AC Cars has revealed its first production example of the new Cobra GT Coupe, bringing new appeal to the classic Cobra design while also honouring a 1960s racing icon.
Hailing from the oldest active vehicle manufacturer in Britain, which this year celebrates the 125th anniversary of its founding, the AC Cobra GT Coupe draws inspiration from the AC A98 coupe that raced at Le Mans in 1964, although it’s a thoroughly modern car packed with cutting-edge engineering.
Hints of this are seen most prominently in its rear Kammtail design – a concept employed by leading race teams over the past 70 years to improve aerodynamic efficiency without lengthening the rear of the car.
Sharing its platform with the Cobra GT Roadster, AC’s new Coupe is based around an extruded aluminium chassis which is clad in full carbon fibre bodywork. While it’s positioned by the brand as more of a Grand Tourer, the performance figures might have you thinking it’s trying to rival supercars.
Powered by the 5.0-litre ‘Coyote’ V8 that features in the current Ford Mustang, a fitting connection given the original’s Blue Oval engine, the supercharged version offered here packs an immense 537kW (720hp) and 820Nm.
Combined with your choice of a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic channelling that power to the rear wheels, it’s capable of dispatching the Cobra Coupe from 0-97km/h (0-60mph) in under 3.5 seconds.
If that sounds like too much of a handful, however, a naturally aspirated version with 336kW (450hp) and 555Nm is also available.
And a handful is what this car will likely be, given its kerb weight under 1600kg and stubby 2570mm wheelbase, although AC Cars does promise near 50:50 weight distribution, while its 1980mm width should also help keep it planted.
With the Cobra GT Coupe now entering production, it also sees AC Cars looking to expand its production capabilities in order to become a truly global performance brand, given the Cobra is offered in both left- and right-hand drive.
“The AC Cobra GT Coupe is unique in the history of AC Cars, and with production of the GT Roadster now underway, it shows the road ahead for the company as we build and deliver cars for existing customers,” explains David Conza, CEO of AC Cars.
“AC Cars continues to invest in its operations, and develop new partnerships. This will provide the catalyst to take AC Cars from around 100 hand-built cars a year currently up to no more than 1000 cars across all models in total.
“As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the company, I want to thank the entire team for their dedication as we move from a boutique manufacturer to a global performance brand. However, we will still retain the craftsmanship and exclusivity that our clients respect.”
AC Cars claims the Cobra GT Coupe will be “extremely limited in production”, with each car built to order specifically for the client.
Pricing starts at £234,300 for the naturally aspirated version, translating to A$440,410 at the time of writing, while the supercharged model is priced from £256,300 (A$481,765).
The first customer deliveries are set to take place in 2028. When it arrives, it will set alongside the Cobra Roadster and the new Ace in AC Cars’ modern classic lineup.
