• The AC Cobra will be reintroduced next year.
• A 5.0L Ford V8 engine will be under the hood of the reinvented classic.
• Carroll Shelby is the one who grafted a Ford V8 under the hood of the AC Ace back in the day, creating the Cobra that we know.
• The model should be unveiled in London in the spring of 2023.
Most of the classic cars that have left us can only live on in our minds. This is especially true in the case of a model owned by an obscure manufacturer like AC Cars.
Unless you own an original model, of course.
Back in 1953, the British-based company gave the world the AC Ace. In 1962, a certain Carroll Shelby joined the firm to create the Cobra. He grafted a Ford V8 onto the car to enhance its performance. The care given to its creation evidently produced dividends: the Shelby Cobra was a powerful and extraordinary car to drive.
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Now, we learn that the model will be reborn next year with a V8 engine. A new name will be chosen: AC Cobra GT Roadster. At least, that's what AC Cars says it is on the verge of unveiling to the world with this vehicle that has been in development for three years.
Details are limited for now, but the company says the car will be equipped with a 5.0L Ford V8 engine and that it will be possible to obtain a supercharged version delivering 654 hp and 575 ft-lb of torque. That would be good enough for a 0-97 km/h time of 3.6 seconds. A 6-speed manual transmission will be standard, but a 10-speed automatic transmission will be available.
The model will be a bit bigger than the original one. Specifically, we're talking about an additional 14 inches in length for a total of 170, while the wheelbase will be 11 inches longer than the original to reach 101. The weight of the car will be just over 3,000 lb, which promises performance and feel to match.
The model will be handcrafted using a process developed by Icona Design Group and Cecomp Spa in Italy. AC Cars explains that the new version will benefit from today's essential modern touches, such as air conditioning, electric windows, a multimedia system, as well as the presence of a removable hardtop.
The AC Cobra GT is expected to be revealed in London in the spring. For now, we don't know if the car will be available in North America, but we can guess that there will certainly be a way for enthusiasts to get their hands on one, provided that the vehicle respects the standards in effect on this side of the planet.