► Zenvo returns to Geneva with TSR-S road car
► Same wing and twin supercharged V8 as before
► More creature comforts this time – including airbags!
Zenvo is back at the 2019 Geneva motor show with its road-going TSR-S in a new shade of Grotta Azzurra blue and eye-catching multi-axis Zentripetal wing.
This model sits between the TS1 GT car and the racetrack-only TSR, featuring a powerful version of the maker’s twin supercharged, 5.8-litre V8, producing 1,177bhp at a dizzying 8,500rpm.
Wasn’t this at the last Geneva show?
Yes – the TSR-S debuted last year (see below) and Zenvo took its first order right after the show. Full production is now underway with a limited run of just five cars a year.
This year the Danish manufacturer is showing off the unique nature of its hand-built cars with a deep blue paint finish and some extra kit, available to you at no extra cost.
Peter van Rooy, Marketing Director, said this year’s show car featured airbags for the driver and passenger, plus options to improve the day-to-day nature of the TSR-S like climate control, a multimedia screen and hydraulic ride height adjustment. It’s practically an S-Class.
Enough of this, let’s talk performance
The TSR-S still cracks 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and features a high-tech aero package – that massive rear wing moves around when cornering to improve grip to the inside wheel, plus there’s a slippery underbody for maximum downforce.
Power from the engine can be tweaked on the fly, with the ‘Minimum’ setting offering a not-small 700bhp, an IQ mode that makes its mind up for you, or the ability to lock it into the full 1,117bhp output when the mood takes you. When next to a Eurofighter Typhoon at a traffic light, for example.
Then there’s the seven-speed gearbox which features helical-cut dog gears for full racetrack brutality, or a softer road mode for what Zenvo describes as a ‘relaxing drive for everyday use’.
I want one…
You probably can’t have one. Sorry.
A-Z of the Geneva motor show on CAR
How does that wing work?
The TSR-S supercar features a huge – and very mobile – rear-wing. Designed with maximum grip in mind, the rear-wing rotates on two axes to provide the driver with as much grip as possible, and you can watch it in action in the video at the top of the page.
The whole thing looks rather weird if we’re honest, and Zenvo say it’s all do higher cornering speeds. ‘When the TSR-S corners, the wing rotates relative to the car’s longitudinal axis,’ the company explains on its website. ‘This generates an inward force together with the conventional downforce, boosting inner tyre grip and cornering stability.
Gimmick or innovation, it’s hard to say without experiencing it – but it’s odd that no other supercar manufacturer has bothered with the concept thus far… Either way, it’s certainly eye-catching!
Keep reading for our original 2018 Geneva motor show report on the Zenvo TSR-S
Zenvo TSR-S: all you need to know
Danish hypercar builder Zenvo launched its latest madcap monster – the TSR-S – at the 2018 Geneva motor show, and its claimed accelerative performance of 2.8sec 0-62mph is only the start of the story.
It’ll also blast through 124mph in 6.8 seconds, which is exactly as quick at the insane McLaren Senna – another road-legal animal. The TSR-S slots into the Zenvo line-up between the track-only TSR and the TS1 GT model. Its top speed is limited to 202mph.
Aerodynamic advancements
But what really caught our attention here isn’t the spec of the twin-supercharged 5.8-litre flat-plane-cranked V8 race motor. It’s that rear wing…
Take a close look and you’ll see the firm’s patent-pending ‘Centripetal’ wing can move in two rotational axes. This means it can tip up to function as an airbrake for improved deceleration (in a similar way to the Bugatti Chiron’s), but also to optimise downforce in corners.
You see, the wing can also tilt itself towards either 21in rear wheel (fronts are 20in), which Zenvo claims has a major aerodynamic advantage over more conventional rear spoilers that can usually only be optimised for cornering at a certain speed. It’s claimed the inside rear wheel will have 30% more purchase on the road in some situations, meaning turn-in can be configured to be far sharper.
With this set-up the aero can be theoretically tweaked for any bend imaginable, in the process helping prevent the rear end from breaking away – something you really do want to avoid in a mid-engined hypercar with 1187bhp…
Wait, the Zenvo’s got how much power?
Do not adjust your eyes. A dry weight of 1495kg and almost 1200 ponies are what’s needed to achieve the sorts of speeds mentioned above. Its torque (the level of which is oddly conspicuous by its absence in all Zenvo information we’ve seen so far) is fed through a paddleshift-controlled seven-speed transmission with helical-cut dog gears.
This, according to Zenvo, allows the car to perform as a competition car in Race setting, with a mechanical shift claimed to be among the fastest-operating in existence. Select the Road drive mode and it operates electronically and apparently removes the harshness usually associated with a dogbox at low speeds.
You don’t even have to drive everywhere with four-figure horsepower. There are three power settings here too – 700bhp Minimum, IQ and full-bore Maximum – with the middle setting configured to send as much punch to the rear axle as it can in all conditions. The traction control system will automatically throttle power based on adhesion to the surface you’re on at the time.
Inside the cabin’s race-inspired and a relatively simple layout. You’re not going to want many distractions. But you can add personalised details to make it your own. And decimate your chances of selling it on at a later date…
You’ll be able to add or delete luxuries like air-con, sat-nav, sound system and airbags, depending on how you’re intending to use your TSR-S.
How much will the Zenvo TSR-S cost?
It’s unclear at this point – especially given the amount of personalisation on offer – but given that the TS1 GT starts at £1.2m, it’s definitely going to be seven figures rather than six.
You’ll probably have to wait a bit, too. Zenvo is only planning on building five cars a year, spread over its three models – this TSR-S, the TS1 GT and the TSR.
It’s fair to say it’s a bit niche.
