Zenvo ST1

Company & vehicle history

Zenvo Automotive is a Danish supercar manufacturer located in Præstø on the Danish island of Zealand. It was founded by Troels Vollertsen, and the name 'Zenvo' is derived from a combination of the first 2 and last 3 letters in his last name.

Zenvo Automotive was founded in 2004. The first prototype of what became the Zenvo ST1 was completed in December 2008 and production began in 2009. Only 15 cars were built and sold.

Vehicle data

The Zenvo ST1 is a high performance sports car. Its turbocharged and supercharged 6.8-litre V8 engine generates 1,104 hp (823 kW) at 6,900 rpm and 1,430 N·m (1,050 lb·ft) of torque at 4,500 rpm. According to The Motor Report, the car set a 0–100 km/h time of 3.0 seconds, with 0–200 km/h taking 8.9 seconds, and a top speed of 375 km/h (233 mph)

The ST1 is made entirely by hand with the exception of a high performance, 5 axis CNC router. The ST-1 comes equipped with keyless entry, satellite navigation, telescopic steering wheel adjustment and electrically adjustable leather racing seats.

The car has a list price of €660,000. The price for registering the car in Denmark is around DKK 16 million (€2,143,952) as a result of the country's high registration taxes; however, Zenvo is aiming at the export market only. Production is limited to 15 cars.

Design

Zenvo claim the ST-1 is entirely a result of Danish design. The car was designed by Christian Brandt and Jesper Hermann. The carbon fibre body was made in Germany and many components such as gauges, gas tank, ABS brakes, traction control and airbags come from American or German made cars.

Top Gear

The Zenvo ST1 was critically panned by the British motoring program Top Gear after a series of unfortunate accidents during filming of a segment for the show, including the car catching fire after a cooling unit failure. Another car from the company eventually finished a complete timed lap of the (wet) Top Gear Test Track; the resulting time was worse than the time of a BMW M5, also on a wet track. Zenvo responded to Top Gear with a statement published on the Danish website Pro Street.

Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix 2015

At this event, the Zenvo ST1 caught on fire, forcing the driver to bail out as quickly as possible. Zenvo said the fire was caused by fuel line problems.

Zenvo TS1

The Zenvo TS1, although it replaces the ST1, is essentially an update to the car. There are some tweaks and aerodynamic changes, but the overall dimensions are still the same, except for the weight.

The vehicle's engine is completely new, a 5.9-liter flat-plane V8, but this time with two centrifugal superchargers. Engine lubrication is a dry-sump with piston spray oil cooling. Power is expected to be at around 1100 hp. The top speed is also expected to be at around the 233 mph (375 km/h) mark originally achieved by the ST1.

The monocoque, according to Zenvo, is made of lightweight steel and aluminum. The suspension has been improved, which now includes a hydraulic lift system (HLS). It is also installed with front and rear double-wishbones, and 3-way power adjustable shock absorbers. The front and rear Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes are now larger, measuring 395 mm at the front and 380 mm at the rear, both including 6-piston calipers. The steering is rack-and-pinion with a 2.2 turn lock-to-lock.

The interior has also been drastically revised, with the center console, seats, and dashboard being the most major. The interior uses leather, alcantara, carbon-fiber, and aluminum. The interior will be customizable through ordering, to match with the customer's preferences.

A track-only supercar based on the TS1 is in the works, called the TSR.

The TS1 and a concept version of the TSR were unveiled in the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.