Tuesday 4th September 2001

AC Mamba

Can the new AC Coupe provide modern day comfort and Cobra like fun?

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[dyno]

You have the back looking good. The lines from the front older image do not blend well with the back of the car. Tires and wheels upgraded to 17" or 18". Flares may need to capture more of the wheel opening and front flare not so high on the fender. You are on the right track Keith

[ATG]

Will probably look quite a bit better with clear glass. I quite like the idea of retro styling with a bit of innovation under the bonnet. A performance car running on LPG is worth a go.

[flasher]

Come on chaps, it looks ****e and thats being kind to it. If I ever see one of these on the road I'm going to laugh at the owner. You will be telling me that the Fiat Multipla looks good next!!!! The rear profile has potential but the rest is pure kit-car. Edited by flasher on Tuesday 4th September 13:55

[apache]

have to agree there Lard, I think it's down to the 70's style wheels on it, more commonly found on mk3 cortina's

[flasher]

"have to agree there Lard" back to the personal insults eh Grandpa? read the horseplay trail, nice little story about your Griff on there Apache. The back of this AC Mutha could grow on me but the front must have been grown off the elephant man.

[PetrolTed]

I quite like it. A simple fat man's car. No one makes fat man cars any more. I could happily sling a crate of beer in the back of that, lower my bulk in and light up the fat tyres and go have some fun.

[apache]

yeah, saw that, excellent weekend dontcha think (apart from dick turpin the taxi driver) but I feel you came off worse than me with your wheel damage. I can get that sorted for you for £30 in Harlow but Team Pro will charge £75 and is nearer, let me know granpa

[flasher]

"your wheel damage" It's not too bad. I will get it polished out soon. Wheel damage wasn't nearly as funny as the horsepoo all over your Griff or your dodgy hairdo, Worzel!! "A simple fat man's car." More like a simple mans car!!! I do like the back but the wheels,front etc are horrible.

[zertec]

This is clearly a design study. Note the lack of real-world details that will appear to make the car drive: exhaust, door handles, mirrors etc. Think of the difficulties faced by the AC design team: a) All modern designs they have tried have failed (all the incarnations of the AC Ace, etc.). b) To continue the theme of the Cobra (a forty-odd year old design) without becoming a caracature. c) To make a car that will appeal to Cobra fans who need more practicality and be genuinely distinguishable from the Cobra. Consider the result. 1) A smooth flowing integrated shape. You can almost see the speed spray lifted by the wheels forming the shape of the rear wings. 2) Updated styling cues from the Cobra at the front. Sixties Halibrand-esque wheel design. 3) A practical coupe shape (probably with larger doors than the Cobra for access). 4) A designed-in option for LPG making the tank more space effective. Details I would alter before production if it was a Zertec project (these are constructive comments as I realise this is an unfinished design): i) Twin centre exiting tailpipes with unpainted carbon fibre diffusers either side. This would have a practical effect and, being unpainted, not detract from the longtail shape. ii) Change the fixed rear screen into a hatchback, which would allow the trailing edge of the screen to be moved further towards the rear of the car (giving better rearward visibilty) and allow the lower boot opening shutline to be raised (cleaning up the rear valance) without affecting access to the luggage space (actually, in a way it would improve access). iii) Use some interesting rear tail lights and integrate them into the shape rather than just stick them on. iv) Lengthen the front overhang slightly to allow "rounding" of the front quarters. v) Use Zertec door mirrors. I would be interested to see the interior ideas. Clive Reed Zertec Limited [e-mail] www.zertec.co.uk

[zertec]

Oh yes, and big flip-up alloy fuel filler cap(s).... Clive Reed Zertec Limited [e-mail] www.zertec.co.uk

[rob.ellis]

quote:Come on chaps, it looks ****e and thats being kind to it. If I ever see one of these on the road I'm going to laugh at the owner. You will be telling me that the Fiat Multipla looks good next!!!! The rear profile has potential but the rest is pure kit-car. Edited by flasher on Tuesday 4th September 13:55

Totally agree with you flasher.. AC sells its cars based on nostalgia. They've totally failed to sell any 'modern' cars - Ace etc. Why not reproduce the Daytona Cobra coupes?? This was a fantastic looking car..

[rob.ellis]

this is what a cobra coupe should look like: http://www.well.com/user/vimages/shelby/daytcoup.html http://www.hdrcoupe.com/ http://www.cobracountry.com/CCMkt-fotos/poster-D05b.jpg http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/CobraCoupe.html http://www.thecarsource.com/shelby/cobra/daytona/daytona_coupe.html http://members.aol.com/COUPECHUCK/

[Cotty]

I quite like it athough I do like hard top sports cars like the Noble M12 and Dare/Ginetta G4 & Caterham 21 GTO It needs some tweeks. I dont like the front lights and would like to see it with windscreen wipers etc ie more complete. Paul

[georget]

UUUGGGHHH! But still nice, in a strange way. George

[thom]

Well, why the hell doesn't AC takes into production its achingly gorgeous A98 Cobra Coupe which ran at Le Mans in the mid sixties (crashed but was rebuilt)???? This one was even (and by far) much more beautiful than the Daytona Coupe!!
This "Mamba" just looks like a Cobra Mk2 fitted with the "high speed" hard-top as it was at Le Mans...

Edited by thom on Tuesday 13th November 20:44

[arrymak]

i would love to hear every islander
from sun up 2 sun down------
celebrating the birth/arrival
of this juicy sexy model----
prepare feasts on beaches

purring along the sands...ac mamba



arrymak

[Captain Chaos]

quote:
I quite like it. A simple fat man's car. No one makes fat man cars any more. I could happily sling a crate of beer in the back of that, lower my bulk in and light up the fat tyres and go have some fun.

I couldn't have put it better. Where are the Jensen Interceptors, Iso Grifos, XJ6 Coupes - all fat cats cars? Aside from the XK8 which has little sporting pretension anyway, they don't exist these days.

I like it, the rear end treatment especially. It's bound to look far better in the metal than most of you may imagine.

But it's nowhere near being completed yet. Can I have one with a real V8 though - a yank V8 with collossal torque not some high revving unit. Needs a 427 cubic inch side oiler I reckon.

Das Kapitan