Tuesday 14th April 2009

AC MkVI Goes Gullwinged

New hardtop brings 'all weather' ability to AC's contemporary Cobra classic

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AC Cars will launch a new version of its Cobra recreation in Monaco this week, complete with removable fastback hardtop featuring gullwing doors.

Doors akimbo - the new look AC

The AC MkVI is the result of a new alliance between AC and Gullwing GmbH that will see the car being produced in Heyda, Germany.

The new model has a hand-crafted aluminium body with composite structural elements, with the redesign apparently featuring a stretched cockpit to make room for taller drivers. Air-conditioning is also part of the package, and AC says the cabin will be craftsman trimmed with finest leather and carpets to create a luxurious and comfortable interior. As a result, the MkVI will be the first of AC Cars’ Cobra recreations to offer true all-weather motoring.

As well as the new hardtop, specification includes a fully triangulated, jig-welded tube spaceframe chassis with racecar derived suspension, 4-pot Porsche brake calipers with 332mm front and 298mm rear vented discs, a variable powerlock differential and a Corvette 6.2-litre V8 in one of two states of tune.

Hardtop has a rakish fastback

The GT model offers a mere 437bhp, while the GTS will come with a fearsome 647bhp, which is probably sufficient for even the most hardcore ‘Snake’ afficionado as the car weighs just 1025kgs.

The GTS model will apparently hit 100km/h from rest in just 3.3secs – performance that AC describes as ‘wickedly addictive’.

There’s no word on pricing yet, but AC says it intends to set up a small European network to distribute and service the cars.

Cockpit now has space for taller drivers

[toohuge]

I'll have the GTS thanks

[him_over_there]

Beautiful

[panelbeater]

nice

[Toma500]

Ditto that ill have mine in black

[vz-r_dave]

Such a fantastic looking car.

[DJC]

Dear Weissman type ppl...

That is how you do a fastback.

Thankyou
English sports car type ppl.

[Shiny Side Up]

I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Invisible man]

oh.....my.....god, I'm moved to tears. Makes the Weisseman look the tart that it is

[chazwozza]

Even in this climate, I can see this seling quite well.

Dark blue with racing stripes please...

[AdvocatusD]

DJC said:

Dear Weissman type ppl...

That is how you do a fastback.

Thankyou
English sports car type ppl.

While the Weissman, isn't exactly a kick in the t*ts, this is fantastic!

I'd like one in red with racing stripes and some racing stickers.

Hasn't this hardtop (sans gullwing bits) already been done?

[louismchuge]

Bloody amazing! Clever bit of design that roof

[dirty boy]

That's stunning

[cableguy]

AdvocatusD said:

Hasn't this hardtop (sans gullwing bits) already been done?

Gullwing Hardtop has been done before, however it is a bespoke piece according to this ad.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/206877.htm

C.

[[AJ]]

Very nice indeed. But 647BHP and those seats?! You'll need a neck like Mike Tyson!

[Lordbenny]

DJC said:

Dear Weissman type ppl...

That is how you do a fastback.

Thankyou
English sports car type ppl.

Dear English sports type people,

Can you read? the car's being made in Germany! Oh yes, how do you get in the boot with the fast back in place?

AND, by the way, our car has the BMW V10, probably the best engine in ANY car....full stop!

Danke

Smug German sports car type people!

[BBS-LM]

The AC look really good with the fastback hardtop. Lovely.

[ldn-j]

Dear German type people,

Please look at ze picture
http://pistonheads.com/pics/news/19735/tn_Snake2-L...

for ze way into ze boot

Danke

[fastgerman.com]

Stunning!

I did some work for AC a while back when they collapsed from the owner spending too much money fixing his planes and not enough time on the business.

There were hard top designs floating around in 1998 in the Weybridge factory and I remember hearing a 427 engine being started up for an American customer (not legal in the UK at the time due to noise restrictions), the entire factory was rumbling, just fantastic!

Red and white stripe fan - http://www.fastgerman.com/MBWorld/DSC00364.JPG

[austin]

ldn-j said:

Dear German type people,

Please look at ze picture
http://pistonheads.com/pics/news/19735/tn_Snake2-L...

for ze way into ze boot

Danke

It looks like you have to lift the lid of the hard top and then lift the normal boot lid...

Form before function me thinks.

[boomerkk]

The colour is tre magnifique! Pardon my french