AC Cobra GT Coupe Revealed in Production Form with 730 PS from £234,300

AC Cars has shown the production version of its new AC Cobra GT Coupe, a fixed-roof grand tourer that joins the existing Cobra GT range and goes on sale priced from £234,300 plus taxes. Reservations are open now through the company’s website at ac.cars, with the coupe positioned as the centrepiece of AC’s 125th anniversary year.

For buyers shopping at the top end of the British sports car market, the headline numbers are simple enough to grasp. The Cobra GT Coupe produces up to 730 PS and 820 Nm of torque while tipping the scales at under 1,600 kg, a power-to-weight balance that puts it squarely among established names from Aston Martin, Maserati and Porsche. Where it differs is exclusivity: AC builds in tiny numbers, and each car can be tailored to the owner.

A Fixed Roof for the Cobra GT

The GT Coupe takes the open Cobra GT and adds a fixed roofline that flows into a curvilinear rear, a shape AC says was inspired by the 1960s AC A98 coupe that raced at Le Mans. The result keeps the long-bonnet, short-tail proportions that have defined the Cobra name for more than six decades, but with the rigidity and weather protection of a closed body.

Underneath sits the same platform as the rest of the Cobra GT line, built around an extruded aluminium chassis and clothed in a full carbon fibre body. That combination keeps weight down without sacrificing strength, and it is a big part of how AC has kept the coupe below the 1,600 kg mark despite the added structure of a fixed roof. Visible carbon fibre sections can be specified for owners who want the material on show rather than hidden under paint.

730 PS and a Sub-1600kg Kerb Weight

The most important figures for a car like this are power and weight, and the Cobra GT Coupe lands in serious territory on both. With up to 730 PS and 820 Nm on tap and a kerb weight kept under 1,600 kg, the coupe has the kind of specification that turns a road into a proving ground. AC has built its modern range around traditional front-engine, rear-drive layouts, the format that made the original Cobra a giant-killer in period.

Drivers change gears using steering-wheel mounted shift paddles, a nod to the way AC has blended old and new throughout the car. The brand describes the coupe as a grand tourer rather than a stripped-out track special, which means the performance is meant to be usable over long distances rather than reserved for a handful of flat-out laps.

Inside the Cabin

AC has paid close attention to space, and says the cabin accommodates drivers over six feet tall, a detail that catches out plenty of low-slung sports cars. The interior mixes analogue instrumentation with digital technology, including a Driver Information Centre screen mounted behind the steering wheel, machined toggle switchgear and the signature AC pedals.

Standard equipment is generous for a hand-built supercar, taking in electric windows, climate control and a touchscreen satellite navigation and infotainment system. Hand-finished leatherwork and upholstery come as part of the package, with heritage-inspired touches throughout. Buyers who want to go further can work with AC’s bespoke service to choose custom paint colours, leather finishes and hand-crafted carbon fibre components, so no two cars need leave the factory looking alike.

125 Years of British Sports Cars

AC Cars describes itself as Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer. The Weller brothers founded the company in 1901 and built their first vehicle in 1903, working out of a workshop in West Norwood, London. A year later came the Autocarrier, a three-wheel commercial delivery vehicle that gave the firm both an early success and, eventually, the AC name.

The reputation that today’s cars trade on was cemented decades later by the AC Ace and the Cobra that followed it, models that turned a small British engineering company into a name recognised around the world. The GT Coupe arrives as the keystone of the firm’s 125th anniversary celebrations and extends the Cobra GT range to AC’s global markets, rather than keeping it as a single body style.

Price and How to Reserve

Prices for the AC Cobra GT Coupe start from £234,300 plus taxes, which puts it in the same conversation as well-equipped versions of the Aston Martin Vantage and Porsche 911 Turbo once options are added, though with far smaller production volumes. AC has opened reservations through its website at ac.cars, where prospective buyers can also enquire about allocation and start the bespoke specification process.

For now, AC has confirmed the production design, the core performance figures and the starting price, with deliveries to follow as the company works through its order book. Anyone tempted will need deep pockets and patience, but for a certain kind of buyer the combination of a 730 PS front-engined coupe, a carbon fibre body and 125 years of Cobra heritage is exactly the point.