2026 AC Cobra GT Coupe

The AC Cobra has always been known as a raw, open-top sports car. The new AC Cobra GT Coupe changes that formula without throwing away what made the car famous.

Revealed in production form, the 2026 AC Cobra GT Coupe is the first production Cobra coupe from AC Cars. It keeps the long hood, wide stance, V8 power, and muscular shape people expect from a Cobra, but adds a fixed roof, carbon-fiber bodywork, modern chassis engineering, and a more usable grand touring cabin.

It is not a replica and it is not a stripped-out track toy. AC is positioning it as a modern grand tourer with serious performance, limited production, and a direct visual link to one of the company’s rarest race cars.

Inspired by the 1964 AC A98 Le Mans Coupe

The GT Coupe’s most important design reference is the AC A98 coupe that raced at Le Mans in 1964. That car had a low, aerodynamic fastback shape and a Kamm-style tail, both of which influenced the new coupe.

The front is still clearly Cobra, with the familiar rounded nose and wide mouth. The rear is where the car separates itself from the roadster. The roof flows into a fastback tail, giving the car a more complete grand touring profile. AC also uses a double-bubble roof design, which helps preserve headroom while giving the body a more motorsport-inspired look.

The result is a Cobra that looks more mature, more planted, and more aerodynamic than the roadster, but still carries the basic attitude of the original car.

Carbon Fiber Body, Aluminum Chassis

Under the body, the Cobra GT Coupe shares much of its engineering with the AC Cobra GT Roadster. AC says the coupe uses an extruded aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber bodywork. That combination keeps weight under control while giving the car the stiffness needed for a modern high-performance coupe.

The car is much larger than the original Cobra. It has a 2,570 mm wheelbase, a 4,225 mm overall length, and a 1,980 mm width. That gives it a wider, lower, more stable stance than the classic car while also making the cabin more usable.

AC says the coupe has near 50:50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity. That matters because the car is not just about straight-line speed. It is being built as a proper road car with enough balance and comfort for longer drives.

V8 Power Remains the Main Event

The AC Cobra GT Coupe uses a 5.0-liter V8 in several states of tune.

The standard GT V8 Coupe uses a naturally aspirated V8 rated at 456 PS, or about 450 bhp. Above that is the GT V8 S Coupe, which adds a supercharger and raises output to 730 PS, or about 720 bhp. At the top of the range is the limited GTS Clubsport Edition, which is expected to make 810 PS, or about 799 bhp.

The supercharged model is capable of 0–60 mph in around 3.2 seconds, according to AC. Buyers can choose a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

That mix is important. The manual keeps the car connected to the old Cobra formula, while the automatic makes it more usable for buyers who want speed without giving up comfort.

Not a Bare-Bones Cobra

The original Cobra was simple, loud, and aggressive. The GT Coupe is still meant to be fast and dramatic, but it is not bare-bones.

Inside, AC has given the car a more finished cabin with leather, carbon fiber, analog-style instruments, machined switches, climate control, electric windows, infotainment, and smartphone integration. The cabin was also designed to fit drivers over six feet tall, which is not something every small-volume sports car gets right.

This is where the GT Coupe feels different from the Cobras people usually picture. It is still a V8 sports car, but it is built around comfort, craftsmanship, and long-distance usability as much as outright performance.

Brakes, Wheels and Handling Hardware

The supercharged version gets large steel hybrid brake discs with 6-piston front calipers and 4-piston rear calipers. The standard model uses 6-piston front calipers with single-piston rear calipers.

The car also uses double-wishbone suspension, modern power steering, selectable drive modes, and a limited-slip differential. AC also offers Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires as standard, with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires available for buyers who want a more track-focused setup.

The GT Coupe is not being sold as a race car, but the hardware is serious. It has the power, brakes, tire options, and chassis layout expected from a modern high-end performance car.

Limited Production and Pricing

The AC Cobra GT Coupe starts at £231,900 excluding VAT, according to AC’s current official listing. In the U.S., pricing has been reported around $315,000 for the naturally aspirated version, with the supercharged model closer to the mid-$300,000 range depending on exchange rates and market details.

Production is expected to be limited, with AC planning around 250 examples per year for global markets. The GTS Clubsport Edition will be more exclusive, with only 99 examples planned.

First customer deliveries are expected in 2028, after AC completes initial GT Roadster deliveries.

Technical Specs: 2026 AC Cobra GT Coupe

Category	Specification
Model	AC Cobra GT Coupe
Body Style	Two-seat fixed-roof coupe
Manufacturer	AC Cars
Production Status	Revealed in production form
First Deliveries	Expected in 2028
Chassis	Extruded aluminum structure
Body	Carbon fiber
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine	5.0-liter V8
Standard Output	456 PS / 450 bhp
Standard Torque	570 Nm / 420 lb-ft
Supercharged Output	730 PS / 720 bhp
Supercharged Torque	820 Nm / 605 lb-ft
Clubsport Output	810 PS / 799 bhp
Clubsport Torque	800 Nm / 575 lb-ft
Transmission Options	6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic
0–60 mph	About 3.2 seconds for the supercharged model
Wheelbase	2,570 mm
Length	4,225 mm
Width	1,980 mm
Weight	Listed by AC as under 1,450 kg on current official specs; earlier release material cited approximately 1,600 kg
Weight Distribution	Near 50:50
Front Brakes, Standard Model	6-piston calipers, 380 mm steel discs
Rear Brakes, Standard Model	Single-piston calipers, 330 mm steel discs
Front Brakes, Supercharged Model	6-piston calipers, 394 mm steel hybrid discs
Rear Brakes, Supercharged Model	4-piston calipers, 378 mm steel hybrid discs
Tires	Michelin Pilot Sport 4 standard; Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 optional
Limited-Slip Differential	Standard friction LSD; optional Torsen LSD
Starting Price	£231,900 excluding VAT
Planned Annual Production	Around 250 examples per year
Clubsport Production	99 examples planned

Why the AC Cobra GT Coupe Matters

The AC Cobra GT Coupe is important because it is not just another continuation car or nostalgic restomod. It is AC Cars trying to turn the Cobra into a modern product line.

The company kept the V8, the wide stance, and the emotional pull of the Cobra name. But it also added a roof, carbon fiber, a modern cabin, real technology, and grand touring usability. That makes the GT Coupe less like a weekend toy and more like a proper exotic car.

It also gives AC something it has never really had before: a production Cobra coupe. The classic Shelby Daytona Coupe is the car most people associate with the Cobra coupe idea, but this is AC’s own modern fixed-roof Cobra, built under its own brand and shaped around its own racing history.

Final Take

The 2026 AC Cobra GT Coupe is a modern V8 grand tourer with old-school aggression and serious performance numbers. It has the shape of a Cobra, the roofline of a Le Mans-inspired coupe, and the power to compete with far more established exotic cars.

It will not be cheap, and it will not be common. That is part of the point.

For buyers who want a hand-built, carbon-fiber, V8-powered coupe with real heritage behind it, the AC Cobra GT Coupe gives the Cobra story a new chapter — and for the first time, that chapter has a roof.