It was October 2016 when Zenos were chirpy and confident enough to invite me along to try their new motor. Based in Wymondham, Norfolk, they were on hallowed turf and exuded the confidence of a manufacturer keen to take on the big boys.

The local roads have been the test-track for countless road legal prototype sports cars from neighbours Lotus, and on the day I found myself behind the tiny steering wheel of the Zenos E10S, the roads were pretty greasy, a tough test for any car.

I’d taken the turbocharged E10S edition out for a drive on track at Snetterton the day before and found the car spritely, agile, but a bit loose at the rear when the speeds got above three figures. Now cruising out on the twisty Norfolk roads I wanted to see if that lightweight ethos could still bring a smile. Could it compete with solid, expensive ‘sports’ cars built by other brands, or did Zenos’ inexperience ultimately mean it still had much to learn and did their low-cost car lack in some departments?

With the 2.0 turbo-fed EcoBoost engine it produced 250bhp when the revs built up, so in a car weighing well under 800kg including an optional six-speed gearbox and a tank of fuel (even a diminutive new Fiat 500 weighs a fair chunk more than that) Zenos’ claimed 0-60 time of 4 seconds flat came as no surprise. The E10S has the same kind of bhp/tonne as a Lamborghini Diablo, after all. Plus, having the weightiest bits sat right over the rear wheels means the tyres grip like a rusty rivet when you’re pulling away from standstill.

In fact, it’s only approaching triple-figure speeds when on track, hurtling into corners which were scary enough to be banned by the BBC that the rear-end of the car decides to have a bit of a wander and try to take the lead. Even then, it’s playful rather than frightening.

The combination of a recycled carbon tub, aluminium chassis, and no-frills equipment kept the weight down. Pairing that with track-ready Avon tyres which are about as groovy as Alan Partridge meant you’d really struggle to find the limits of this car on a dry public road.

It was also quite a nice place to sit – roomier than you’d think, well-thought-out, and the digital dash and keyless ignition meant it could even be considered modern by sports car aficionados.

It was impressive stuff from this new brand, and to base themselves within turbo-chatter-shot of the Lotus HQ in Hethel is a bold and almost aggressive show of confidence. But you know what? They were well within their rights to be so bold.

There’s something in the mustard around there that means they like getting from A to B along twisty roads in a short time. I’ve driven a lot of cars like this in all weathers and for all reasons, and I could tell that Zenos had produced a decent little sports car.

The team at Zenos seemed very proud of their E10 but hinted at more to come. Unfortunately, a reliance on overseas orders which ultimately failed to come to fruition left the business somewhat precariously balanced with expectant investors becoming ever-more nervous.

A rescue attempt from old-time sports car stalwarts AC could still keep the Zenos carbon wonder in production, but it’s a fairly thin hope.

If no more E10s are produced, those on the used market will be an object of intrigue for any collector. It held up well when tested by James May on The Grand Tour, and the full-powered E10R version hits 60 in 3 seconds, so could well be desired for its sporting prowess by drivers as well as collectors.

For me, though, it was a track car which felt lacking in rear grip at high speed – the kinds of speeds you’d only look to do on the track – and so I just wish they’s have added a small rear spoiler to give the bum a few dozen kilos of help when the speeds got naughty. For that reason I wouldn’t drive one for its sporting credentials around the Nordschleife, although I would have one as a cool (potential) investment and Sunday driver.