AC Cars is Britain’s oldest active automaker. Founded in 1901 in West Norwood, AC Cars made their name by producing quick two seaters like the AC Ace and later in 1962, the American stepchild to the British automaker, the Cobra. With the help of racing legend Carroll Shelby and Ford powerplants, this winning combination would go on to make waves throughout motorsport history. 

Fast forward to December of 2022, AC Cars announced they were developing a new Cobra, dubbed the AC Cobra GT Roadster, and had spent three years doing so, with the intention to create “the most advanced Cobra ever conceived,” and presumably, to re-establish the company’s stewardship over the Cobra nameplate - though a Shelby this is not. 

We now have a first look, revealed last week to the public for the first time. The clean-sheet redesign of the classic Cobra will have all of the innovations and cutting edge performance technology of a modern sports car, but retain many of the historical design features of the original Cobra. 

So far, the company has yet to release full spec details of the re-vamped Cobra. They’ve released digitised renderings of the AC Cobra GT Roadster however, and these have classic Cobra fans baying at the moon. The full reveal will be happening next month, with customer deliveries beginning in 2024, at a price of approx. $466K CDN.
 

At first glance the new AC Cobra looks strikingly similar to its stalwart predecessor that first hit the streets in the Sixties. It has the same general proportions with all those lovely curves resting on an extruded aluminium space frame chassis. Certain modern flourishes are in keeping with current tastes like flush door handles, body-coloured side mirrors, a brushed aluminium windshield bezel, and LED daylights. Other additions in keeping with recent trends include hearty twin exhaust tips integrated into a carbon fibre diffuser.

The Cobra is now roomier inside with better ergonomics, and with a removable hardtop, making it more enjoyable for longer rides. It also comes with A/C, satellite navigation, power windows, and analog instrumentation with digital glass displays; a unique combination. 
 

As always, the mechanical details are where the sceptics are converted to sponsors. The new Cobra is powered by a supercharged version of Ford’s 5.0L V8 Coyote producing 654 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque, with a choice of either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic. The car weighs 3,300 lbs. 

Contrast that with the OG Cobra; debuted in 1962, first with a Ford supplied 260 ci V8, quickly followed with Ford’s race proven 289 ci, and later an option for the 427 ci “side oiler”, tapping out at 442 lb-ft of torque. While the old car was almost 1000 lbs lighter, the new platform does have a better power to weight ratio, good for a 0-100 km/hr of 3.4 seconds, and a top speed of 278 km/hr. 
 

Enthusiasts will find that commensurate speediness will be required of them if they want to get their hands on one of these in 2024, being that, naturally, this modern take on a classic beauty is being released in limited quantities.