Zenvo is extremely pissed about Top Gear complaining about how their Zenvo ST1 supercar broke down a bunch, caught fire, and then set a lap time slower than a BMW M5. Looks like someone's about to pull a Tesla.
For those of you who aren't intimately familiar with Zenvo, don't feel embarrassed. They are a fledgling Danish supercar company that's been trotting out a prototype or two for the past few years, seeming to get nowhere despite a million dollar plus pricetag as well as a supercharged and turbocharged V8 with over a thousand horsepower.
Top Gear reviewed the ST1 two episodes ago and found that 1) the car had condensation forming over the taillights, 2) the brakes and clutch gave out, and 3) the car caught fire. When the car was fixed from the fire, the Stig set a lap time slower than an M5.
World Car Fans reports that Zenvo has decided to rebut the problems, posting their own counter-rant on their website right here.
First off, Zenvo blames the clutch failure on "an hour of extreme drifting by Top Gear drivers." Second, Zenvo blames the fire on a faulty intercooler fan from one of their suppliers thanks to "more than one hour of intensive high speed testing and 50 liters of fuel consumed."
Zenvo also blames the awful lap time on the weather. Zenvo claims that the car performed quite well in damp conditions, hitting 189 mph on the straight and clocking a 2.69 second 0-60 time that Top Gear did not air. Zenvo goes on to say that Top Gear aired their worst performance instead of their best.
Instead Top Gear presented a lap time with the Stig conducted on a day when driving was not recommended in many parts of Britain due to low temperature and extreme rain. The weather conditions and the amount of water on the track severely reduced the traction on the car's 345/30 ZR20 rear tires resulting in a lap time that does not reflect the true potential of the car in dry conditions.
Now, I have a bit of a soft spot for Zenvo. I was there when they had a train wreck of a US launch on a Manhattan side street and at a New Jersey yacht club with celebrity guests including a lounge singer and one of the ladies from Real Housewives of New Jersey, and not even one of the good ones.
But these complaints from Zenvo are bullshit. Even if Top Gear aired their 0-60 or top speed runs, there's no excusing the fire, and bad weather is a cop out for a supercar company.
And, as Tesla learned, it's never a good idea to fight Top Gear. The show is all scripted and they have common sense and the public on their side. Work to rebuild the car and get it back on the show quickly. It worked for Koenigsegg and the Top Gear wing and it can work for you.
Photo Credit: Top Gear/BBC