Žnoprešk Zoom
HISTORY
The positive cashflow of the Zap, Zest and Zenit sales, along with the relative tight cost of development sustained thanks to the new ZM management, create a stability that allowed Žnoprešk to investing a bit more on the motorsport.
The main project was a economical formula for young drivers, with the purpose to find some good elements to put into the official racing team of ZM; this formula was the Zap Trophy.
For the formula was requested to the Žnoprešk Reparto Performance (ZRP) to create a light and economical Zap. Since the budget wasn’t a big concern, some engineers bet on which team inside the ZRP would be able to make the lightest Zap. As a joke, one of the team presented a rough fiberglass coupe body mounted on a Zap platform with a rollcage. Since the weight was a mere 450kg, the car was a joy to drive around the track, and it took the attention of the ZRP manager.
Since ZRP was still concerned about the missed opportunity of the MR car based on the Zap as proposed by Matteo Miglia, and now the money weren’t a big concern, the board of directors give the greenlight for a small Zap coupe, the Zoom.
To contain the weight and increase the fun at the maximum, the bodyworks was initially proposed to be in aluminium, manufactured in Iurlaro or BMMA, but because Iurlaro was under overworking and BMMA plant weren’t available for the production, the body became in fiberglass and outsourced to Caliban in Cardiff (UK) for the export and LHD and Merciel in Montreuil Seine-Saint Dennis (France) for the continental sales.
The car was presented in 1985, in Bologna Car Show and sold in 1986.
TEHNIKA
The fiberglass body is the most intersting feature of the car. It allows the car to stop the weight to a tiny 652kg in the RY version, where the more versatile and comfortable 2+2 seating TS trim goes up to 703kg.
Under the fiberglass body, the car is a Zap in almost every part. The steeringwheel, the instruments, the car commands are the same of the Zap, but the seats and the dashboard are unique to the Zoom.
The platform was stratched a bit, as test bench for future solution of scalable platforms, but the suspensions and the engine were pure Zap: McPherson on the front, tosrion beam on the rear and inline 3 engine with 3 valves per cylinder as engine.
ZRP tuned the engine similarly to the Trophy tune, achieving 91hp for the N/A version and 122 for the turbo.
The ZRP Turbo was a limited trim, avaible only in 1000 pieces.
