Danish automaker Zenvo Automotive just revealed its latest supercar at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. It’s called the TSR-S, and it slots in between Zenvo’s GT-bred road machine, the TS1, and the TSR, Zenvo’s racing-focused version. When you break it down, the TSR-S is a road-legal version of the TSR racer, which means this composite spaceship finds that special grey area between the starting grid and main street.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Full Story

For starters, the Zenvo TSR-S certainly looks the part of a ground-bound rocket ship. The whole thing is draped in cuts and swoops and wings, with exposed carbon fiber panels added from tip to tail.

It should come as no surprise then that Zenvo confesses aero performance was a major consideration in the car’s development. The most impressive bit is the active multi-axis Centripetal Wing, which uses a patent-pending design with two rotational axes to provide additional slowing force in the braking zones and more rear-end stick in the corners. The former characteristic is achieved by pivoting the wing vertically to create an “air brake” - cool stuff, but we’ve seen it before. However, to help the car turn harder, the wing will actually tilt left and right, altering the downforce characteristics by increasing tire load on the inside wheel while slinging through the apexes. Pretty innovative, if you ask us.

Complementing the crazy rear wing is the usual assortment of downforce makers, such as a new front splitter, a flat underbody, pressure-relieving vents around the front wheels, an LMP1-inspired scoop on the roof, and a rear diffuser. All told, the TSR-S can make upwards of three times the downforce of the TS1 GT.

“In developing the TSR-S, the utmost dedication and ambition of our team has driven us to achieve unprecedented levels of aerodynamic engineering capability for a road-going car,” says Zenvo’s Chief Technical Officer and Founder, Troels Vollertsen. “By converging the individual performance characteristics of the exceptional TS1 GT hypercar with the savage TSR track car we have created the ultimate Zenvo.”

As you might imagine, this “ultimate machine” doesn’t come with a stereo, airbags, or electric seat adjustment. However, considering someone out there may occasionally take this thing for a drive (you know, outside the confines of a racetrack), Zenvo does offer equipment specification to any level desired.

However, an opulent interior spec might look a bit weird for this otherwise stripped-down, barely-legal sports machine. Inside, there are carbon shell seats with the option for six-point racing harnesses. Aluminum trim and Alcantara upholstery are the standard materials in use, but they can be specified in any color you choose.

So, what’s it like to drive?

We have yet to climb behind the wheel, but if we were to guess, we’d say intense. The numbers attached to this thing are pure track stuff, but Zenvo did make sure to include the option to tone it down a bit, if desired.

For example, there are multiple output level settings which are manually adjustable if you don’t want the whole enchilada while heading to the airport to pick up grandma. There are also dual gearbox settings for the seven-speed paddle-shift transmission. Stuffed with helical-cut dog gears, Zenvo says the most aggressive setting makes for a “brutal power-shift race set-up.” If that’s not exactly the experience you’re going for behind the wheel, there’s also a roadworthy configuration designed to provide a little more cushiness.

Like any proper racing-derived performance machine, the Zenvo TSR-S uses carbon fiber extensively in its construction. The active rear diff was upgraded, and there’s advanced traction control to make the most of the available grip. And with a standard ride height of just 95 mm (3.74 inches), it’s also incredibly low to the ground. However, Zenvo says the front end can be raised to clear speed bumps.

All impressive stuff, no doubt about it, but probably the biggest headline is what’s going on with the mid-mounted powerplant. Take a peek behind the cabin and you’ll find a twin-supercharged V-8 for motivation, with several output settings offered, up to a maximum of 1,177 horsepower. The top speed is electronically limited at 202 mph, while the 0-to-62 mph sprint is done in just 2.8 seconds.

“The TSR-S comes so close to a genuine track car that is still drivable on the public road, combining phenomenal handling capabilities with ultimate exclusivity,” says Zenvo. “The TSR-S has two faces - it can provide drivers with a usable, easy-to-drive hypercar for the road, but also has the potential for drivers to alter the car’s characteristics, with a number of adjustable performance settings that can turn it into a performance-focused racer.”

The Zenvo TSR-S is limited at just five units per year. Exact pricing has yet to be announced, but rest assured it falls squarely into the “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” category.

References

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Zenvo TSR-S.

Read our full review on the 2017 Zenvo TS1 GT.

Read more Zenvo news.

Read more Geneva Motor Show news.