What a year it’s been for AC Cars. First, the reveal of the 456hp (or 740hp with a supercharger) Cobra GT Coupe, a hard-top version of last year’s carbon-bodied, aluminium-underpinned Roadster revival, while the company’s newly-formed Heritage Division has more recently unveiled the Ace Classic, a continuation of AC’s second most famous car. And it isn’t finished with the big announcements just yet, as an electric version of the Ace Classic has been confirmed for next week's SEMA show.
Unlike the standard AC Classic, which is due to feature a 2.3-litre Ford EcoBoost engine, the EV gets Tremec’s eGT413 electric powertrain, bundling a 300hp motor together with a 72kWh battery that’s said to be good for a range of over 200 miles on a single charge. That means power between the EV and combustion car are identical, so while a 0-62mph time has yet to be revealed, the electric model should outrun the petrol-powered car’s estimated 4.6-second 0-62mph time. Which, in a car with tiny doors and a wafer-thin windscreen, should feel plenty brisk enough.
It’s not like the switch to electric has jacked up the weight, either. AC quotes a ‘sub 1,136kg’ kerbweight for the plug-in version, which is only around 36kg heavier than the combustion car, partly thanks to every body panel being made from carbon fibre. Not that you’d be able to tell, mind, because the EV derivative is a dead ringer for the piston version. AC will offer the same two body styles as it does on the combustion version, inspired by the original 1953-1963 production run, meaning the electric car will be almost indistinguishable its petrol counterpart, bar the absence of gear lever, exhaust and the noise that comes with it.
While SEMA cars rarely make it to production, AC has already opened orders for the Ace electric. It’s only building a ‘limited number’ of them, each carrying a $225,000 (roughly £173,000) price tag before tax. That’d make it a good chunk more than Ford-engined model, which is £175k with tax included, but it’ll no doubt be a fair bit quicker and may prove a little kinder on running costs too. Of course, if the idea of a EV-powered Ace doesn’t float your boat, there’s always this Triumph TR6-engined Hawk replica for a lot, lot less.
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