Zenos Revives the E10 with a Featherweight Chassis and Nearly 500 hp per Tonne Lead:
British boutique sports car maker Zenos is staging a comeback with the new E10 RZ, due in early 2026. The two-seat lightweight promises 380 horsepower against just 790 kilograms of mass—close to 500 hp per tonne, figures that position it more for the circuit than the street. Fewer than 50 units will be built in the first year, with prices starting at £140,000.
The E10 RZ represents an attempt to rekindle the spirit of the original Zenos E10 from the early 2010s. The formula is familiar but sharpened: compact, uncompromising, and crafted in the tradition of Britain’s small-volume workshop specials.
At its heart lies a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing around 380 hp and 510 Nm of torque. With a curb weight of just 790 kilograms, the numbers translate to a 0–100 km/h time of roughly 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h. A manual gearbox, limited-slip differential and full carbon body panels are designed to appeal to purists seeking raw, unfiltered performance.
The chassis combines aluminium and carbon for stiffness and weight savings. At the front, a pushrod suspension with inboard dampers reduces unsprung mass and sharpens steering feel, while the rear employs a more conventional coilover setup. Everything points towards track days and circuit driving rather than road comfort.
Production targets are modest: under 50 cars in the first full year. Pricing reflects the exclusivity: around £140,000 for the E10 RZ, or £120,000 for the simpler R2 model, rated at 325 hp and about 400 hp per tonne. Both are firmly in niche territory, purchased more for rarity and focus than for daily practicality.
The original E10, launched in 2014, stood out for its lightness and simplicity but was followed by financial turbulence that forced Zenos to retreat. Nearly a decade later, the company is attempting the formula again, this time lighter, faster and with a touch more technological polish.
In the end, the new E10 RZ is a quintessential British small-series sports car: spectacular on paper and ambitious in marketing, but limited in production and appeal. Its success will hinge less on its technical promise than on whether enough buyers value the marriage of lightness and brute force as much as they do a heavyweight badge on the bonnet.
