This year is set to be a very productive one for Zenvo Automotive. They will make a grand total of five cars. In an age when most car manufacturers fill their factories with robots and build on an industrial scale, Zenvo builds each model by hand at a snail's pace.
In 2007, engineer Troels Vollertsen and designer Christian Brandt decided to join forces. Two extraordinary and individual talents with a shared desire to develop a unique sports car in a country not normally associated with the ultra-niche automotive sector. In fact, a country without a car manufacturer.
Everyone who works at Zenvo is unashamedly obsessed with power and performance, and nobody describes the sheer exhilaration of sitting in the driving seat better than Troels. As a boy, he helped out at the local garage after school and spent his formative years surrounded by engines and gearboxes. From the very beginning of the Zenvo adventure he has been devoted to delivering the adrenaline kick, the raw emotion and buzz.
"Nothing quite matches the sheer thrill of driving a powerful car. It doesn't necessarily matter how long the experience lasts. It is the sense of instant excitement that really grabs you and sets a hypercar apart from mainstream vehicles. This rush also gives soul and character to a supercar."
He continues, "To me, as the founder of Zenvo, it is this special feeling that underpinned the development and engineering work on the very first prototype, and it has remained the driving force ever since. While thereis much more to each Zenvo than adrenaline alone, it remains the raison d'être behind every new creation."
The design of these hypercars is, nevertheless, rooted in the Danish design tradition shared by ECCO. Form follows function. And the result is a striking appearance that is subject to constant refinement.
It is perhaps more than coincidence that Troels and Christian both choose to wear ECCO ST. 1 HYBRIDS, or that Andreas Fasberg, factory technician, chose the original ST. 1 premium sneaker. Although it definitely is a coincidence that their favourite shoes feature a sole inlay in the company's signature green.
"We follow a clear vision in which each Zenvo car has elements derived from race cars, merged with road car aesthetics. As well as ensuring the best possible aerodynamic performance, this mix also makes the design more interesting due to the contrast between the hard, mechanical design of the race car components and the softer body inspired by nature", explains Christian.
The engineering masterpieces are designed and built to reflect the beauty, vigour and vibrancy of nature. The front of the vehicle takes the eyes of an eagle as inspiration, whereas the side profile of the body mimics the posture of a crouching lion.
Zenvo makes three models: TSR, TSR-S and TS-1 GT and previously made the ST1. The latter is not being named for ECCO's ST. 1 SHOCK-THRU technology, but perhaps restless Danish minds just think alike? Each is unmistakably Zenvo and delights enthusiasts and collectors the world over.
Only a handful of people will ever drive - and even fewer own - a Zenvo. But it's good to know that the uncompromising dedication to quality, craftsmanship and innovation is not unique to manufacturers of limited-edition cars. At ECCO, we are driven by similar values and feel a close bond with any company, like Zenvo, that constantly strives for improvement, even though we will make a few more than five models in 2019.