Zenvo is a small Danish supercar manufacturer that has developed quite the reputation over the years. Most notably was when it featured the ST1 on an episode of Top Gear a few years back. I say that not because it had a 6.8L V8 fitted with both a supercharger and turbocharger which produced 1,086hp and a top speed of 233mph, but because it had a cooling fan malfunction and nearly burnt to the ground. Not exactly the promotion the company hoped for by handing the keys to Jeremy Clarkson. However, that’s now in the past. Now they have a new model and they are trying to make their mark in the supercar world again, only in a positive way this time.
This new model goes by the name of TS1, not to be confused with the previous ST1. While the ST1 had a turbo and supercharger, the TS1 is fitted with “just” twin superchargers. The all-new V8 mid-mounted on the TS1 might technically be smaller than the outgoing model at 5.9L, but smaller doesn’t necessarily mean less powerful. In this case, the TS1 is rated at 1,163hp and this thing is supposed to be an absolute bolt of lightning.
To the untrained eye, it might be a bit difficult to distinguish the ST1 and TS1. Yet the new model has a fully redesigned chassis and aero package. This is thanks to a new Russian investor that more or less has saved the company, or is at least trying to. Apparently, with the new influx of funding, Zenvo engineers decided to focus mainly on the powertrain, handling, and overall build quality. All of which is really important with a price tag well into the seven-figure range.
To make the handling on the TS1 match the astounding amount of power on tap, the folks at Zenvo opted to use a double wishbone suspension system with KW Dampers on all four corners. That should help keep it planted when hitting the corners, and hopefully, help maintain traction seeing as how all that oomph is sent only to the rear wheels.
If the twin superchargers aren’t enough to entice you, the fact that Zenvo is offering the TS1 with an optional manual transmission should definitely do the trick. It’s meant to be a drivers car. There’s no silly computers or electronic nannies to step in and save the day in the event that things go sideways, literally and figuratively. It’s technically still in prototype phase, but even still it appears to be everything that a hardcore moto enthusiast would want in a supercar.
So the million dollar question is, will this be enough to bring Zenvo back into the spotlight? Only time will tell. After all, they have only built a total of 11 cars since 2011. But one thing is for sure, it definitely has our attention and if it ends up being all that it’s cracked up to be Zenvo might be the perfect little boutique supercar company that would be a viable option to the Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s of the world.
