The AC Cobra is synonymous with having a hulking great American V8 lurking beneath its elegant bonnet, but the iconic British sports car is getting a new powertrain – available from 2026.
Back in 2023 we saw the AC Cobra GT revived with 5.0-litre V8 suitably sourced from Ford, but AC Cars has announced a ‘high-performance’ 2.0-litre engine will join the line up, too. While there are few technical details yet, AC Cars expects the 2.0-litre to produce up to 390bhp – judging by this it’s almost certainly a four-cylinder turbocharged unit.
“Working in conjunction with a global leader in hybrid and internal-combustion powertrain solutions, AC Cars will develop the engine to suit the characteristics and potential that its GT platform delivers,” the company said in a statement. Whatever engine it is, it’ll be paired with either a new dual-clutch automatic gearbox or a six-speed manual transmission.
Two states of tune for the engine will be available, and AC Cars adds the 2.0-litre will be ‘inherently lighter’ than the 1,500kg V8 models. The 2.0-litre will get the same underpinnings as the V8s however, with a new chassis made from carbon fibre and aluminium that is designed to meet European safety homologation.
The exterior of the 2.0-litre models are pretty much identical to the V8s, with a slightly different inset grille design the only noticeable difference thus far. We expect to see the same modernised interior, with a retro-style oval dashboard and analogue dials plus carbon-backed bucket seats and a contemporary steering wheel equipped with an airbag.
Pricing for the 2.0-litre AC Cobra will undercut the £285,000 V8, with AC Cars expecting it to start from £235,000.
AC Cars CEO David Conza said: “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 on large-displacement engines.”
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