Lightweight Sports Car Maker Zenos Has Gone Into Administration

When we visited Zenos’ Norfolk-based factory over two years ago to have a poke around a prototype, we were full of hope for the young sports car company.

Its first car - the E10 - wasn’t some six figure supercar made of unobtainium and powered by an exotic engine. No, it was an affordable sports car with reliable Ford power and clever recycled carbon tub - a sort of modern interpretation of the Caterham Seven (the company was actually started by two ex Caterham employees) that seemed destined for greatness. Sadly, the company has now gone into administration.

This is a huge shame, as its products - the E10, E10 S and E10 R - are awesome. They’re fast, great to drive and a lot more useable than you’d think, a point we proved by driving an E10 S to the Nurburgring last year.

They were proving popular, too: Zenos announced it had built and sold its 100th car last September, that its entire 2016 allocation was sold out, and that few 2017 Q1 build slots were left. Following what the company has called a “downturn in trade” which included a series of cancelled orders, Zenos has ceased trading and called in the administrators.

In a statement from the company, Zenos managing director Mark Edwards said:

“It is with great disappointment that the board has had to take this step. We still believe that our products offer unrivalled affordable fun and we have already made very good progress in developing the next product in our strategy.”

Here’s hoping a buyer can be found, as it’s be a damn shame for Zenos’ story to end here.