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AC Cars bills itself as Britain’s oldest active carmaker, and considering that the company is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, it’s hard to argue with that. For just over half of that one-and-a-quarter century, AC has been building Cobras and Cobra replicas. But it’s only just now putting a fixed roof on the iconic sports car.
The AC Cobra GT Coupe is the company’s birthday present to itself. Announced in 2024, it’s based on the Cobra GT Roadster that represents AC’s latest update of the classic Cobra formula. And it’s the first true AC-produced Cobra coupe, although the company has built cars with removable hardtops and one experimental restyling job. Dubbed “A98” after its chassis number, that car was built in 1964 and raced at Le Mans that year, but was robbed of a good finish by mechanical issues. It also hit 183 mph in testing on the U.K.’s M1 motorway, allegedly leading to the introduction of a 70-mph speed limit the following year.
AC Cars
Much like the more famous Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, the A98 looked nothing like the car on which it was based. Yet while AC Cars name checks it as inspiration, the Cobra GT Coupe has a more conventional design, looking more like a standard Cobra fitted with a hardtop (something AC also did for Le Mans in 1963). The result is a bit awkward—it’s clearly a roadster with a roof tacked on—but definitely recognizable as a Cobra.
The proportions are a bit different, though. The GT Coupe is based on the same bespoke chassis aluminum spaceframe chassis as the GT Roadster that entered production in 2023, giving it a larger footprint than an original Cobra in order to free up more interior space. The GT Coupe is 166.3 inches long and 77.9 inches wide, with a 101.1-inch wheelbase. That means an ND Miata could fit within its footprint. But this Cobra has a lot more power than a stock ND.
AC Cars
In traditional Cobra fashion, the GT Coupe has a Ford V8 under the hood, in this case the familiar 5.0-liter Coyote engine connected to a six-speed manual transmission or 10-speed automatic. The standard naturally aspirated version makes 450 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, but there’s also a supercharged option rated at 720 hp and 605 lb-ft. AC says this version will do zero to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds. That’s achieved with a 3,527-pound curb weight, which isn’t bad, but still surprising given that this two-seater has an aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber bodywork.
Pricing starts at 234,300 British pounds for the naturally-aspirated version and 256,300 pounds for the supercharged version, equivalent to approximately $315,000 and $345,000 at current exchange rates, respectively. The base price has crept up a bit from what AC quoted last year, but it’s still a lot cheaper than a real Cobra. As a bonus, these cars will be built at the old Saab factory in Sweden, so one automotive legend will help keep another alive.
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Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
