AC Cobra Mk VI to show at Monaco

AC is the UK’s oldest car maker, and is about to launch at a new car – the AC Cobra Mk VI – at the Top Marques Show in Monaco.

Despite being a UK car maker, AC is to build the new Cobra MK VI in Germany, at Gullwing GmbH, which gives a clue to the car’s unique feature – a removable hard top with gullwing doors.

The AC Cobra has a long history, and is one of the most sought after replica cars on the market (which is hardly surprising considering the cost of an original Cobra), and is said to be single handedly responsible for the UK’s national 70mph speed limit, which was brought in after some extremely high-speed incidents on the new M1, where AC was testing its cars. Why bother with a test track when you have 100 miles of fresh, straight tarmac courtesy of H.M. Govt. was obviously the thinking, but HMG had other ideas, and AC’s fun and frolics were stopped in their tracks by the new blanket 70mph limit.

The new MK VI Cobra features, together with the removable gullwing top, the Corvette 6.2 litre V8 which produces 437 bhp in the GT and a huge 647bhp in the GTS. With the Cobra weighing in at only just over 1000 kg, that translates in to 0-60mph times of just 3.3 seconds in the GTS. But the Cobra does get a decent set of brakes, courtesy of Porsche, so at least it should be able to stop.

The Cobra also gets a few home comforts such as premium leather and aircon to make the journey more comfortable. And at the speeds this Cobra can manage I guess you’ll end up with the aircon on full most of the time to cool your sweating brow.

AC are in the process of setting up a network of European dealers to service and sell the car. On paper this looks like it could be as big a blast as the Carol Shelby Cobras from the ’60s. No word on price – but it won’t be cheap.