Snakes Alive! It’s the AC Cobra GT Coupe
After more than 60 years in production the Cobra will finally be available as a factory-developed coupe.
We’re talking about the British-built AC Cars version here, because on this side of the Pond Shelby American has been building its Daytona Coupe for decades, and replicas are rampant.
AC’s design, although inspired by the 1964 A98 Daytona, has a traditional Cobra front end, rather than the more aerodynamic treatment of the famous class-winning Le Mans car. The bodywork is all carbon fiber, extending to muscular haunches and a Kammtail rear.
It shares the same dimensions and aluminum chassis as the roofless Cobra but the GT Coupe comes with a more potent bite. The entry-level edition gets the same 456-hp V8 as the roadster, but a supercharged version raises the game to 730 horsepower. Opt for the track-focused Clubsport Edition and 810 ponies are let loose. A perfect 50:50 weight distribution is promised and the Clubsport is said to weight less than 1450 kg (3197 lbs).
Only 99 Clubsports will be built, with deliveries scheduled towards the end of 2025, and the price of entry to a GT Coupe is over $400,000.
“The reveal of the AC Cobra GT Coupe is a proud moment for us, and the story of a road-going AC Cobra coupe is one years in the making,” says David Conza, Chief Executive Officer of AC Cars. “To have been able to combine the timeless AC Cobra design into a car using the latest design and construction techniques breaks new ground for AC Cars. This means the limited Clubsport Edition will provide an incredible, racing car-like experience on either the road or the track.”
Only 730 HP? Seems a bit underpowered to me. And only $400K? They on clearance sale already? [Can you hear me snickering as I wrote these tremendously funny lines?] 😉
While the design and look for this new coupe aligns with the Shelby Cobras of earlier days and is pleasing to my eye, it falls short of the original that Mr. Shelby conceived and built for those that wanted performance at an attainable cost for regular folks. Of course those days are long gone.
Appropriate sarcasm. We’ll be content ambient aspiration is offered, for the frugal owner. Shouldn’t the phrase “latest design and construction techniques” at least imply active aero & paddleshift? Needs open sidepipes, though, IMHO.
Sidepipes for what? Electric vehicles have no exhaust. What’s next asking about the fuel tank capacity? On an electric vehicle?
Based purely on esthetics, I’d rather have a “Daytona” coupe.
A friend has a Superformance Daytona, and with its large glass hatch, is fairly reasonable as a GT for trips.
“Eye of the beholder” and all that…I think they’ve taken a perfectly good car and screwed it up. But, that’s just one man’s opinion.
AC still exists? How many owners has it had by now?
The kit car industry has had a model like this for years. They based it on the LeMans hardtop model. It costs a lot less, and you can build it, or have it built, with your choice of engine and drivetrain.