Zenos E10 returns with 280 kW and costs more than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class
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British sports car maker Zenos has brought back its ultra-lightweight E10, whose most powerful version accelerates to 100 km/h in around 3.2 seconds. Weighing just 790 kilograms, the sports car has no roof, no doors and not even a windscreen as standard. Prices start at €137,000, more than the starting price of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the UK.
Two engines and less than 800 kilograms
Zenos, which went bankrupt in 2017 and was later acquired by AC Cars, is restarting production of the E10. The car retains the original model’s core concept but gets new engines, an upgraded chassis and carbon-fibre bodywork.
The range starts with the E10 r2, whose 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine develops around 221 kW and 425 Nm. It accelerates from rest to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
The more powerful E10 rZ uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, from which engineers extract 280 kW and 510 Nm. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes around 3.2 seconds, while top speed reaches 241 km/h.
Both versions use a six-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive.
Carbon fibre and minimal comfort
The E10’s construction combines an aluminium main frame with a carbon-fibre passenger compartment and body panels. It uses pushrod suspension at the front and more conventional independent suspension with coilovers at the rear.
Its 790-kilogram weight gives the more powerful model a power-to-weight ratio of around 354 kW per tonne. That figure offers a sense of the car’s potential on the track.
Zenos does not pamper buyers with creature comforts. There is no roof, and a windscreen is optional. In return, the manufacturer promises an exceptionally direct driving experience that today’s increasingly heavy sports cars often cannot offer.
Price rises almost fivefold
The original Zenos E10 started at around £25,000 in 2014. The manufacturer is asking at least £115,900, or around €137,000, for the new model.
The more powerful rZ starts at around €154,000.
That money would already buy a Porsche 911 or a much more practical sports car. The Ariel Atom, for example, offers a similarly uncompromising driving experience at a significantly lower price.
Zenos will begin deliveries in the second quarter of 2027. In the UK, the car can also be ordered in road-legal form, but the company will initially offer only track versions in other markets.
The Zenos E10 is a clear example of how less can cost more in the automotive industry. Buyers give up virtually every comfort, yet pay luxury-car prices for the low weight and direct driving experience they get in return. Whether that is enough depends on how highly each customer values every kilogram saved.
