Sports car start up Zenos doesn't really need to increase anticipation levels further. The big question everyone wants answered is how the company's forthcoming track-focused
E10
Doesn't look much, actually quite significant
Sadly, we can't tell you that yet. But we can pass on - drum roll, please - the company's announcement that it's been given a £150,000 development grant to help it continue develop its innovative lightweight
composite structure
, which is based around recycled carbonfibre, and specifically to find out how safe and recyclable it will be.
We'll understand if your pulse hasn't risen much above resting, but it does show that things are still moving in the right direction in Wymondham, where Zenos is based in an industrial unit a well-hurled stone's throw from Lotus. The company's first car, the E10, made its static debut at this year's Autosport show and the company says it's already taken 70 deposits for the mid-engined lightweight, which will be powered by transverse Ford four-cylinder motors producing either 200hp in naturally aspirated form, or 250hp when turbocharged.
The Niche Vehicle Network that awarded the grant is a collaboration between different low-volume manufacturers and suppliers that works on developing new technologies. Zenos has previously won a grant for the development of the aluminium and composite platform that will underpin its range. Given the collaborative nature of the NVN, we can anticipate the research will ultimately come to help other small sports car makers, too.