The 1,850 Horsepower Hybrid Powertrain In The $3.9 Million+ Zenvo Aurora Seems Absolutely Ridiculous

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Monterey Car Week is home to many fantastic new-car debuts, and this year is no exception. While last year was dominated by the Koenigsegg CC850, this year’s most obsessively-engineered new car might just be a quad-turbo V12 electrified hypercar straight out of Denmark. The Zenvo Aurora might be the last of its kind, a twelve-cylinder jackhammer aiming for the combustion-powered top speed-focused hypercar throne.

Zenvo Aurora Engine

Under the hood of this Danish hypercar sits a new 1,250-horsepower quad-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12, which is something I never expected to say in 2023. Weirder still, it’s a 90-degree V12, an uncommon layout that requires split crankpins. However, it apparently needed to incorporate that 90-degree bank angle because all four turbochargers sit in the vee of the engine. Oh, and the whole engine weighs less than 575 pounds.

After buyers wrap their heads around the weirdness of the Aurora’s engine, they must then choose one or three 150 kW electric motors for assistance. The former renders the Aurora a 1,450-horsepower rear-wheel-drive hypercar while the latter turns it into a 1,850-horsepower all-wheel-drive machine. Here’s how Zenvo puts it in its press release:

The heart of all Aurora models is the 6.6-litre quad-turbocharged V12 engine, developed by MAHLE Powertrain. Producing 1,250 bhp and revving to 9,800rpm, this bespoke powerplant is a 90-degree hot-V configuration, mid-mounted behind the cockpit. It is then enhanced further by a lightweight triple electric motor system, generating an extra 600bhp. The resulting 1,850bhp seamlessly blends instant power and torque, delivering naturally aspirated engine-style throttle response, and make this powertrain the most powerful V12 engine ever fitted to a road car.

Regardless of electric assist, a seven-speed automatic is the only gearbox on tap, but that’s exactly the sort of thing you’d expect in a bleeding-edge hypercar.

Screen Shot 2023 08 16 At 10.30.55 Am

The body itself is carbon fiber, with Zenvo writing:

Built on an all-new ZM1 modular monocoque design from Zenvo, developed with carbon structure experts Managing Composites, every parameter is maximised to the threshold of limitations and compromise

Zenvo Aurora Front

Big output plus a focus on weight minimization promises some serious performance figures, and Zenvo’s touting some insane specs for the Aurora in low-drag Tur configuration. Zero-to-62 flashes by in a claimed 2.3 seconds, but that’s not the impressive part. Zenvo touts a zero-to-186 mph time of nine seconds flat, a zero-to-248 mph time of 17 seconds, and a top speed of 280 mph. Yep, you read that right. If Zenvo rides that top speed right to the ragged edge and pulls off a two-way average in excess of 277.87 mph, we could be looking at a new fastest production car in the world.

Zenvo Aurora 2

Of course, should you wish for something a little bit slower on the straights and faster in the corners, Zenvo is happy to provide a more track-focused Aurora variant. Called the Agil, it trades straight-line speed for lightness and impressive downforce. Set the aero to kill, and the Aurora Agil will generate 1,940 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. That’s like mounting an entire Lotus Elise to the roof.

Zenvo Aurora Interior

So, the Zenvo Aurora is fast and mad, but you might not expect the interior to be gorgeous. Well, Zenvo is Danish, and the Danes know a thing or two about interior design. From huge swathes of exposed carbon fiber to intricately-detailed leather and metalwork, the cabin has a definite old-school meets new-tech vibe. It’s not exactly Rolls-Royce luxurious, but still, what sculpture.

Zenvo Aurora Rear

If you have €3,600,000 to blow on something absurdly fast, you better act quickly if you want a Zenvo Aurora. Its makers only plan to build 50 Tur models and 50 high-downforce Agil models, an even split. While the upper echelons of the automotive world certainly aren’t barren, odds of another brand new V12 coming to market seem slim at best. The electric age is dawning, even Lamborghini is going hybrid, and the days of rip-snorting all-combustion madness seem just about behind us. As far as eleventh-hour shots at glory go, the Aurora may just be up there with the best of them.

(Photo credits: Zenvo)

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40 thoughts on “The 1,850 Horsepower Hybrid Powertrain In The $3.9 Million+ Zenvo Aurora Seems Absolutely Ridiculous”

  2. I would love to see a story on how much money these bespoke multimillion dollar car companies make off of each machine? I would love to see a breakdown of where they make their money, because it seems insane to me how many of these there are. My child car brain only had Ferrari’s, Bugatti’s, Lambo’s and Porsches to really think about and now there are so many others.

  4. I was assuming just looking at it that it was going to be another 2-ton lardass of a hypercar(which are basically more than 90% of hypercars), but I looked it up. 2,864 lbs isn’t too bad for the amount of power it is claimed to have. Call me pleasantly surprised.

  5. I don’t care about vanity pieces for the top .1% and agree with most of the sentiment here. Shit like this was cool 20+ years ago when cars like the F1 and Veyron were chasing records. Now there are dozens of these things for the robber baron class mothball. We’ll never see them, let alone drive them.

    If I was still 12 I might get all excited by stuff like this but hypercars are so goddamn boring and same-ey once you grow up. I get more excited for the weird and unusual than I do for these ridiculous machines designed to let billionaires feel a little less insecure.

  6. Remember when the Bugatti Veyron debuted and it had like 1000hp and cost a million dollars and we were all like oh my god that’s unreal there will never be a car more powerful or that expensive ever again?

    Those were good times.

    1. I owned a ’95 for a couple years. Baby blue. Bought it at about $8,500, and spent a total of around $6,500 in maintenance and repairs. Blame both GM, and the unethical guys at the shop I was using (didn’t find out until it was too late). The last straw was a summer month that needed the radiator replaced, then the water pump & thermostat replaced; that final $850 month of repairs was a tough pill to swallow.

      It’s still high ranking in the car’s I’ve owned, for purely sentimental reasons. Mechanically, yikes!

  9. generating an extra 600bhp. The resulting 1,850bhp

    Uh oh.

    You generally cannot simply add up the peak outputs of the gas and electric portions of a hybrid powertrain to arrive at a theoretical max power. Example: Prius Prime has a 150 hp gas engine and electric motors of 161 and 94 hp providing 220 max hp, not 311 or 405.

    This has serious “K&N filter adds 20 hp to my shitbox” vibes, and I’m curious what other simple things they are getting wrong. Cool V12 though.

  10. A V12 is the only engine I haven’t owned, really need to get one. If only it was made in the USA so I could lease it and eligible for an IRA rebate. How much torque, imagine it’s north of 2500lbs which is insane.

    1. I’ve not yet owned a triple, a 10 or a 12. I got a five a few years ago so I’m doing pretty good so far on the lifetime cycle.

      I assume we’re leaving sixteens out of this discussion?

      3. If it’s just about counts, I’ve had singles (lawn equipment), twins (ditto, plus a UTV), a triple, a few each of fours, sixes, and eights, and a ten. So missing 5 (though I’ve driven one), 12 (also driven one), and 16 if we’re getting crazy.

        If it has to be every configuration of every number, I still need to own a V4, an inline 6, and an inline 8. Plus any Ws if you want to count those.

        1. Don’t forget about boxer layouts. Yes, I will insist that these are unique layouts, not just 180-degree Vs. And if you have a spare airplane hangar, you can also start hitting some fun odd-number cylinder counts with radial engines too.

          Man, I love this place. The pedantry inspired by some claiming “A V12 is the only engine I haven’t owned” is beautiful.

          1. I’ve owned a flat 4 and flat 6 both; I suppose if you want me to admit I’ve never owned a Tucker or a Testarossa, I can add the flat 8s and 12s too haha.

            Edit: Shit, a Tucker is a flat 6, I thought a flat 8. Maybe there hasn’t been a flat 8 sold in a consumer auto? I can’t think of one.

              1. As long as we are bragging about silly stuff, I’m not sure if anyone else can match this – in the last decade I’ve owned at least one car or truck (no boats, scooters, motorcycles, lawn mowers etc) with an engine:

                -smaller than 1.0L (Fiesta SFE, 999cc)
                -Between 1.0 and 2.0L (MR2 Spyder and a Saturn)
                -Between 2.0 and 3.0L (Subaru Outback)
                -Between 3.0 and 4.0L (several)
                -Between 4.0 and 5.0L (the wife briefly had a CLK430)
                -Between 5.0 and 6.0L (A couple Chevy 350s and a GT500)
                -Between 6.0 and 7.0L (SS, F350 gasser)
                -Between 7.0 and 8.0L (7.3 F250)
                -Bigger than 8.0L (Viper and Avalanche 2500)

            3. My first car was a flat twin.

              I’ve had flat, V and in-line 4’s. The V does 16,000rpm.

              V and in-line 6’s, not a flat yet (I just blew my Cayman money on something with a boring turbo I4). In-line sixes are the best.

              I’ve had a V8.

              Pistons though, all a bit samey. Rotors is where it’s at.

            4. But a flat engine is not the same as a boxer engine – boxers have opposed piston movement (like a boxer banging his fists together, hence the name) and flats do not.

          2. Yeah next time I will be more specific; even number of cylinders between 2 & 12 not specific to any configuration in a road vehicle.

            The odds are a more difficult set to complete; 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. Would have to include farm equipment, boats, etc

        2. I have three inline 6’s but none of them run but I’m counting them anyway. I’ve had V6’s previously. I currently have both inline and V twins, and singles in the scooters. I have three each I4’s and V8’s.

          I’d like to get a triple soon but there’s no cheap way into tens or twelves.

          1. You could buy a rusty F250 or Excursion V10 for only a few grand if you really wanted to check it off the list.

            And 15-20 year old $5000 750/760Lis and S600s call to me for reasons that fall apart under any rational scrutiny. The Jaguars are even cheaper I think.

            1. I had a hard time justifying the last I4 to my wife, any of those is going to be an “easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-permission” scenario!

        2. A 5-cylinder isn’t terribly rare. There were any number of GM products that had them during the late 00s and 10s. Then there was the Volkswagen VR5 from the late 90s Golf and Passat, and the old Acura Vigor. All easily attainable cars and trucks if you really want to complete the set.

          1. Dont forget the unkillable OM617 3.0L I5 from Mercedes, probably the easiest and cheapest way to get into a 5 cylinder, certainly not the fastest, but they really are like cockroaches

          3. Agreed. Loved my Volvo c30 with its T5 turbo. Now I’m DD’ing a car with a 3cyl Turbo. I have a thing apparently for odd numbers of cylinders.

        3. If you’ve got a little farming to do you can get a straight 7 in the mix too.

          My twingle comment stands, since I hold that 2 pistons per cylinder is different than a regular single cylinder.

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