Never heard of Zenos? It's relatively new and just as obscure. The company was founded a year ago by two former Lotus and Caterham execs, who set about sticking it to their former employers with a lightweight track machine of their own. The E10 was their first product, built around a central spine with a carbon-composite cockpit and steel safety cell. That initial model came (and is still available) with a 2.0-liter inline-four sourced from Ford, channeling 200 horsepower through a five-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels. The subsequent E10 S took things a step beyond with an EcoBoost turbo four good for 250 hp. And this new E10 R dials things up even further to 350 hp – which is downright ludicrous in a vehicle weighing less than 1,550 pounds dry.
The result is a 0-100 time estimated at 3.0 seconds flat and a top speed of 250 km per hour. Those are break-neck speeds in a vehicle with no roof or windscreen to speak of. So to keep it all in check, Zenos has upgraded the brakes and the suspension, which is fully adjustable for track-day fanatics. The six-speed manual transmission now features a shorter throw, and the wheels are lighter for more precise turn-in.
Zenos is charging £39,995 in its home market (including 20% tax) for the E10 R, which is a considerable premium over the E10 (£24,995) and E10 S (£29,995). The price works out to $60k by direct conversion, but more relevant (given the various pricing and taxing schemes in different countries) is that it almost exactly matches that of a base Porsche Boxster – which may be a more usable car than the track-focused Zenos, but would find itself left in a cloud of smoke and dust around the track behind the lighter, more powerful, and nearly twice-as-quick E10 R you see here.
If that sounds like a bargain, Zenos is also offering a limited Drive Edition in the scheme you see here with additional standard equipment for £43,995. The E10 R will mark its debut in January at the Autosport International show.
