If you're not familiar with Zenos, cast your mind back to the last series of Top Gear where Chris Evans tested the E10S, or the recent episode of The Grand Tour where the same car was pitted against the Alfa Romeo 4C and Mazda MX5. Zenos is renowned for making blisteringly fast, super-lightweight track toys that don't cost the earth to buy and maintain. Sadly, the British sports carmaker has now gone into administration. A shortfall in sales is being blamed for the closure.

Although the company also blames a series of cancelled export orders late last year, which caused a funding shortfall. Zenos boss Mark Edwards said: "It is with great disappointment that the board has had to take this step. We still believe that our products offer unrivaled affordable fun and we have already made very good progress in developing the next product in our strategy." Zenos was founded in 2012 by ex-Caterham and Lotus employees Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, offering affordable alternatives to established British sports cars like the Lotus Elise and Caterham Seven. Its first car, the mid-engined E10, entered production in 2015, offering serious performance at an accessible price.

More powerful E10 S and E10 R models soon followed, with 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter turbo four Ford Focus RS engines. The fastest model, the 350 hp E10 R, could reach 0-62 mph in three seconds since it only weighs 700 kg. Things seemed to be going well for the small British company last year when Zenos announced the delivery of its 100th car. At the time, production slots had been filled for the rest of the year and into 2017, and new E11 and E12 models were being planned to expand its reach into the soft-top and coupe markets. Here's hoping Zenos finds a new buyer.