Thinking of buying a Zenos E10. Am I insane?
Discussion
I’ve been planning to by an Evora in the Spring of 2015. The idea was to buy a 2012 model with the various revisions and improvements. Financially it would mean stretching myself very thin, and it would have to serve as the daily driver.
However, in recent weeks the idea of having a Zenos in the garage as an occasional track and weekend plaything has been occupying my mind.
The E10 might just turn out to be as much fun to drive as you would hope for a 650KG 200hp car from guys who worked at Lotus and Caterham. And at a price that allows me to keep a reasonable main car for commuting, shopping etc.
The thing is, the 1st batch of E10s could turn out to be badly flawed pre-assembled kit-cars. I have no mechanical skills, and it’s not as though there is an extensive dealership network and owners community to help out.
Do I need my head examined?
However, in recent weeks the idea of having a Zenos in the garage as an occasional track and weekend plaything has been occupying my mind.
The E10 might just turn out to be as much fun to drive as you would hope for a 650KG 200hp car from guys who worked at Lotus and Caterham. And at a price that allows me to keep a reasonable main car for commuting, shopping etc.
The thing is, the 1st batch of E10s could turn out to be badly flawed pre-assembled kit-cars. I have no mechanical skills, and it’s not as though there is an extensive dealership network and owners community to help out.
Do I need my head examined?
Robert Elise said:
if you didn't want to be the first, why not wait until the 11 or 12? those will get you to the track and back in more comfort, give you more days out.
Yes, the E11 & 12 both look promising, but I know nothing about them apart from a concept sketch silhouette.The Crack Fox said:
From a financial perspective, though, have you considered a good, used Caterham?
Yes, since I 1st drove one 20 years ago. But I like having the engine behind me on the track. I guess what I'm hoping for is a car that will feel like an S1 Elise, but more so.
The Crack Fox said:
They've got a number of test-drive events planned, looks great (quite tempted myself, actually), see here: http://www.zenoscars.com/october/september/
I'll be at the Silverstone event at the end of the month. A short test drive of the prototype on the road, and quick blast around the track as a passenger.It'll be interesting to meet the people behind Zenos.
There's an article online from someone who's driven it... Link .
V6Pushfit said:
These look mental are they good to own?
I've now had the car for 14 months, and last Sunday it passed the 5000 mile mark. The car itself is brilliant to drive. You very quickly get used to the heavy unassisted steering. The brakes and gear change have both been improved since the earlier cars. I have recently had the uprated brakes fitted, and I would advise that to anyone planning to do trackdays. I've also now got a set of the optional OZ wheels, and the reduction in unsprung weight makes a notable improvement in ride and handling at speed.
You can hear every mechanical noise, which will be a bit disconcerting if you're used to something German. I am one of the few people with the NA car, so I don't have the dramatic turbo notices.
If you drive it in the UK, you have to be willing to get rained on sometimes. This would be less of a problem if I had the optional windscreen, which enables you to fit the 'shower cap'.
Zenos as a company have done everything to make ownership a positive experience. As the owner of one of the earliest cars I've had a few teething problems. Each time they collect the car from my house, resolve the issue, and return it to me. And always at a time that's convenient for me. They've also been generous with discounts when I've asked for options to be added. I don't know if this is special treatment because I was one of the first to jump onboard, but I'm pretty sure Porsche would have laughed in my face when they realised I was out of warrantee.
On Sunday night I stayed in a four star hotel at Zenos' expense. An invitation they extended to existing owners who wanted to join them at Snetterton on Monday. That's the sort of thing that helps turn customers into 'brand advocates'.
madmover said:
What have they done to sort the gear stick? When I drove it, i thought that was the worst part of everything as it just felt completely wrong IMO.
Glad you're enjoying it
They've replaced the gear lever with the optional 'short shift' lever. The cables have all been replaced with a different specification. They have changed the route through the engine bay to reduce the effect of heat from the exhaust on the cables. It's never going to be the same as the stubby Caterham shift, but the improvement is noticeable. Glad you're enjoying it
You can see the new gear shift in action in this video...
https://youtu.be/ZWJSqH7vYeY
Edited by SpudLink on Tuesday 8th November 13:13
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