Zenos

[ryallm]

So, what do you all this of this? http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default ... ryId=29180 Looks great to me, and at a very attractive price. Shame Lotus can't/won't build something as bold as this these days.

Mark

[Dominic]

I agree, it looks good, and is keenly priced. Looks like a decent spec too.

If they added a windscreen, doors and a soft top option (even if it meant costing a few K more) I think they would increase their market considerably. Sadly, as a bit of an unknown brand, I suspect it will never sell in big numbers, and is most likely going to be yet another sports car that disappears as quickly as it appeared. Hopefully I will be proven wrong though! Ariel managed it after all.

As good as it looks, my money would go to a used Lotus of some form.

[Shug]

Looks very very good, but utterly unproven company as yet. And I assume nobody's driven the car, so it might be a total lash-up. Looks good on paper, though. Hopefully they have a plan in place to let that sticker price make them money, or it'll be just another in a long list of great ideas that fail the financial test.

Kinda see where you're coming from with Lotus, but I still have the faith. With the 211 ceased for a while now and there being a proven market for it, I feel it won't be too long before we see another hardcore car from Lotus... Twas the Bahar era, trying to make it a Ferrari competitor, that killed of the proper hardcore, lightweight stuff and now the company is back making cars and on a more even keel, we might see the designers getting some leeway again.

[j2 lot]

It doesnt really move the game on from the opposition, X-Bow and Zuhl, although that might be unfair given the serious price advantage it has over both.
For some reason it doesnt grab you like it should and as above I would also go for a Lotus, or Caterham

[rossybee]

I like that. And the E11 & E12 projects

The management team aren't exactly lacking in experience - both are ex-Lotus and Caterham, Ansar Ali being the big cheese.

[woody]

It doesnt really move the game on from the opposition, X-Bow and Zuhl, although that might be unfair given the serious price advantage it has over both.
For some reason it doesnt grab you like it should and as above I would also go for a Lotus, or Caterham

I would say Xbow rivaling looks, Xbow beating speed and possibly Xbow matching or bettering dynamics at around half the price is moving the game on.

The finished article needs to be seen and driven of course.

[Shug]

From the minimal detail you can make from the article, it sounds like a backbone chassis (albeit in cheaply sourced carbon - clever) which Lotus moved on from in 1996. KTM has a full carbon tub like a two seat F3 car. And they've (KTM) managed to line it with lead, judging by kerbweight...

As you say, it really needs driven to see if the concept works, but from what you can glean from the article, the only innovative bit is they've used waste carbon to lower the price of making a carbon backbone where Lotus used steel for 50 years.

Really interesting potential yes, but at the moment, it's all chat - from a company with no name or history (which will hurt them, no matter that it shouldn't)

[ryallm]

It doesnt really move the game on from the opposition, X-Bow and Zuhl, although that might be unfair given the serious price advantage it has over both.
For some reason it doesnt grab you like it should and as above I would also go for a Lotus, or Caterham

I would say Xbow rivaling looks, Xbow beating speed and possibly Xbow matching or bettering dynamics at around half the price is moving the game on.

The finished article needs to be seen and driven of course.

I agree. From what I have read Ansar Ali seems very tuned in to what the enthusiast market will take price wise for a stripped out hardcore car. The Xbow was the right idea, just too heavy and way too expensive. Unlike a lot of specialist start up sports car companies, you do get the feeling that these guys know what they are doing and might, might just make the business work.

[woody]

From the minimal detail you can make from the article, it sounds like a backbone chassis (albeit in cheaply sourced carbon - clever) which Lotus moved on from in 1996. KTM has a full carbon tub like a two seat F3 car. And they've (KTM) managed to line it with lead, judging by kerbweight...

As you say, it really needs driven to see if the concept works, but from what you can glean from the article, the only innovative bit is they've used waste carbon to lower the price of making a carbon backbone where Lotus used steel for 50 years.

Really interesting potential yes, but at the moment, it's all chat - from a company with no name or history (which will hurt them, no matter that it shouldn't)

Not sure if you've read the earlier articles?

The bodywork is recycled carbon fibre. The backbone chassis (which looks quite a different from a Lotus one) is made of extruded aluminium, no surprise given the background of some of the team.

[Shug]

From the minimal detail you can make from the article, it sounds like a backbone chassis (albeit in cheaply sourced carbon - clever) which Lotus moved on from in 1996. KTM has a full carbon tub like a two seat F3 car. And they've (KTM) managed to line it with lead, judging by kerbweight...

As you say, it really needs driven to see if the concept works, but from what you can glean from the article, the only innovative bit is they've used waste carbon to lower the price of making a carbon backbone where Lotus used steel for 50 years.

Really interesting potential yes, but at the moment, it's all chat - from a company with no name or history (which will hurt them, no matter that it shouldn't)

Not sure if you've read the earlier articles?

The bodywork is recycled carbon fibre. The backbone chassis (which looks quite a different from a Lotus one) is made of extruded aluminium, no surprise given the background of some of the team.

Clearly not - fair play, that sounds a bit more interesting than I originally thought.

Wish them well with it, no matter what, don't get me wrong - I just think it's premature to start talking about moving the game on when they've not sold a car, or made a penny and nobody's actually driven one yet.

[campbell]

The EVO review will make interesting reading.

[neil]

I see they're based in Hethel. Might be worth a look in on Spazz

[mwmackenzie]

Saw their website a while back when it was just specs and sketches, now the car is 'of the flesh' it looks great! I'm really looking forward to seeing the next generations in years to come as the sketches on their site look very tasty indeed

[rossybee]

Yum yum

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default ... ryId=29261

[C7Steve]

Yum yum

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default ... ryId=29261

Steve.