Hopefully by now you'll have read about the
new Zenos E10
ex-Caterham man Ansar Ali is soon to bring to the market.
Pricing will be crucial, and revealed in due course, but in terms of competition the Zenos is going to have to prove itself against some very fierce rivals. Ones with established niches in the small but vibrant lightweight, roofless track/road car field.
Still pricey but a big saving off a new one
If you can't wait for the Zenos what's knocking about to tempt you? And, more importantly, what are you going to be paying?
Well, a £34K 2008 KTM X-Bow caught our eye, this being a healthy saving off the £50K R that's the entry level to the current range. This one's only covered 8,000-odd miles too and has been upgraded from the initial 240hp to a claimed 320hp with a little tickle from ABT to the turbocharged Audi engine. It's also got a different exhaust - claimed to sound better while not busting track day noise limits - and a few other attractive sounding tweaks that close the gap between it and the 300hp R you could buy new. And if the Zenos' recycled carbon sounds a bit too bargain basement for you the KTM's is much more arty in its appearance.
Other alternatives? Well, Lotus 2-Elevens are a little bit cheaper with this 260hp SVA'd example up for £27K and smart in its decal-free red paint.
Mind you, if you're going to do the windswept look properly you may as well go all the way with an Ariel Atom. You're back up into the mid-30s for a normally aspirated Atom 3 like this one, though the windscreen is a bit of a cheat and you'll still be getting gusts up your trouser legs.
Caterhams in this vein are thin on the ground but there's a homebrew Duratec R500, upgraded from R400 spec, for just under £30K and a sequential equipped K-Series one for similar money here.
Some sharkpool for the Zenos to be plunging into then. We'll be watching with interest how it develops...
KTM X-BOW (SPEC FOR STANDARD CAR)
Engine: 1,984cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Power (hp): 240@6,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 229@3,300rpm
MPG: c. 34 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 189g/km
First registered: 2008
Recorded mileage: 8,058
Price new: c. £45,000
Yours for: £34,000
See the original ad here.