AC’s carbon-fiber, V-8 Cobra costs $860K less than Shelby’s

[cycleguy55]

Britain’s AC Cars has unveiled pricing and more specs for the most sophisticated Cobra in the company’s entire 60-year-plus run. 2023’s Cobra GT Roadster is new from the ground up, sharing not a single component with the original, which found a second life in-period thanks to America’s favorite chicken farmer, Carroll Shelby.

In lieu of a tubular steel chassis, the new Cobra is built on an extruded aluminum spaceframe with an 11.2-inch longer wheelbase. Since the wheels are pushed further into each of the car’s four corners, overall length grows by just over four inches. That makes for a more spacious and easier-to-access cabin, and allows AC’s designers to actively consider ergonomics for a change.

For example, a new Advanced Driver Information Center puts key engine info directly in the drivers’ eyeline, while creature comforts include electric windows, climate control, and satellite navigation.

AC says the new Cobra was styled by “a team of world class designers” from Icona Group. The group has stayed true to its iconic ’60s shape, creating a seamless carbon-fiber body that masks the up-sizing. Under the trademark hood scoop sits a 663-hp V-8 (of so-far undisclosed origin) and there’s a choice of six-speed manual or ten-speed automatic transmission.

Weighing in at less than 33000 pounds [Hopefully a LOT less than 33,000 pounds. LOL], the Cobra GT has power-to-weight ratio of 0.2 hp per pound [presumably based upon the previous 33,000 pound curb weight], and will crack 60 mph in 3.4 seconds from a standstill. AC has developed the car’s handling alongside a British racing team, so the roadster’s performance can be presumably exploited on road and track, as well as the drag strip.

Diehard Cobra fans can still by [SIC] a 289- or 427-powered car from Shelby, although the latest carbon-fiber Diamond Edition will set you back $1.2M. AC’s is far more affordable, and available to order now with a base price of around $340,000. First deliveries are due in 2024.

In all, AC’s is a very similar approach to the one that Morgan, a fellow boutique British sports-car maker, took when it reinvented itself. There’s clearly a market for nostalgic styling, but AC’s ground-up approach, with a focus on modern drivability, means this reborn Cobra could offer the best of both worlds, in contrast to the new-engine-in-old-chassis, “restomod” approach.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/a...-than-shelbys/

[Mark IV]

Deliveries of actual cars in 2024 or of more photoshop images?

[1985 CCX]

I’m with Rick
We all heard these AC stories for years now.
Might be best to hold deposits till we see more than pictures.

At 3300 pounds would make sense, clearly a typo.
They should just contract these through Mazda as a 100k car as it might actually happen.
Kinda like Alfa did, no?
Hard to play in $340,000 field as gives lots of options.
Biggest issue will be DOT for US and UK.
That is a hard $cash$ step in today’s world.

[twobjshelbys]

The latest round of vapor ware from AC. Have any of these modern recreations ever come to light?

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

The latest round of vapor ware from AC. Have any of these modern recreations ever come to light?

Ah, no. All Luby vaporware.

[Unique427]

FUTURE BREAKING NEWS 2024:

China reaches ZERO carbon emissions thanks to the efforts of Greta Thunberg,
US Congress presents balanced budget and AC delivered the first of its highly
anticipated carbon fiber cars on the same day.

[Harpoon PV2]

As far as I know, the only one to do any thing with the AC name, after they went out of business was, Brian Angliss! We know this because we have members that own and drive his cars. As far as the rest, they all seemed to fall flat, just past the starting line! Cheers, Dennis

[Gtr_garner]

So no one has seen an actual real one of these yet?

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Deliveries of actual cars in 2024 or of more photoshop images?

These are actual cars, I thought that Alan might be just trying to deliver NFTs, but even that might be too difficult for him to do.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by Gtr_garner

So no one has seen an actual real one of these yet?

I think Alan might have be having trouble getting a photoshopped image of the imaginary aluminum space frame made, but I have heard a rumor that he is currently trying to commission Wallace Wyss to paint an artist rendition of the frame now.

[twobjshelbys]

Noone these days would attempt to design a space frame in anything other than CAD because noone would attempt to manufacture it any other way. So if there is a CAD design it is a push of a button to create the 3D rendering. So if he's resorting to a manual artists brush either he's using an old drafting table for the drawings or it's an imaginary frame.

It's a unicorn. The last unicorn was the mid-engine Corvette. It only took 25 years but it did happen. Eventually.

[bwcobra15]

the front end looks like an emoji

[CompFi]

Interesting to see this from AC.

And still being relatively new to the "madness," I have a couple of questions.

But first, a caveat. I have no agenda here. Just ignorance and a desire to learn. Most importantly, no intentions of offending.

OK, with that. On to my questions:

1. To what extent does AC have a history of promising to resurrect producing Cobras and then failing to do so? I am obviously aware of the illustrious history of AC in the 1960s. Much less aware of the AC history with Cobras in the intervening years.

2. Amidst the various legal challenges over the years, does AC possess the rights to produce Cobras? Maybe jointing possess the rights with Shelby American?

Again, no agenda here, just ignorance and a desire to learn

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by CompFi

2. Amidst the various legal challenges over the years, does AC possess the rights to produce Cobras? Maybe jointing possess the rights with Shelby American?

As to production rights, considering all the Cobra replicas that have been manufactured over the years and the lawsuits filed by Shelby which failed to shut them down (the most recent being his lawsuit against Factory Five Racing in the early 2000s, IIRC), there may be no issue with producing the actual cars.

Here's an interesting excerpt from an article which appeared after AC announced their plans last year:

"They go on to say that “AC Cars is the legitimate owner of the AC Cobra trademark…”. Carroll Shelby is not around to dispute that statement but I suspect he might have something to say if he were here. However, Ford has claimed ownership of the Cobra brand in the past as seen in this quote from a Ford press release dated 11 August 1986.

"Ford has granted a licence to Autoraft Limited of Brooklands in Surrey for the use of the name COBRA for the AC Mk IV sports car which is now being manufactured by Autokraft.

"The name COBRA, a registered trademark was originally owned by Carroll Shelby but was assigned to Ford Motor Company in 1965. The COBRA trademark is still the property of Ford Motor Company and under the provisions of the Trade Marks Act 1938 and similar legislation in other countries, it is an infringement of Ford’s trademark rights to use the name COBRA in relation to motor vehicles."

Based upon this, it would appear Ford still holds the rights to the 'Cobra' name, and that AC would have to license from Ford the use of that name.

https://mycarquest.com/2022/12/a-new...g-in-2023.html

[Harpoon PV2]

Originally Posted by cycleguy55

"[i]The name COBRA, a registered trademark was originally owned by Carroll Shelby but was assigned to Ford Motor Company in 1965.

A dollar really did go farther back in 1965! Cheers, Dennis

[Dominik]

Just look for Lubinsky in this forum and come to your own conclusions