Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2024 - Cars on Saturday the 9th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. In 2012 a pair of car industry professionals, Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards – who had both worked at Lotus and Caterham - decided the time was right to produce a new type of lightweight high-performance sports car, one that combined maximum driving thrills with maximum accessibility - Zenos Cars was born. Less than two years later, Zenos showed its first car, the E10, clearly demonstrating their single-minded determination to use innovation to benefit the experience it delivers to its owners. Production began a few months afterwards, shortly followed by their second model, the E10 S, providing the same engaging experience with even more performance. In November 2015 Zenos announced the pinnacle of the E10 range, the E10 R, offering further development, performance and configuration options.
While the E10 S uses a 2-litre EcoBoost engine, the E10 R is fitted with the bigger 2. 3-litre unit, similar to that in the Ford Focus RS. In the Zenos it’s good for 350bhp and 350lb/ ft of torque. According to company founder, Mark Edwards, he and his team achieved the power figures they had targeted on the first day on the dyno without having to stress the engine too hard. 'We could have had even more power, but we don’t want owners to have to rebuild their engines every year' he says. 'Ford has tested these engines to the moon and back and they’ve got bags of power'.
The gearbox is still a 6-speed manual transverse unit gearbox for the E10 R, but the shift action has been shortened for a more precise and direct throw and the gear knob itself is now a bespoke Zenos item. Zenos estimates 0-62mph in three seconds and 155mph flat out. Weighing just 700kg (dry) the E10 R has a power to weight ratio of 508bhp/ tonne, which puts it firmly in the performance car big leagues.
Standard features of the E10 R include a hybrid carbon-composite cockpit/ aluminium spine with steel rollover and side-impact protection system, double wishbone front and rear suspension with Bilstein dampers (in-board front) for incredible handling, O. Z. lightweight racing wheels with Avon ZZR tyres. This particular example features full carbon seats with harnesses, plus the full-sized windscreen. A fully specified E10 R was a £50, 000 sportscar when new.
The car presented here is a 2016 Zenos E10 R which is UK-registered having covered just 99 delivery miles; indeed, the seats are still plastic-covered and the car has barely been touched.
Despite delivering just over 100 cars to customers and what was pretty much universal praise, Zenos hit a financial trouble in early 2017 and fell into administration. The original team behind Zenos moved onto other things. Notably, Ansar Ali went on to be in charge of McLaren's SVO and Matt Windle, who joined Zenos slightly later as Operations Director, has gone even further to become Lotus' CEO.
However, do not worry, as there is a very active Zenos-movement out there, with 24-7 Motorsport of Norfolk still providing servicing, upgrades, advice, parts etc. for customers' cars. Give them a call if you are even half-interested in this car.
Estimated at £25, 000 - £30, 000 this 'new' car is substantially cheaper than it would have been if sold when Zenos still existed – so why not be the lead car at every track day you attend and enjoy owning a rare and very well developed British sportscar?
