Zenvo's 1250bhp quad-turbo V12 will be the most powerful fitted to any road car
Zenvo's Bugatti-rivalling Aurora will be the first in a family of supercars that will use engines derived from the modular V12
If you're in the market for the car with the most powerful V12 engine ever fitted to a road car, then Zenvo’s Aurora is for you. The marque has revealed that the 6.6-litre quad-turbocharged engine, being developed and built by Mahle powertrains, should be good for 1250bhp. That will be the majority of the Aurora’s scarcely-believable electrically-augmented 1850bhp potential maximum output. Move over Bugatti Tourbillon...
Mounted behind the passenger cell with a ‘hot-vee’ turbo configuration, the engine revs to 9800rpm and draws from a hybrid system to add power and fill any torque gaps in its delivery. The first example of the new engine has now been built and is set to be fired up for physical testing imminently, before driving prototypes hit the road.
The engine will feature Mahle’s long-in-development jet ignition system, which will enable the engine to run in Lambda 1, with zero oxygen and fuel starvation or wastage for near-perfect performance and emissions control. It’s this that’s key to the engine being homologated for worldwide use under all emissions regulations, for the foreseeable.
It’s also central to Zenvo’s plan for this to be the first in a family of engines. The V12 (as well as the chassis, more on which below) has been designed to be modular, with the potential to spawn a V10, V8 or V6. These engines are intended for use in a broadened future Zenvo lineup with presumably more accessible models, over which the halo Aurora will sit. Think the T.33 siblings that sit under the GMA T.50, only perhaps, with a broader family than that.
Is there room for a boutique hypercar manufacturer like Zenvo to build in greater numbers a rival to the likes of the Aston Martin Valhalla and Lamborghini Revuelto? Potentially, though there are plenty of hurdles to clear before then, namely, completion of development, production and delivery of the Aurora hypercar that’s charged with getting the ball rolling.
> Pagani Huayra Codalunga v Huayra Roadster BC – £10m of hypercar siblings go head-to-head
As a reminder, production of the Aurora is set to begin in 2026, as the firm's first all-new car since the ST1 from 2008. With a carbonfibre construction, radical aero and a dry weight of 1300kg in its lightest form, it could also be one of the most capable road cars ever devised. The Aurora will be available in two guises. Being designed to cover both ends of the hypercar spectrum, there’s the GT-orientated Tur model and a track-ready Agil specification. The Agil uses a 200bhp electric motor nestled within the gearbox for a combined output of 1450bhp, with the Tur adding a motor at each front wheel to enable four-wheel drive, torque vectoring and a power boost to 1850bhp.
Both the Tur and Agil use a single-shaft seven-speed paddleshift gearbox, albeit with unique ratios and mapping for road and track use respectively – a recent announcement confirms British firm Ricardo is the transmission supplier, with the partnership pushing the hypercar closer to its first real-world prototype outings this spring.
For the Agil, Zenvo is targeting a 0-62mph time of 2.5sec, with the Tur completing the sprint in just 2.3sec. Even more impressive is the Tur’s 0-186mph time: a scarcely believable 9sec. With its extra power and low-drag aero profile, the Tur is projected to hit 280mph flat out, with the Agile maxing out at 227mph.
The Aurora’s skeletal bodywork barely hides the carbon structure beneath, with aero tunnels channelling flow around the chassis to generate downforce and minimise drag. The front and rear carbon subframes and double-wishbone pushrod suspension are visible through these air pathways, with the Agil gaining a larger front splitter and an enormous rear wing in place of the Tur’s active rear ducts. According to Zenvo, the Agil generates 880kg of downforce at 155mph and trims 150kg from the Tur’s 1450kg dry weight.
Given the extra aero load and lighter kerb weight of the Agil, it’ll adopt a different calibration for its active suspension than the road-biased Tur, while offering the option of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres in place of the standard Cup 2s. The opposing characters of the two models are evident inside, too, with the Agil offering a stripped-out cabin with exposed carbon elements and the Tur opting for a more luxurious approach with extra sound deadening.
Just 100 Auroras will be built at Zenvo's Denmark HQ, with production split down the middle between the two variants. Pricing has yet to be announced, but given its rarity and mechanical specification, the Aurora will almost certainly be a seven-figure car. The firm is currently expanding its servicing network to support Aurora owners, with 13 global partners secured thus far.
