Zenvo promises quad-turbo V12 for new Aurora
'World's most powerful road-going V12' lined up for incoming hypercar
Devotees might recall that we brought you news of the forthcoming Zenvo Aurora back in March. Its maker made it clear at the time that its latest hypercar would feature a ‘bespoke’ V12 - now it has opted to put some follow-up meat on the bone. And with ‘at least’ 1,250hp promised from a Thor's hammer-branded 6.6-litre, quad-turbocharged unit, it ranks among the choicest cuts even in an age of increasingly bespoke mega-engines.
Indeed, in confirming a commercial partnership with MAHLE Powertrain, Zenvo has suggested that the new all-aluminium V12 will ‘be the world’s most powerful road-going V12 engine’. The qualification there is an important one, the manufacturer stressing that its unique powertrain is a ground-up design and unrelated to any existing race engine. Usability is said to have been front of mind since day one, although with 1,250hp said to arrive at 8,000rpm - ahead of a 9,800rpm cut-off - it seems unlikely that the motor will want for character or distinctiveness.
As you might expect, Zenvo insists that the Aurora will deliver ‘a unique soundtrack like no other engine on the planet’ and it has already confirmed that it pursued a modular design specifically to ensure that future V8 or V6 derivatives were a possibility - together with the option of producing crate engines for other OEMs. The latest MAHLE Jet Ignition tech was apparently crucial to the V12 meeting the latest emission requirements in both the US and Europe, including stringent Euro 7 legislation.
Of course, the petrol engine - said to be compatible with existing net carbon synthetic fuels - will not be on its own in the Aurora: it will share some part of the car’s carbon fibre monocoque with whatever configuration of motors and batteries Zenvo has chosen to supply ‘a further 600hp of electrical hybrid power’. So that’s 1,850hp all told. Hardly unconscionable in an insatiable era, but a serious statement of the Danish carmaker’s intent, nonetheless.
Commenting on the new commercial partnership, Zenvo’s chief commercial officer and chairman of the board, Jens Sverdrup, said: “As an automobile enthusiast and industry professional, I have always strived to achieve the pinnacle of powertrains in the form of a V12 engine. The unmatched emotions and sensations it evokes, are what sets it apart as the ultimate choice for supercars and hypercars.
“Collaborating with MAHLE Powertrain, the most adept and knowledgeable engine developers in the industry for V12s, has been a dream come true for me. And judging by customer feedback, it is a dream shared by every automobile enthusiast out there.”
That aside, though, I wonder where Zenvo are getting the money to fund developing a completely new engine. Even Pagani, which have been much more successful than Zenvo and have sold like 10x more cars (even though still very little), are still stuck with the ancient Mercedes TT V12. Why haven't they contracted Mahle to build them something better?
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