Geneva '08 Preview: Zenz concept going for clean performance
by John Neff on Feb 22nd 2008 at 5:42PM 
Click above for another angle of the Zenz concept
Here's another concept to add to the long list of four-wheeled flights of fancy we'll soon be covering in the land where hot cocoa runs free, i.e. Geneva. The Zenz is penned by Ralf Zenz, a German car designer who's all about marrying high-performance and efficiency in one fun package. Though the car on display in Geneva will just be a model, it shows off the slippery design that achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.21Cd, something we suppose that's not that hard to achieve when you ditch such real world features as door handles, sideview mirrors and windshield wipers. Nevertheless, an efficient 140-hp diesel engine propelling only 1,675 lbs. of car should make for decent performance. Zenz claims the concept's top speed is 143 mph, while its efficiency target is pegged at 3.0 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. There are no plans to sell the Zenz, but it, like every concept in Geneva, will vie for the attention of automakers and well-funded venture capitalists who could put it on the path to production.
Gallery: Zenz Concept
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Motor Authority]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Huecifer 5:53PM (2/22/2008)
I can't believe someone calling himself a "car designer" designed that turd. He's clearly taking artistic liberties by not including necessary items (is that masking tape instead of indicators?) and the car still looks like that...
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vintage 6:54PM (2/22/2008)
You realize it's a model, right? Models usually don't have full featured headlights and lenses. It's most likely clay with a ton of primer and paint. :|
SPG 5:55PM (2/22/2008)
Despite the hardware store hubcaps and the Pontiac Sunfire yellow paint, that is a very attractive car.
It would sell coming from a major manufacturer.
With a few add ons like windshield wipers of course.
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Scott Eaton 6:06PM (2/22/2008)
What? Does this guy work for Geely or something? That's awful.
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Ricky 6:22PM (2/22/2008)
That looks like a late Camaro covered in orange plaster. What a POS.... that 140HP diesel will really benefit from those oversized intake scoops!
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vintage 6:54PM (2/22/2008)
Those intake scoops= mid engine.
I don't know about you, but I'd gladly drive a 140hp 1600lb mid engine car. That gives it a better power to weight ratio than any musclecar available today.
Ricky 7:00PM (2/22/2008)
I understand that it is a mid engine car... by intake scoop i did mean the engine intake... All i'm saying is that the designer wanted an aerodynamically efficient shape, but at the same the he puts these huge intake scoops that can accommodate a huge volume of air induction that a 140hp diesel engine will never need. So this design is not just ugly, it also goes against its original design intent.
Huecifer 7:11PM (2/22/2008)
I do realize it is a model. But admit it, it's not a very good one. And please don't tell me you think that's going to translate into a good looking car if it ever sees production.
mk 7:06PM (2/22/2008)
somehow, high-performance and fun just don't seem to jive with 140hp diesel. It sounds like an industrial lawn mower to me.
And to gear it for 140mph, it either has really long gear intervals, or lots of gears, or both.
The styling is about as bland as a bar of soap, and even if I could visualize a productionized model, it would still look like a movie prop, rather than a real car.
Edison failed thousands of times before getting the lightbulb right, though, too. This isn't the latter, it's one of the thousands of formers, at least how it is conceptualized now.
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nagmashot 9:11AM (2/23/2008)
you just neet a normal Golf 170hp TDI gearbox to get to 143mph... that is a normal 6speed stick shift
140diesel hp meeting 1675lbs 2.1cW car = drive perfromance of a Lotus Elise basic, Mazda3 MPS range... if that comes with 80mpg average I would buy one..
010111 9:47AM (2/23/2008)
only idiots use "top-speed" as an indicator of performance. just about the cheapest crap-can in the world can break a 100mph. who cares? there is nowhere to drive it 100mph.
most people prefer performance statistics from the world of everyday usability. acceleration / 40-70 / handling. that something can go 143mph is completely inconsequential to telling me how something will perform in the powerband actual people use cars in on a daily basis.
Craig 7:19PM (2/22/2008)
It's the Chery version of the Mitsubishi Eclipse.
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DIRETTORE 7:18PM (2/22/2008)
* As Shania Twain would say:
'That don't impress me much! uh oaw..'
The Lexus LS460 already gets a CD of 0.24. And thats a production 4 door!
In the '80's they predicted that one day all cars would look the same.
That day has come. That day is today.
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nagmashot 9:41AM (2/23/2008)
the 2007/2008 Lexus LS460 has a CD of 0.26 NOT 0.24!!!!
Audi 100 from 1982 CD 0.28
Opel Calibra from 1990 CD 0.26
Audi A2 4door from 2000 CD 0.25
VW 1 Liter Auto from 2000 CD 0.158
that Lexus CD is nothing special
jj 12:24AM (2/23/2008)
Nothing wrong with it from the beltline down - totally anonymous at best - bit of a chunky butt. But the proportion of the greenhouse is laughable. The Chinese wouldn't even do that - they've bought enough foreign designers and measured enough European models at auto shows to know better than that.
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xxxxxxx 7:38PM (2/22/2008)
Well..
here are my thoughts>
1-- the car is very ugly and looks nothing new..Actually looks very dated like it came from the 90's/// So the designer failed to achieve good design
2---those aero numbers are not realistic and this guy shouldnt be bragging about it.
why?
1-once you put a rear front grille the drag coefficient number will go up
2- once you put a mirror the number will go up
Also those wheels dont look aero to me at all.
So "design meets aero." in this case is a failure.
Design looks from the 90's.
And whats up with the side vents?
You guys wanna know a good aerodynamic car..
look at the BMW 6 series.
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Todd in Sonoma 8:11PM (2/22/2008)
That looks like a rejected Porsche clay model from the late 1980's.
Obviously it borrows heavily from Porsche, just not in a good way.
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tankd0g 12:09AM (2/23/2008)
Nice Walmart faux chrome hub caps on that Mitsubishi Eclipse pre production model.
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ugg.tryptophan 1:32AM (2/23/2008)
Zenz, welcome back to the 90's
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elparduino 9:32AM (2/23/2008)
It looks like somebody mixed up a Carrera GT body, with G35 mini Taillights and a very high roof for a sports car.
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