Currently reading: AC Cars expands reborn Cobra electric line-up

Cheaper £148k version of EV joins range but has just 308bhp compared with 617bhp range-topper

AC Cars has revealed more details about the upcoming range-topping electric version of its reborn Cobra sports car.

The new AC Cobra Series 4 electric joins the similarly conceived Series 1 electric in ditching a large-capacity V8 for a zero-emissions powertrain but ramps up the power considerably.

The Series 4 is available in two guises. According to AC Cars, the most powerful variant packs 617bhp and a Polestar 1-rivalling 738lb ft of torque from its plug-in powertrain - enough to send it from a standstill to 60mph in 3.8sec.

Costing £168,000 plus any on-the-road charges, the 617bhp Series 4 draws its power from a 54kWh battery, which is large enough for over 160 miles of range. It tips the scales at 1240kg - just 90kg more than the original V8-powered AC Cobra 427.

A (relatively) more affordable version of the Series 4 is available from £148,000. This variant produces 308bhp, less than half that of the beefier Series 4, but has a greater estimated range, of around 190 miles. It is also considerably lighter, weighing in at just 1190kg.

Alan Lubinsky, who has led the revival of the brand, said: “Eliminating excess weight brings with it positive benefits for the car’s owner. Lower overall weight reduces energy consumption, allowing the batteries to deliver a longer range and the ability to drive the car to AC’s traditional high standards for speed and acceleration.”

In line with the performance boost compared with the Series 1, the new arrival packs a hefty premium of around £10,000 over its electric stablemate. Reservations are being taken now through the firm's website, with customer deliveries set to begin in summer 2021.

As with the other Cobra models in AC's line-up, the Series 4 is visually indistinguishable from the original car, launched in 1962.  

In addition to the two electric powertrain options, the Cobra can be specified with a 2.3-litre Ford Ecoboost engine or a 580bhp 6.2-litre V8 from Chevrolet. Each sits atop an original-style ladder chassis but brings modern components such as servo-assisted brakes, a limited-slip differential and multi-link suspension. 

READ MORE 

Reborn AC Cobra receives 580bhp V8 version​

Reborn AC Cobra enters production in EV and 2.3-litre forms

85mph on the M1: recreating Jack Sears' famous drive in an AC Cobra Coupé​

Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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Silvia Surfer 20 April 2021

Looks like it's on stilts compared to the original car!

289 4 December 2020

Disgrace to the name and history of the car!

Bob Cholmondeley 4 December 2020

I'm actively thinking our next car should be electric but, a Cobra without a V8? Eff me!