Zenos Cars#Zenos E10 S

{{Infobox company

| name = Zenos Cars

| logo = File:Zenos Cars.jpg

| logo_size =

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| type = Private limited company

| industry = Automotive

| founded = {{start date and age|df=yes|2012|05|22}}

| founders = {{ublist|Ansar Ali|Mark Edwards}}

| hq_location_city = Wymondham

| hq_location_country = United Kingdom

| key_people = Mark Edwards (Managing Director){{cite web|title=The Team|url=http://www.zenoscars.com/the-team-2/|website=Zenos Cars|access-date=27 May 2016}}

| products = Sports cars

| brands = Zenos

| website = {{URL|zenoscars.com}}

}}

Zenos Cars is a British 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. In January 2017, Zenos went into administration{{Cite web|url=http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1108427_zenos-sports-car-startup-goes-bust|title=Zenos sports car startup goes bust|last=Vijayenthiran|first=Viknesh|website=Motor Authority|access-date=19 January 2017}} with staff made redundant but the assets were purchased by a consortium in March 2017.{{citation |url= http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/deal_unveiled_to_save_norfolk_s_zenos_cars_but_25_jobs_are_lost_1_4946970 |title=Deal unveiled to save Norfolk's Zenos Cars - but 25 jobs are lost |work=EDP24 |first=Mark |last=Shields |date= 24 March 2017 |access-date=28 March 2017}}

Background

The company was founded in Norfolk in 2012.{{cite web|title=New Zenos E10 sports car to create jobs in Norfolk|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-28564287|website=BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=27 May 2016|date=30 July 2014}}{{cite web|title=Zenos Cars launches £750,000 funding round with Seedrs|url=http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/get-funded/zenos-cars-launches-750000-funding-round-with-seedrs/|website=Business Matters|publisher=Capital Business Media|access-date=27 May 2016|date=12 May 2016}} The founders, Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, had worked together before at Lotus Cars and later at Caterham Cars.{{cite web|last1=Sutcliffe|first1=Steve|title=Zenos E10 driven - is this a Lotus beater?|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/zenos-e10-driven-lotus-beater|website=Autocar|publisher=Haymarket Media Group|access-date=27 May 2016|date=7 October 2014}}

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/291529/zenos_e10_news_price_and_specs.html|title=Zenos E10 news, price and specs|access-date=2016-07-07}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/zenos-e10-driven-lotus-beater|title=Zenos E10 driven - is this a Lotus beater? {{!}} Autocar|website=www.autocar.co.uk|access-date=2016-07-07}}

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.

Matt Windle, Operations Director, joined the company in October 2015, bringing production expertise gained during a seven-year spell as Principal Engineer at Tesla,{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-windle-a360ba16|title=Matt Windle {{!}} LinkedIn|website=www.linkedin.com|access-date=2016-07-06}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/motoring/zenos_cars_gearing_up_on_road_to_success_1_4564846|title=Zenos Cars gearing up on road to success|access-date=2016-07-06}} Chris Weston, Head of Development, played a key role in engineering the car and readying it for production.{{Cite web|url=http://www.motoringresearch.com/car-reviews/zenos-e10-s-review-2015-first-drive|title=Zenos E10 S review: 2015 first drive {{!}} Motoring Research|date=2015-03-17|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-07-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://recombu.com/cars/article/british-built-zenos-e10-to-take-on-ariel-and-caterham|title=British-built Zenos E10 to take on Ariel and Caterham|access-date=2016-07-06}}

On 16 January 2017, following a string of cancelled export orders, Zenos was placed into administration. Begbies Traynor (London) LLP, the administrators, stated they are open to speaking with parties interested in securing the future of the company,{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/norfolk-sports-car-manufacturer-zenos-goes-administration/ |title=Norfolk sports car manufacturer Zenos goes into administration |author=Wiseman, Ed |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=19 January 2017 |access-date=17 March 2017}} and in March 2017 a consortium led by Alan Lubinsky's AC Cars acquired the company and assets.{{cite web|title=Zenos saved from administration by AC Cars-led consortium|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/zenos-saved-administration-ac-cars-led-consortium|website=Autocar|access-date=26 March 2017|date=24 March 2017}}

= 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/zenos-e10-driven-lotus-beater|title=Zenos E10 driven - is this a Lotus beater? {{!}} Autocar|website=www.autocar.co.uk|access-date=2016-07-04}}

= Partners =

Zenos Cars has used a number of partners in the design and development of its products. They include: Drive – exterior and interior design;{{Cite web|url=http://www.drivedesign.co.uk/drive-design-and-zenos-cars/#.V30ldJMrKCQ|title=Drive Design and Zenos Cars ‹ Drive Automotive Design|website=www.drivedesign.co.uk|access-date=6 July 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/zenos-e10-sells-out-first-year-company-plans-follow-models|title=Zenos E10 sells out in first year as company plans follow-up models {{!}} Autocar|website=www.autocar.co.uk|access-date=6 July 2016}} Multimatic Technical Centre Europe (MTCE) – chassis design; Ford and Hendy Power – powertrain package supply;{{Cite web|url=http://www.hendypower.co.uk/clients/zenos-cars/|title=Zenos Cars - Hendy Power|website=www.hendypower.co.uk|access-date=6 July 2016}} Specialist Control Systems – ECU development;{{Cite web|url=http://www.scs-delta.co.uk/|title=Specialist Control Systems LTD|website= www.scs-delta.co.uk/|access-date=6 July 2016}} Avon Tyres;{{Cite web|url=https://waynesworldauto.co.uk/2016/07/03/review|title=The Zenos E10S : Decibellisimo!|access-date=6 July 2016}} Alcon Components – brakes and clutches;{{Cite web|url=http://www.topgear.com/car-news/british/meet-zenos-e10|title=Meet the Zenos E10|date=3 October 2013 |access-date=6 July 2016}} OZ Racing – wheels; Titan Motorsport – design and production of key components;{{Cite web|url=http://www.titan.uk.net/case-studies/details/zenos-e10|title=Zenos E10 |website=www.titan.uk.net|access-date=6 July 2016}} Bilstein – shock absorbers; and Tillett Racing Seats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tillett.co.uk/shop/car-racing-seat-gallery.asp|title=Tillett Racing Seats - Quality Comes 1st|website=www.tillett.co.uk|access-date=6 July 2016}} Zenos Cars has also received support from the Niche Vehicle Network,{{Cite web|url=https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/energy-efficiency/article-view/-/blogs/list-of-winning-nvn%25E2%2580%2599s-niche-vehicle-r-d-competition-as-announced-at-cenex-lcv20-1|title=Energy Efficiency - innovateuk|website=connect.innovateuk.org|access-date=6 July 2016}} and from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership through the Growing Business Fund.{{Cite web|url=http://www.newanglia.co.uk/zenos-cars/|title=Zenos Cars {{!}} New Anglia LEP for Norfolk and Suffolk|website=www.newanglia.co.uk|access-date=6 July 2016}}

= Factory and production =

Zenos Cars are hand-produced in the company’s factory in Wymondham, Norfolk, UK. Production of the Zenos E10 and E10 S began in January 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2016/05/85332-vroom-vroom-british-designer-manufacturer-zenos-cars-seeks-750000-through-seedrs-for-new-vehicles/|title=Vroom Vroom: British Designer & Manufacturer Zenos Cars Seeks £750,000 Through Seedrs For New Vehicles|date=2016-05-09|website=Crowdfund Insider|access-date=2016-07-06}} The Zenos E10 R was announced in November 2015, with production starting in January 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://justbritish.com/zenos-e10-r-production-and-sales-update/|title=Zenos E10 R Production and Sales Update - Just British|date=2016-02-10|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-06}} In September 2016, the company announced that it had built its 100th vehicle, which was an E10 R finished in custom Soul Red colour.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/zenos-sells-100th-car/34995|title=Zenos sells 100th car {{!}} PistonHeads|website=www.pistonheads.com|access-date=2016-10-10}}

Following the reorganisation of the company in 2017, production ceased in the UK and is planned to move to South Africa{{cite news|title=Autocar|date=20 September 2017|pages=54–57}} and the engineering centre remaining in Norfolk.

= Sales and network =

Zenos sports cars are currently sold in the UK, USA, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Italy.{{Cite web|url=http://www.zenoscars.com/our-dealers/|title=Zenos Cars dealers, Uk and international|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-06}} Non-UK markets account for 50% of Zenos production.{{Cite web|url=http://www.carobsession.co.uk/single-post/2016/05/18/Zenos-Behind-The-Scenes|title=Car Obsession|website=Car Obsession|access-date=2016-07-06}}