SAN FRANCISCO: Zenvo Automotive unveiled the Aurora on the eve of Monterey Car Week, marking the lightest and most powerful road car it has ever produced, while also marking the start of a new era for the Danish brand, with a ground-up, all-new design of a hypercar.
Named after the lightweight, fast, and beautiful nature of the rare light phenomenon, Aurora Borealis, the Aurora is designed with driving pleasure in mind.
Production will start in 2025, and the car will be hand-built at the Zenvo headquarters in Præstø, Denmark. Price is said to start from US$2.8 million (RM13mil).
Zenvo said the Aurora is built on an all-new ZM1 modular monocoque design, developed with carbon structure experts Managing Composites.
To ensure no compromise between comfort and track focus, Aurora launches in two variants - the aggressive Aurora Agil and the elegant Aurora Tur. Only 50 examples of each variant will be made.
Both versions feature a flowing, aerodynamically led, chassis design, managing and channelling airflow cleanly over, under and through the structure itself.
The clean lines of Tur are a grand touring variant, with a sculpted exterior and dynamics set up for stability and comfortable road driving.
In contrast, the Agil bodystyle follows the same simplistic and elegant design philosophy, but is a more extreme translation, as the bodywork cleverly manages airflow. This delivers high levels of downforce, with a clear focus on track driving.
“The Aurora project is best described as an equilibrium of extremes,” said Zenvo chief commercial officer Jens Sverdrup.
“Throughout the development phases, we have been very clear that we did not want to be chasing specific numbers or laptimes, as this can then cause a distraction or compromise when it comes to other areas.
"However, what was important, was the drive to push the Aurora to be on the leading edge of what could be achieved through pushing each element to the maximum in synchronisation with the others. We just wanted to build an uncompromised drivers’ car, which delivered on every level, but without any one aspect negatively impacting another."
The Aurora has a mid-engined hybrid layout. Both variants are powered by a 6.6-litre quad-turbocharged V12 engine, developed by MAHLE Powertrain.
Producing 1,250bhp and revving to 9,800rpm, this bespoke powerplant is a 90-degree hot-V configuration, mid-mounted behind the cockpit.
It is then enhanced further by a lightweight electric motor system, generating up to an extra 600bhp depending on drivetrain configuration.
The rear wheel-drive system in the Agil features a single integrated electric motor, generating 200bhp, while the four wheel-drive set up- standard on the Tur and optional on the Agil – adds a further electric motor to each of the front wheels to offer 1,850bhp.
The result blends instant power and torque, delivering naturally aspirated engine-style throttle response, and make this powertrain the most powerful V12 engine ever fitted to a road car.
The engine will benefit from the use of MAHLE Jet Ignition system, which has been incorporated into the design to enable the engine to operate without the need for overfuelling for component protection across the entire engine operating range.
This has become a requirement for the newly announced Euro 7 legislation. The all-aluminium construction along with Zenvo’s carbon fibre expertise will deliver an overall compact and lightweight unit, weighing less than 260kg.
Fitted with a seven-speed hybridised gearbox, generating 150kW of power, the unit integrates an electric reverse and engine start in place of a traditional start motor providing weight and efficiency gains.
The single shaft gearbox makes gear changes smoother, while electronic gear shift dampening can be adjusted via the controls in the cabin.
Bespoke gearing and gearchange mapping will ensure that the gearchange characteristics for the two models will differ dramatically.
Agil will feature very involving, more mechanical gearchanges, similar to a sequential gearbox familiar to more track-focused cars. Tur, on the other hand, will be a much smoother transition through the powerband.
The transmission includes an e-differential, while each of the e-motors produces 150kW of power.
With one motor mounted within the gearbox in both drivetrain configurations, a further motor is then located on each of the front wheels for the four wheel-drive setup.
The front motors act as an electric torque vectoring system, generating an output in the region of 400kW.
Combined, the e-motor arrangement generate between 200bhp and 600bhp of instant power, acting as "torque fill" while the turbos spool up.
This was an important feature in the driveability of Aurora, said Sverdrup.
“The overwhelming feedback we received from owners was that everyone loves the throttle response of naturally aspirated engines, and the instant hit of power delivered by electric, but without the heavy weight and range anxiety that comes with batteries.
"Throttle feel and responsiveness were a major focus for the whole team, and a significant amount of work has taken place on the dynamics, and the integration between the electric motors and the engine, to make this as seamless as possible.
"This is also the reason why the powertrain features four smaller turbos, rather than the more conventional two. It means they can spool up quicker, and the end result is a powertrain that brings together the best parts of conventional internal combustion and hybrid technology. Aurora will offer a more direct and better throttle response than an NA engine, but both Agil and Tur will feature different mapping to give different drive characteristics.”
Built around the same chassis and powertrain, the Agil and Tur are set up very differently, with a separate focus for the drivers.
With a more aerodynamically aggressive stance and profile, Agil is the lighter weight, more track focused model, featuring underbody aerodynamics and a high-level rear wing with air brake function. The drivetrain sends all power through to the rear wheels as standard, while a four-wheel drive option is available.
The inside of the cabin is stripped of comforts and unnecessary luxuries, with the carbon chassis exposed in several areas, while ultra-lightweight technical material is used to upholster the seats and select sections of the doors and dashboard.
With this weight-saving approach, the Agil weighs in at less than 1,300kg. The more aggressive design delivers enhanced levels of downforce, producing 880kg of downforce at 250kph, and a top speed of 365kph.
The elegant lines of the Tur manage the flow of air over, under and through the monocoque extremely efficiently, creating a more efficient flow through the air with a lower drag co-efficient than its more track-focused sibling.
Underbody aerodynamics are complemented by active rear wing ducts, providing enhanced stability levels. Beyond this, the design combines with a standard four-wheel-drive system, adding to the grip levels, and much easier access to harness and exploit the power available.
While the addition to the drivetrain increases the overall weight by 150kg to around 1,450kg, the more aerodynamically efficient shape will accelerate on to a top speed of 450kph.
The cabin is appointed with high specification, tactile materials and increased levels of sound proofing, producing a more traditional luxury GT environment for the occupants, hence the name "Tur" – Danish for "Touring".
