AC Cobra GT Coupe puts a hardtop on the supercharged snake

AC Cars, known to automotive enthusiasts as the British automaker that spawned the vehicle that would later become the all-conquering Shelby Cobra in the United States, has unveiled renderings and specifications of something that’s quite interesting. The AC Cobra GT Coupe, as its name implies, boasts a hardtop. But unlike the famous Cobra Daytona Coupe, this one looks a whole lot like the bug-eye Roadster.

According to AC Cars — which claims to be the Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer, though we’d add the current company has only a tenuous connection to the original AC that was founded in 1901 — this new Cobra GT Coupe will debut as a Clubsport Edition toward the end of 2025 with a 799-horsepower V8 engine. Assuming it’s mechanically similar to the Cobra Roadster that we first saw in spring 2023, that V8 will likely be sourced from Ford, displace 5.0 liters and be topped by a large supercharger. Only 99 Clubsport Edition models are planned, to be followed by versions powered by either a 450-hp naturally aspirated or 720-hp supercharged engine. With around 3,200 pounds to move, courtesy of an aluminum chassis and carbon fiber bodywork, we expect impressive performance.

History tells us that this isn’t AC’s first Cobra-based coupe. The one-of-one A98 Coupe, which was sadly involved in an tragic accident during competition, is said to have served as inspiration for this new GT Coupe, and indeed the distinctive Kammtail rear end is shared between the two.