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The story of AC Cars began in 1901 when the Weller brothers decided to establish what has now become the UK's oldest surviving vehicle manufacturer, making both automobiles and motorcycles in a workshop in West Norwood, London.
The company released its first vehicle in 1903 and introduced the Autocarrier model a year later – from which the AC moniker was derived later.
Their three-wheel commercial delivery vehicle proved an instant success and paved the way for many other models. In 1953, though, the company introduced its landmark vehicle – the AC Ace, a sports car with an aluminum body designed and built by Eric George Gray that attracted the attention of racing enthusiasts – including Carrol Shelby, who evolved it into the AC Cobra with the Ford V8 under the hood.
Today, AC Cars has development and manufacturing facilities at home in the United Kingdom and also in Germany, and wants to "herald a new era in the production of the company's vehicles."
For example, it has brought back the historic Ace sportscar with half of a Ford V8 (aka the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-pot) and a carbon fiber body costing from $229k.
They also used the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, to feature the worldwide introduction of the Ace Classic Electric alongside their development partners over at Tremec, and they have also developed the AC Cobra into a full model range with a new GT Coupe hardtop version alongside the GT Roadster model. Today, as it turns out, we have news about these two.
The development of the AC Cobra GT Roadster and GT Coupe is set to continue with the upcoming addition of an all-new engine option that will serve as the base setup for the new family of sports cars.
Details are scarce at the moment because the new engine and gearbox options are set to appear next year for the 2026 model year.
However, we know that a new performance-oriented 2.0-liter engine will arrive next year to join the naturally-aspirated supercharged V8 models.
The AC Cobra GT Roadster and GT Coupe 2.0 will keep the same aluminum chassis, carbon fiber body, as well as the 'distinctive' interior – and the engine is developed "in conjunction with a global leader in hybrid and internal combustion powertrain solutions."
Lighter than the V8 models thanks to the new powertrain, the GT Roadster and Coupe 2.0 will also benefit from additional weight-saving measures due to the introduction of carbon fiber for even more elements of the chassis.
There will be two states of tune for the new 2.0-liter engine, the highest of which is expected to be around 390 horsepower. Additionally, there's also a new dual-clutch gearbox option coming alongside the classic six-speed manual transmission.
"This is a key step in our program of growth, yet allows us to stay true to what defines us. Offering clients a wider choice of performance engines will broaden the appeal for our exclusive sports cars and means we can reach the markets that impose higher taxation of large displacement engines," explained David Conza, the chief executive officer of AC Cars, during the announcement of the new powertrain option.
By the way, reservations for the AC Cobra GT Roadster and GT Coupe are now open via the company's online portal, and while the final pricing and specifications are yet to be confirmed, the brand expects starting prices of £235k – which is almost $295k at the current exchange rate.
