Exotic Supercars: Zenvo ST1

History

In the grand tradition of rich guys who are unable to find a super car super enough for their needs, Jasper Jensen has created his very own, very expensive, very exclusive exotic car. The Zenvo ST1 is completely hand-built in Denmark, and was designed by a team of actual engineers, not just Jensen's own tech-entrepreneur self.
The company started working on a prototype way back in 2004, though the decision to move forward with building the car wasn't made until 2006. A couple years later, the prototype was ready for dyno testing, road testing -- and a lot of revision after its first taste of the real world. But by summer of 2008, the car was already hitting 0-62 mph in 3.2 seconds, a tad slower than the target time of 3 seconds flat, but not too shabby for a car that had existed only in sketches not long before.
The ST1 made its world premiere at Le Mans in 2009 -- not as a race car, mind you, but definitely in its element of rarefied exotics and the people who can afford to buy them. It made the rounds of the international auto shows and made it to the United States in late 2011, as the ST1-50S. The presumption is that the "50S" designation means that the car can be driven on the road legally in all fifty states. But with only 15 Zenvos slated to be built, and those sold to preapproved buyers, it's going to be a red-letter day if you ever see one of these in the wild."

Engine

The Zenvo ST1 uses a honking 7-liter supercharged V8 with 1104 hp -- a touch more than the Bugatti Veyron, but not as much as the SSC Ultimate Aero. (It's actually a Corvette engine that the Zenvo team has breathed fire into.) Still, any four-figure horsepower output is more than most of us will ever encounter. It's got a six-speed manual transmission, which seems reassuringly normal, though you can get an F1-style automatic if you like. And like the car you probably drive, the Zenvo has traction control and ABS.
Unlike your car, the Zenvo has three engine settings: Wet, Street, and Track. Wet tones things down to a reasonable 750 hp. Street lets you have 1000 hp, and Track gives you enough rope to hang yourself but good. Or enough horsepower to smoke anyone else who dares to be at a club session that day. If you can even believe it, the speed is electronically limited so you don't hurt yourself -- to 233 mph.

Zenvo ST1 Specs

Engine: 7-liter supercharged V8
Horsepower: 1104 hp
Torque: n/a
Top speed: 233 mph (electronically limited)
0-60 mph: 3 seconds
Price: $1.8 million

Design

What is there to say about such an angular, agressive design? The initial rounds of brainstorming were outsourced, though Zenvo asked that their supercar look like no other supercar. The hexagonal grille is intended to be a Zenvo trademark, so look for that, and the air intakes and scoops serve an obvious purpose, given the heat the engine must generate. The sharp angle on the side of the car serves an aerodynamic function -- and it adds to the distinctively aggressive look of the Zenvo.

Interior

Cars this expensive and this fast typically break one way or the other when it comes to the interior. Either they have bare-bones, race-ready interiors stripped of anything unnecessary -- like radios, or automatic seat adjustment -- in the name of lighter weight and faster times. Or they are loaded with all the luxuries money can cram into a tiny cabin. The Zenvo ST1 splits the difference, with racing seats (light, supportive) that are electronically adjustable (driver and passenger both). The heads-up display that projects onto the windshield includes a G-force meter, which is not something found in just any old car, but the push-button start and nav system are likely a bit more familiar. It's actually not all that fancy an interior for the price -- which stops just short of $2 million -- but it'll do.