Zenos Cars

Zenos Cars
Private limited company
Industry Automotive
Founded 22 May 2012 (2012-05-22)
Founders
  • Ansar Ali
  • Mark Edwards
Headquarters Wymondham, United Kingdom
Key people
 Mark Edwards (Managing Director)[1]
Products Sports cars
Brands Zenos
Website zenoscars.com
Zenos Cars logo

Zenos Cars is an automotive company that produces high-performance, light-weight sports cars. Based in Wymondham, Norfolk, UK, the company designs, manufactures and sells three variants of the Zenos E10 car.

Background

The company was founded in Norfolk in 2012.[2][3] The founders, Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, had worked together before at Lotus Cars and later at Caterham Cars.[4]

Edwards and Ali believed there was a gap in the market for lightweight, contemporary high-performance sports cars that were affordable to purchase and to run.[5] Before the company’s first product line, the E10 series, was designed, the founders agreed on a price point that would be attractive to potential customers, and determined if a clean-sheet design could be produced and sold at such a level.[6]

The development phase of Zenos’s first series of models included driving days with deposit-holders and potential customers, with the aim of ensuring that drivers and passengers would be both comfortably accommodated and fully engaged.[6]

Matt Windle, Operations Director, joined the company in October 2015, bringing production expertise gained during a seven-year spell as Principal Engineer at Tesla,[7] as well as through his role as Chief Engineer, Body at Caterham Technology and Innovation (CTI), and positions at Lotus Cars, Nissan, Volvo and Daewoo.[8] Chris Weston, Head of Development, played a key role in engineering the car and readying it for production.[9][10]

Name

The name Zenos is said to be a combination of ‘zen’, representing purity, and ‘os’, which is loosely Latin for 'vertebra' or spine – reflecting one of the key architectural elements of the company’s products.[11]

Partners

Zenos Cars has used a number of partners in the design and development of its products. They include: Drive – exterior and interior design;[12][13] Multimatic Technical Centre Europe (MTCE) – chassis design;[13] Ford and Hendy Power – powertrain package supply;[14] Specialist Control Systems – ECU development;[15] Avon Tyres;[16] Alcon Components – brakes and clutches;[17] OZ Racing – wheels;[17] Titan Motorsport – design and production of key components;[18] Bilstein – shock absorbers;[13] and Tillett Racing Seats.[19] Zenos Cars has also received support from the Niche Vehicle Network,[20] and from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership through the Growing Business Fund.[21]

Factory and production

Zenos Cars are hand-produced in the company’s factory in Wymondham, Norfolk, UK.[8] Production of the Zenos E10 and E10 S began in January 2015.[22] The Zenos E10 R was announced in November 2015, with production starting in January 2016.[23]

In September 2016, the company announced that it had built its 100th vehicle, which was an E10 R finished in custom Soul Red colour.[24]

Sales and network

Zenos sports cars are currently sold in the UK, USA, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Italy.[25] Non-UK markets account for 50% of Zenos production.[26]

In the UK, Zenos has a network consisting of four service agents – who may also sell vehicles – and two sales partners in Scotland and north-west England.[25]

Current cars

Zenos E10

Zenos E10
Overview
Manufacturer Zenos Cars
Production January 2015–present
Assembly United Kingdom: Wymondham, Norfolk
Body and chassis
Class sports car
Layout mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine
  • 2.0 L I4 (petrol)
  • 150 kW (200 bhp) @ 6,800 rpm
  • 210 N·m (150 lbf·ft) @ 6,100 rpm

[27]

Transmission 5-speed transverse manual[27]
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,300 mm (90.6 in)[27]
Length 3,800 mm (149.6 in)[27]
Width 187 mm (7.4 in)[27]
Height 1,130 mm (44.5 in)[27]
Kerb weight 720 kg (1,587 lb)[27]
Zenos E10

A mid-engined sports car.[27] The first pre-production car was made available to the press in October 2014.[4] Production started in Norfolk in January 2015.[3] The ‘E’ in the car's name is taken from MD and co-founder Mark Edwards’ surname, while the ‘10’ signifies that this is the 10th car project he has been involved in.[28]

The car features an aluminium 'spine' to which a composite passenger ‘tub’ and front and rear subframes are attached. The ‘spine’ is believed to be the largest single aluminium extrusion used in any road car,[29] with a torsional stiffness in excess of 10,000 Nm/degree.[30]

The composite ‘tub’ of the E10 is formed of a ‘sandwich’ that comprises a thermoset plastic core contained between sheets of carbon fibre.[30] The latter utilise pieces of carbon fibre that have been discarded in other processes. It is estimated that the resulting material delivers 70% of the mechanical performance of ‘virgin’ carbon fibre at significantly lower cost.[30]

A key feature of the Zenos E10 is its spacious cabin, which has been designed to comfortably accommodate people from 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) tall to 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) tall.[31] The cabin also incorporates an additional central screen, allowing the passenger to view information that would normally only be visible to the driver.[32]

The car features inboard front springs and dampers and replaceable GRP body panels, which are intended to reduce repair costs in the event of an accident.[5][33]

Zenos E10 S

Similar to the E10, but with the turbocharged 2.0 L Ford EcoBoost engine,[34] delivering 190 kW (250 bhp) @ 7,000 rpm and 400 N·m (300 lbf·ft) @ 2,500 rpm.[3][35] Production began at the same time as for the E10.[36]

The E10 S accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 4.0 seconds, and can reach 145 mph (233 km/h).[37]

In September 2016, an upgrade kit was made available for the E10 S, which increases power to 210 kW (280 bhp) and torque to 420 N·m (310 lbf·ft). The upgrade kit can be fitted to new or used cars and includes new air intake, modified intercooler and remapped ECU.[38]

Zenos E10 R

This car with a higher-powered 2.3 L Ford EcoBoost engine,[39] delivering 260 kW (350 bhp) @ 6,000 rpm and 475 N·m (350 lbf·ft) @ 4,000 rpm,[40][41] was launched at the Performance Car Show, Birmingham, in January 2016.[3]

The E10 R has uniquely tuned suspension and brakes,[42] and the dry vehicle weight of 750 kg has been helped by wheels that are each 2.5 kg lighter than those fitted to the E10 S.[43]

The car can accelerate from zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in as little as 3.0 seconds, and reach a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h).[44] Standard equipment levels are higher than those of the E10 and E10 S, and include six-speed manual gearbox, ventilated disc brakes and uprated four-pot callipers, and twin-skin composite seats with four-point racing harnesses.[45]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Team". Zenos Cars. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "New Zenos E10 sports car to create jobs in Norfolk". BBC News. BBC. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Zenos Cars launches £750,000 funding round with Seedrs". Business Matters. Capital Business Media. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 Sutcliffe, Steve (7 October 2014). "Zenos E10 driven - is this a Lotus beater?". Autocar. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Zenos E10 news, price and specs". Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  6. 1 2 "Zenos E10 driven - is this a Lotus beater? | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  7. ↑ "Matt Windle | LinkedIn". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  8. 1 2 "Zenos Cars gearing up on road to success". Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  9. ↑ "Zenos E10 S review: 2015 first drive | Motoring Research". 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  10. ↑ "British-built Zenos E10 to take on Ariel and Caterham". Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  11. ↑ "Zenos E10 driven - is this a Lotus beater? | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  12. ↑ "Drive Design and Zenos Cars ‹ Drive Automotive Design". www.drivedesign.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  13. 1 2 3 "Zenos E10 sells out in first year as company plans follow-up models | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  14. ↑ "Zenos Cars - Hendy Power". www.hendypower.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  15. ↑ "Specialist Control Systems LTD". http://www.scs-delta.co.uk/. Retrieved 2016-07-06. External link in |website= (help)
  16. ↑ "The Zenos E10S : Decibellisimo!". Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  17. 1 2 "Meet the Zenos E10". 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  18. ↑ "Zenos E10 | Titan Motorsport". www.titan.uk.net. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  19. ↑ "Tillett Racing Seats - Quality Comes 1st". www.tillett.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  20. ↑ "Energy Efficiency - innovateuk". connect.innovateuk.org. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  21. ↑ "Zenos Cars | New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk". www.newanglia.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  22. ↑ "Vroom Vroom: British Designer & Manufacturer Zenos Cars Seeks £750,000 Through Seedrs For New Vehicles". Crowdfund Insider. 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  23. ↑ "Zenos E10 R Production and Sales Update - Just British". 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  24. ↑ "Zenos sells 100th car | PistonHeads". www.pistonheads.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  25. 1 2 "Zenos Cars dealers, Uk and international". Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  26. ↑ "Car Obsession". Car Obsession. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "E10". Zenos Cars. Zenos Cars. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "Clever Zenos - Carbon fibre sports car brilliance • MotorPunk". 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  29. ↑ "Zenos Cars - the full story | PistonHeads". www.pistonheads.com. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  30. 1 2 3 "Innovation in the UK niche vehicles sector". Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  31. ↑ "Zenos Cars sets up shop in the U.S. - SkiddMark". 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  32. ↑ "Zenos E10 interior | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  33. ↑ "Zenos E10 news, price and specs". Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  34. ↑ Cackett, Nic. "Zenos E10 S review". Autocar. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  35. ↑ "E10 S". Zenos Cars. Zenos Cars. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  36. ↑ "Zenos E10 S makes its debut at the Autosport International show | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  37. ↑ "Zenos E10 S review - price, specs and 0-60 time". Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  38. ↑ "Zenos E10 S boosted to 280bhp with upgrade kit | Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  39. ↑ Saunders, Matt (2 March 2016). "2016 Zenos E10 R review". Autocar. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  40. ↑ "E10 R". Zenos Cars. Zenos Cars. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  41. ↑ "Cool cars at the 2016 London Motor Show". Car Keys. Car Keys. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  42. ↑ "Zenos E10 R review - Fastest E10 is the best yet". Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  43. ↑ "2016 Zenos E10 R". Top Speed. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  44. ↑ "2016 Zenos E10 R". Top Speed. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  45. ↑ "Review: the 500bhp per tonne Zenos E10 R". 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2016-07-04.

External links

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