RE: Zenos Cars USA launched
Thursday 27th March 2014
It may not be the most obvious destination for selling lightweight sports cars, but the USA is apparently becoming an important market for British manufacturers. Caterham recently announced official sales Stateside, and now Zenos has confirmed its American division.
But where will the Starbucks go?The first E10s made by Zenos Cars USA will reach customers in early 2015. The car will be identical in spec to the UK cars, with the same styling, 200hp Ford engine and carbon composite monocoque.
Ideal for your favourite canyon roadAnsar Ali added: "We have always hoped the essence of the Zenos brand and its products would sit easily with the US motoring community of "light is right" aficionados"
Zenos Cars USA launched
Zenos vs Caterham crosses the pond with US Zenos operation formed
But where will the Starbucks go?
Randy Chase and Joe Schroeter are the good ol' boys who will run Zenos USA, both with extensive experience in motorsport, sales and British sports cars. "There is something special about the people that appreciate a pure driving experience and who understand what low vehicle weight translates to on the street or track. I can't think of a car that will more perfectly fit this niche than the Zenos E10" said Randy. Zenos USA will have offices on both coasts and 'intends on being active in community based car events'.
Ideal for your favourite canyon road
As in the UK, a Launch Edition E10 will be offered in the US including additional equipment such as a limited-slip diff, in-board Bilstein dampers, quick release wheel and 'Launch Edition Red paint'. At $43,750 or £26,300, it is slightly cheaper than the UK equivalent (£28,995). The standard car undercuts the UK version too at $39,500 or £23,751. However, with the American domestic shipping and taxes it could end up being fractionally more expensive,
For more information, see the Zenos USA website.
Discussion
Monkey boy 1 said:
Lyons said:
Really like this car - Simple low(ish) cost, driver focussed.
Lotus should buy Zenos, produce the E10, and install this Ali chap as CEO there. He seems to know what he is doing!
He is an ex-Lotus bod from quite a few years backLotus should buy Zenos, produce the E10, and install this Ali chap as CEO there. He seems to know what he is doing!
One point of clarification. The price of the Zenos E10 in the states is slightly lower, but we do not (per USA import rules) include an engine or gearbox. Once the end buyer adds those items in, the price of the car is higher than UK, as it should be, as it includes freight and customs import fees which are included in the base price.
Very much looking forward to getting these cars across the pond and taking them out to the local mountain roads.
Randy "good ol' boy" Chase
Sold the Elise, Sold the Exige, Sold the Noble. Still have the Caterham for now.
Very much looking forward to getting these cars across the pond and taking them out to the local mountain roads.
Randy "good ol' boy" Chase
Sold the Elise, Sold the Exige, Sold the Noble. Still have the Caterham for now.
randyc said:
One point of clarification. The price of the Zenos E10 in the states is slightly lower, but we do not (per USA import rules) include an engine or gearbox. Once the end buyer adds those items in, the price of the car is higher than UK, as it should be, as it includes freight and customs import fees which are included in the base price.
Very much looking forward to getting these cars across the pond and taking them out to the local mountain roads.
Randy "good ol' boy" Chase
Sold the Elise, Sold the Exige, Sold the Noble. Still have the Caterham for now.
Oh hai. It must have been, oh, 10 years... Very much looking forward to getting these cars across the pond and taking them out to the local mountain roads.
Randy "good ol' boy" Chase
Sold the Elise, Sold the Exige, Sold the Noble. Still have the Caterham for now.
randyc said:
One point of clarification. The price of the Zenos E10 in the states is slightly lower, but we do not (per USA import rules) include an engine or gearbox. Once the end buyer adds those items in, the price of the car is higher than UK, as it should be, as it includes freight and customs import fees which are included in the base price.
Very much looking forward to getting these cars across the pond and taking them out to the local mountain roads.
Randy "good ol' boy" Chase
Sold the Elise, Sold the Exige, Sold the Noble. Still have the Caterham for now.
Will it be street legal? I'm guessing the fact it's sold without engine or tranny is so it is essentially registered as a "kit car", so as to get around not having airbags, etc.? Much the same as Caterham in the US.Very much looking forward to getting these cars across the pond and taking them out to the local mountain roads.
Randy "good ol' boy" Chase
Sold the Elise, Sold the Exige, Sold the Noble. Still have the Caterham for now.
Article said:
It may not be the most obvious destination for selling lightweight sports cars, but the USA is apparently becoming an important market for British manufacturers.
That's a silly thing to say. America was always one of, if not the, most important market for British sports cars. Wasn't the E-type sold for export before it was available to the British buying public? I doubt if Jaguar and Aston Martin would still be around if it hadn't been for the US market. Aston Martin, in particular, has a huge brand cachet in America, probably due to the Bond association. Lotus seems to have done pretty well here, as well (though I think our current regs effectively bar us from getting the new V6 Exige and Elise 1.6). There are quite a few Elise/Exiges where I live, and they're not only used as weekend toys. I often see them used as daily drivers; people commuting to work in them. Since the end of WWII (when returning GIs brought home MG P and T series cars home with them to America), sports cars and sports car racing have been very popular here. The demand is there. The difficulty lies in crash and emissions regulations that often are more strict than what you have in the UK. That's why we were denied the more recent TVRs, Marcos', and the like. It was cost prohibitive for those small "cottage" manufacturers to crash-test and make the necessary modifications to meet federal requirements. That's why Caterhams are only available in kit form here, and Radicals aren't street legal.
Ansar's a great guy. I spoke to him recently about a narrow track niche vehicle that I'm currently working on and he was full of advice about start-up dos and don'ts. Not only that but he offered more advice in the future, once the prototype is proven.
The car looks fab. I wish him and those at Zenos all the best. Here's hoping that it sells in shedloads.
The car looks fab. I wish him and those at Zenos all the best. Here's hoping that it sells in shedloads.
mikEsprit said:
bnracing said:
mikEsprit said:
This seems a competitor to the Morgan 3-wheeler.
Really?? It's four wheels is it not ....
More like lotus or xbow or even chaterham ....can't see the Morgan 3 wheels in it ? Or am I missing something ?.?
If you want to build a kit car this would be the way to go at a fraction of the Zenos cost.
The Zenos when speced out would be between $60-$70k US
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/
$15k
The Zenos when speced out would be between $60-$70k US
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/
$15k
Edited by the ronin on Sunday 30th March 21:15
the ronin said:
If you want to build a kit car this would be the way to go at a fraction of the Zenos cost.
The Zenos when speced out would be between $60-$70k US
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/
$15k
Wouldn't called the Zenos a kit car. Nothing from a donor, pretty much bespoke from the looks of it, other than the Ford engine?The Zenos when speced out would be between $60-$70k US
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/
$15k
Edited by the ronin on Sunday 30th March 21:15
the ronin said:
If you want to build a kit car this would be the way to go at a fraction of the Zenos cost.
The Zenos when speced out would be between $60-$70k US
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/
$15k
Wow ! Just looked this up on youtube ...great clip of the 818 at Watkins glen ....this car is a porsche gt3 killer! The Zenos when speced out would be between $60-$70k US
https://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/
$15k
Edited by the ronin on Sunday 30th March 21:15
ArtVandelay said:
Wouldn't called the Zenos a kit car. Nothing from a donor, pretty much bespoke from the looks of it, other than the Ford engine?
If you spend $40-$50K for a car and then have to buy a drivetrain and pay for or do the install your self it's a kit car.So the Zenos will use an N/A Ford Focus engine and gearbox.... Wow isn't that special.
Edited by the ronin on Monday 31st March 01:35
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