Zenvo ST1 Coming to the U.S

Zenvo ST1 Coming to the U.S For A Cool $1,255,000

Ever heard of Zenvo? If you haven’t yet, you’ll probably will want to. The company is a Dutch supercar manufacturer known for their new ST1 model.

The project started in 2004 and surfaced publicly in 2008. Now a company called Red Sea Distribution in Indiana is making the car available to customers in the United States.

The car was first shown to the public in June 2009 at LeMans. Since then, Zenvo said it has received an “overwhelmingly positive” response to the car.

At a price tag of $1,255,000, we don’t imagine there is going to exactly be a very long line. The car is mid-engined and is powered by a turbocharged AND supercharged 7.0-liter V-8.

The eye popping power output stands at 1,104 horsepower (!) routed through a six-speed manual gearbox. Attention officially granted.

The car makes the run to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds and 120 in under nine seconds. Zenvo plans to make 15 ST1s per year. A Red Sea Distribution representative had this to say:

“We are very proud to be appointed the official US distributor for ZENVO, as a specialist niche market distributor we offer a service to the exotic dealer that has never been seen in the US before. We look forward to appointing new dealers and giving them the status of new car dealer for the ZENVO brand.”

Lotus Esprit Concept

Lotus Esprit Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been a while since something took us by surprise at an auto show. Usually we've seen the pictures and read the press releases a few days ahead of time, so there's nothing new revealed we weren't already expecting. Until today. We were expecting Lotus to reveal a pair of new Evora models, a new front-engined GT called the Elite, and if we were lucky, maybe the new Esprit. What we got was something much, much better.

As we arrived at the Lotus booth here at the Paris Motor Show, we spotted a total of five cars under cover. Perhaps a concept and some new versions of existing cars? What proceeded to happen was something entirely unexpected. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar addressed the crowd, announcing that Lotus would be entering a new era. In a matter of minutes, the wraps were pulled off the Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne concept cars, each time with a gasp from the crowd as the next concept's name was announced. This wasn't just the introduction of a few concept cars. We were witnessing the complete and utter revitalization, rebranding and rebirth of a legendary car company.

Lotus Elise and Elan concepts – Click above for high-res image galleries

With this new lineup of cars, it's easy to see that Lotus wants to play with the big boys – Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Aston Martin. Bahar had announced last year that this was the direction the company would take, but we didn't expect it to happen so soon or all at once.

One question still has to be asked, though. Is this direction the right one for Lotus? We can appreciate all forms of performance cars, but is there enough room for Lotus to edge its way into each of these target markets? Can the Esprit conquer the McLaren MP4-12C or the Ferrari 458 Italia? Will buyers go for a Lotus Elite over the Ferrari 599 GTB or the Aston Martin DBS?

Lotus Elite and Eterne concepts – Click above for high-res image galleries

Lotus has long been the master of lightweight, nimble sports cars, and many will undoubtedly say that the company should stick to the same cars it's been building for the last decade. After all, what would Colin Chapman say about a Lotus coupe that weighs over 3,600 pounds? And a grown up Elise? Then there's the styling. As usual, we're split down the middle here at Autoblog. Half of us love the styling, while the other 50 percent thinks it looks too generic. In the end, only time will tell whether Lotus fans will like the direction the company is headed.

There's quite a bit of information on each vehicle, so click the links below to learn more about them.

• Lotus Elite Concept
• Lotus Esprit Concept
• Lotus Elise Concept
• Lotus Eterne Hybrid Sedan Concept
• Lotus Elan Concept

You can also browse through our live galleries of each concept:

Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Esprit Concept

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Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Eterne Concept

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Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Elite Concept

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Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Elise Concept

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Gallery: Paris 2010: Lotus Elan Concept

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Renault UK Launches New Cut-Price Megane Generation

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7-21-2010 07:50

The sun might have disappeared behind a cloud or two, but Renault is turning up the heat on its rivals this summer with the launch of its new M�gane ‘Generation’, priced from only �10,995.

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7-21-2010 07:50

The new five-door Hatch version is available to order now, replacing the outgoing Extreme trim level, in either 1.6 100 petrol or 1.5 dCi 90 FAP diesel guise. Both models drive through five-speed gearboxes.

As part of its ‘Vive Le Summer’ promotion, which has just started, the new entry-level Generation 1.6 100 will be available for a limited time to retail cash buyers at just �10,995 on-the-road, a full �3,000 less than the recommended retail price. Outside of the offer, at �13,995 and �15,755 respectively, both models are still an impressive �860 cheaper than their predecessors.

In spite of the tempting prices, there has not been any skimping on specification when it comes to Generation’s equipment levels. Among their core features are 4x15W radio CD with fingertip remote controls and aux input, air conditioning, cruise control, electric door mirrors and front windows, ESC, hands free keycard and speed limiter.

Customers can find further information at www.renault.co.uk, on Sky Guide 883, on Twitter www.twitter.com/renault_uk and on Facebook www.facebook.com/renaultuk.