about the future of the brand!
Source: Zenos, pistonheads.com, autocar.co.uk
