The iconic '60s AC Cobra, better known in the U.S. as the Shelby Cobra, is one of the most iconic cars of all time. It is also one of the most copied, with kits available from numerous companies allowing an admirer to build a replica model to drive around in. Of course, these replicas are not the real thing, so they do not have a place in history like the original British-built sports cars, but they still catch some serious attention.
Finding one of these original Shelby Cobra cars can be a daunting experience because they are rare to see on the market, but when they are, it can be expected to pay up to seven figures depending upon the auction and the current demand. That has all changed, however. The announcement by AC that they would be introducing a new and modern Cobra GT to the public this April for the 2024 model year creates a way for performance car lovers to get their hands on one without having to wait for a used model to be put up for auction.
The best part is that the British company mimicked the car's classic look and appeal but with a few improvements that will please even the most critical buyer. Let's jump into the driver's seat of the AC Cobra GT and learn some things that will get some excitement flowing through your veins.
10 Cobra GT Produced By British Speciality Shop
AC Cars Ltd is one of the oldest independent carmakers in Britain. The company has specialized in performance cars since the beginning, along with some other work they have been a part of, such as trains and railbuses. Back in the '60s, when the Shelby Cobra was designed and produced with the collaboration of Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company, it was an immediate hit. The new 2024 AC Cobra GT is another car designed and built with teams at Ford, and it is also expected to be an instant hit, which is already unraveling due to buyers putting in orders for the car since it was first mentioned in 2022.
9 AC Cobra GT Took Three Years To Plan And Produce
Anything that is going to be done right has to take some time. Granted, many great vehicles have been rushed through the planning and production stages through the years, but those were not meant to be top-of-the-line sports cars. AC took their sweet time to ensure everything was perfect, three years to be exact, before building the AC Cobra GT. It may not have taken as long if they were not stuck on producing the car with space-age materials for the frame, but since they were, it took numerous months of trial and error to get it right. After that, it was a simple process of repeating what they had done before, with a few modifications for new trending designs.
8 AC Cobra GT Build With Spaceage Frame Materials
The car industry has come a long way since the times when every part of the vehicle was built out of steel. It is still one of the go-to materials for parts that take a ton of wear and tear, such as the frame and mounting brackets, but many companies have chosen to switch body parts to fiberglass or aluminum, which is the direction that AC decided to go. The all-new Italian-designed aluminum spaceframe chassis will combine the strength and heat-repelling features that the Space Shuttle has but that sit underneath the framework of the AC Cobra GT, holding everything together as the car rockets down the road.
7 AC Cobra GT Combines The New With The Old
Most all modern cars today have taken on a completely new look. A contemporary look that is not only appealing to the eye but also more aerodynamic and safe. The AC Cobra GT combines the old with the new, but unlike the majority of the cars on the market, such as the Chevy Camaro and the Ford Mustang, it will not look much different than its predecessor. The Cobra GT will have the same styling cues as the '60s model but a little longer to help balance the weight. Some other modern changes that have been made include the door handles, which are flush with the body, and the window frames, which are thicker and more durable. For the most part, though, the old look is kept, and the new technology is added, giving the AC Cobra GT the best of both worlds.
6 AC Cobra GT Will Be A Luxurious Two-Seater Roadster
The GT Roadster is not just a sports car designed to tackle the most winding road courses or a performance machine that can take on all comers on the quarter-mile track, but it has been meticulously designed to meet the high-performance standards expected from an AC Cobra GT, but since it is a classic looking topless roadster, it also has all the creature comforts modern buyers expect. The interior will be completely visible for the first time during the reveal in April, but for now, it is safe to say that the old gauge-style dashboard will be designed with new innovative technology added in. It is also a good bet that the bucket seats will be comfortable, plush, and ready to support the weight of any driver that wants to climb behind the wheel.
5 AC Cobra GT Ergonomic Design Opens A New World For Some
For those consumers that are larger than average, it can be extremely hard to drive a small sports car. For many years, smaller cars have not been an option for people with long legs, round bellies, or even old knees that always cramp up. Thankfully, AC considered that this time and ensured that the new AC Cobra GT would be a practical one-size-fits-all type of sports car. Besides weight distribution reasons, that is the reason why the car was extended in length by 4.3 inches, just enough to allow the seat to be pushed back to fit any size of the driver.
4 AC Cobra GT Is Powered By The Ford 5.0L Coyote
One of the best things that Ford ever did was to retire the Triton engine and replace it with other versions, such as the Coyote 5.0L that can be found in the 2024 Ford Mustang GT. The engine in the Mustang can push out up to 480 horsepower, which along with the 418 foot-pounds of torque, gets the car from 0 to 60 mph in a matter of 4.6 seconds. The people at AC took the Ford 5.0L a step further, producing an engine that can pump out up to 654 bhp and a ground-pounding torque of 575 foot-pounds. Good enough to get the car from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.4 seconds. But of course, the car was not meant to be a straight-line racer, offering higher performance levels than ever on curved and winding tracks, like most roads throughout the nation.
3 Choice Of Two Transmissions In The AC Cobra GT
The joy of driving a nice sports car on the open road cannot be matched by much anything else, except for maybe cruising in the same car with some friends. One of the pleasures that old-school sports car lovers must have is a manual shifter that allows them to use the full range of the RPM curve. Others, want to sit back and relax, only having to shift when changing direction or parking. That is precisely why the AC Cobra GT comes with the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic, depending on how the driver wants to enjoy the power and torque offered by the 5.0L Coyote engine.
2 Performance Tuned Suspension Is Meant For Curves
One of the innovative pieces of technology that sports and muscle car manufacturers have been using is a toggle or switch on the dash that allows the driver to choose the type of driving experience that they want. The AC Cobra GT will probably have a switch with some choices, but overall the suspension will be upgraded, strengthened, and tuned for sports car tasks. That means it will corner like it is on rails, with instant acceleration to bring the car to straight line speeds up to 173 miles per hour. The GT will be more than ready to take on quarter-mile tracks, but it is styled and designed to be the best sports car roadster on the roads today.
1 $340k Price Tag For The AC Cobra GT
As can be expected, the AC Cobra GT is not going to be cheap. The starting sticker price is rumored to be around $340,000, a substantial amount above America's Sports Car, the Chevy Corvette. With a high price tag, the car better be more than exceptional on the roads. Otherwise, people may spend their money on Porsche, which runs about $100,000 fully loaded. When the full reveal happens next month, the cost and the return on that cost will be more precise. For now, keep checking back here because once it is introduced to the public, all the details will be available.