Zenvo Says Its Quad-Turbo V12 Would Make Aliens Cry, Which Is Weird
The Aurora makes up to 1,850 horsepower from its quad-turbo V12 and optional trio of electric motors.
The newly revealed Zenvo Aurora has all the necessary ingredients to make a monstrous hypercar. Its Mahle-built quad-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 and three electric motors give its fastest version a combined 1,850 horsepower and a 0-60 MPH time of 2.3 seconds. However, its party trick isn't staggering power, nor mind-melting performance. Instead, it hangs its hat on its engine noise, which Zenvo Chief Commercial Officer Jens Sverdrup told Autocar will make aliens cry.
“If an alien happens to land at a racetrack and they hear a couple of [our] V12s, they will have their hairs standing up and tears running from their eyes,” said Sverdrup. New fear unlocked: hairy aliens. You can hear the V12's wail in the official video below:
To be fair to Sverdrup, a quad-turbo V12 revving to 9,800 rpm would probably make anyone cry, both from its joyous noise and the pain of mangled eardrums. That emotional experience, rather than performance figures or lap times, is Zenvo's main goal with the Aurora. “We don’t care how fast it is at the Nürburgring, because it will be fast anyway," Sverdrup told Autocar.
There are two versions of the Aurora: Tur (Touring) and Agil (Agile). The former is the more powerful, more comfortable road-focused version. Its monster V12 (nicknamed Mjølner, like Thor's hammer) develops 1,250 hp on its own, but totals the headline 1,850 hp when paired with one electric motor on the rear axle and two additional motors on the front axle. The track-oriented Agil ditches the front motors, dropping down to 1,450 hp and rear-wheel drive, but in exchange receives active aero and an air brake. Thanks to the Aurora's exposed carbon-fiber monocoque, dry weight is 2,866 pounds for the Agil and 3,196 pounds for the Tur.
Inside, the Aurora's cabin is pretty minimal. Rather than having a large infotainment screen, it relegates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to one of its three digital gauges. There are some steering wheel controls for said gauges, along with two large paddle shifters and a C8 Corvette-like central blade of buttons. Otherwise, there's nothing more to distract passengers from the experience.
The Zenvo Aurora makes its worldwide debut at Monterey Car Week. Only 100 will be built—50 of each version—and they'll start at $3,926,070 before client customization.
Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com
