AC Cars Teases New Cobra GT Roadster with 654 HP Ford V8 Mill!

AC Cobra, known as Shelby Cobra in the US, is one of the world’s most iconic sportscar ever made. Jointly-built with legendary racer-turn-auto designer Carroll Shelby, the Cobra gained its cult-like stature partly due to its instantly-recognizable silhouette and body shape, as well as offering superior performance for a top-down stylish roadster at its day and age.

Up comes the 21st century, and AC Cars has some pretty good news for classic cars lovers out there, as it teases the upcoming new AC Cobra GT roadster. Poised to make its global debut in spring 2023, the new AC Cobra GT will retain some of its iconic styling cues, while capitalising on cutting-edge modern manufacturing technologies and amenities.

Said teaser unveils a few of the new Cobra GT’s photos, albeit gloom in shadows. The rather dark images only showcase the reflection of the new Cobra’s silhouette, which also reveals its iconic body shape and open-top layout with a pair of rollover hoops, too.

Powering this new AC Cobra GT roadster is a 5.0-litre Ford Coyote V8 mill that pairs with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a 10-speed automatic to produce up to 654 HP and 790 NM. With the new Cobra GT’s chassis and bodywork made from aluminium and carbon-composite respectively, this new roadster weighs below 1,500 KG.

All in, this grants the new Cobra GT a 3.8-second finish in a 0-100 KM/H sprint and a V-max of up to 278 KM/H – a feat on-par with any modern supercars nowadays.

This new Cobra GT will be the largest AC Cobra yet, as it measures 4,330 MM long and 2,570 MM wheelbase length, thus possibly hinting at a coupe-style 2-by-2 seating layout. Should you not be keen on the Cobra’s topless roadster style, AC Cars offers an optional removable hardtop for this new Cobra.

Unlike its bare-boned predecessor, the new AC Cobra GT boasts modern interior amenities such as climate control, power windows, as well as dedicated infotainment display.

The original AC Cobra – based on the 1953 AC Ace – had its 2.0-litre inline-six mill being swapped by Shelby for a bigger Ford V8 engine that comes in either 4.7-litre or a whopping 7.0-litre displacements. Aside from the engine swap, Shelby also oversaw the chassis, dampers and brakes upgrades that completed the whole Cobra makeover.

AC Cars is planning to keep the new Cobra GT’s production at a rather low scale by offering buyers bespoke options that’ll fit their taste. The firm’s decision on putting a massive V8 mill in this new Cobra can be seen as its last hurrah in the pure-combustion game, as the dawn of electrification might put its ICE-powered models to bed for good.

With numerous resto-modders now retrofitting old Cobras with electric motors, perhaps it is time for AC Cars to consider the electrified route for the Cobra’s future.

While the rest of its specs are yet to be disclosed, the new AC Cobra GT is poised to make its global debut in spring 2023, taking place in London. By then, we should be getting a good idea of its pricings, as well as market availability.