All posts by Francis Mitterrand

NEW CARS

AC Cobra Coupé Returns with 799 HP and Big Plans for Global Expansion

For most manufacturers, a new model is simply another addition to the lineup. For AC Cars, the new Cobra Coupé is something far more significant: a declaration that Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer intends to evolve from a boutique builder of hand-crafted sports cars into a genuine global performance brand.

And if you’re going to announce such ambitions, doing it with a carbon-bodied, V8-powered coupe producing up to 799 horsepower seems like a suitably dramatic way to begin.

Set to enter production next year with customer deliveries slated for 2028, the £399,000 AC Cobra Coupé combines familiar Cobra DNA with modern engineering and international ambitions. While the silhouette may evoke memories of AC’s legendary racing past, the mission behind this car is firmly focused on the future.

The Cobra Grows a Roof—and Nearly 800 Horsepower

At first glance, the Cobra Coupé appears to be the long-awaited fixed-roof counterpart to the 2024 Cobra Roadster. That’s because, mechanically, it largely is.

Around 75 percent of the components are shared with the open-top model, including the Ford-sourced 5.0-liter V8. Buyers can choose between a naturally aspirated 450-horsepower version or a supercharged setup producing 720 horsepower. At the top of the range sits the Clubsport Edition, a limited-run flagship delivering a staggering 799 horsepower and restricted to just 99 examples.

Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through either a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox or a 10-speed automatic transmission. Naturally aspirated models receive a limited-slip differential, while the more potent variants upgrade to a Torsen unit to better manage the considerable torque on offer.

The chassis is all aluminum, the suspension features double wishbones at every corner, and the body is constructed entirely from carbon fiber. In an era increasingly dominated by electrification and software-defined driving experiences, the AC remains refreshingly mechanical in its approach.

A Modern Interpretation of a Racing Legend

Although the car shares much of its structure with the Roadster, AC insists that virtually everything behind the front fenders is unique to the Coupé. Inspiration comes from the rarely seen AC Cobra A98 fixed-head racer that competed at Le Mans in 1964.

The result is a design that feels unmistakably Cobra yet noticeably more mature and purposeful. The roofline stretches elegantly toward the rear while preserving the muscular proportions that have defined the Cobra for decades.

Inside, AC has resisted the temptation to overwhelm occupants with digital displays. The cabin combines traditional analog instrumentation with a compact touchscreen and a simple three-spoke steering wheel. It’s a layout that prioritizes driving over distractions.

Bigger for a Reason

One of the most striking aspects of the new Coupé is its size.

At nearly 78 inches (1.98 meters) wide, the car is substantially broader than previous AC models. While that might disappoint purists hoping for a more compact interpretation, the decision was driven by global homologation requirements rather than styling preferences.

According to AC’s engineering team, narrowing the car would have significantly restricted its ability to meet road-legal regulations in key international markets, effectively turning it into a track-only machine in many regions.

There was another possible solution: downsizing the engine.

AC never seriously considered it.

As engineering chief Jon Peeke-Vout bluntly put it, replacing the V8 with a smaller powerplant simply “isn’t us.”

Given the company’s heritage, it’s difficult to argue with that logic.

Lightweight by Modern Standards

The prototype currently being shown remains a work in progress, but AC is targeting a curb weight below 3,530 pounds (1,600 kilograms) even in the heaviest supercharged configuration.

That figure may not sound especially light compared with classic sports cars, but within the context of modern high-performance machinery—and considering the car’s dimensions, structural requirements, and nearly 800-horsepower output—it’s a respectable target.

The extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum should help ensure the Coupé remains focused on performance rather than simply chasing power figures.

The Car That Could Change AC Forever

The most fascinating aspect of the Cobra Coupé isn’t found under its hood.

It’s what the car represents for AC Cars as a company.

Chairman Alan Lubinsky describes the Coupé as AC’s first true “volume” model—a remarkable statement considering the firm’s 125-year history. Today, AC builds roughly 100 vehicles annually. The goal is to increase that figure tenfold, surpassing 1,000 cars per year.

The fixed-roof body style plays a crucial role in that strategy. While convertibles remain popular among enthusiasts, coupes traditionally enjoy stronger demand in major markets such as the United States and the Middle East. The U.S. alone accounts for roughly half of AC’s sales, where the new model will be marketed as the GT Coupé due to licensing considerations.

To support the expansion, AC plans to establish a new UK manufacturing facility. While details remain limited, the plant is expected to handle the majority of production operations, with nearly everything except the chassis being manufactured on-site.

Both the Roadster and the Coupé will eventually be assembled there, although the latter is expected to account for the bulk of production volume.

Beyond the Cobra

The Coupé is only the beginning.

AC executives have already confirmed that additional models inspired by the company’s extensive back catalog are under development. Thanks to the flexibility of the new platform, several historic AC nameplates could return in modern form.

The company’s Classic range—including the Cobra Mk4 and the upcoming Ace—will continue alongside these future products. These vehicles remain built to original specifications while incorporating modern construction techniques, such as aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber bodywork.

An Aceca revival has also been hinted at, while electrification remains part of the long-term strategy. Currently, only the electric Ace is available, but AC says future EV offerings will benefit from significantly updated technology.

The message is clear: AC sees electrification as an option rather than a replacement.

The AC Cobra Coupé arrives at a time when many performance-car manufacturers are abandoning large-displacement engines, embracing electrification, or pursuing ever-more digital driving experiences.

AC is choosing a different path.

With a supercharged V8 producing up to 799 horsepower, a carbon-fiber body, a manual transmission option, and styling rooted in one of motorsport’s most iconic shapes, the Cobra Coupé delivers exactly what enthusiasts expect from the badge.

Yet its true significance extends beyond horsepower figures and lap times.

For AC Cars, the Cobra Coupé isn’t merely a new sports car. It’s the foundation of an ambitious plan to transform a historic niche manufacturer into a modern global performance brand—without forgetting the thunderous V8 soundtrack that made it famous in the first place.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

Acura’s Hybrid Future Takes Shape with New SUV Prototype

Honda isn’t backing away from hybrids—in fact, it’s doubling down. And Acura is about to reap the benefits.

At a global business briefing in Japan, Honda pulled the wraps off a next-generation Acura Hybrid SUV Prototype, offering the clearest look yet at the premium brand’s electrified future. The concept previews one of 15 new Acura and Honda hybrid models scheduled to arrive globally by 2030, with North America set to be the primary battleground.

The reveal comes at a pivotal moment. While many automakers have spent the last few years racing toward fully electric lineups, Honda is placing a sizable bet on advanced hybrids as a bridge between today’s market realities and tomorrow’s EV ambitions.

According to Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe, the company is accelerating its hybrid rollout by shifting additional development and production resources toward electrified models. The strategy reflects Honda’s belief that hybrids will remain a crucial tool in reducing emissions while offering customers a practical alternative to full battery-electric vehicles.

For Acura buyers, the most significant news is what’s happening beneath the sheetmetal. The luxury division will begin launching its first models built around Honda’s all-new hybrid architecture within the next two years. At the heart of the program is a heavily evolved version of Honda’s acclaimed two-motor hybrid system, one that promises meaningful improvements in both efficiency and performance.

Honda says the next-generation setup expands the operating range where the gasoline engine works at peak efficiency while improving the overall effectiveness of the hybrid drive unit. The company is targeting more than a 10-percent improvement in fuel economy across its upcoming hybrid lineup, all while reducing system costs by 30 percent.

That may sound like corporate accounting, but the engineering upgrades could translate into something enthusiasts actually care about: better driving dynamics. Honda says a newly developed electric all-wheel-drive system will deliver more precise and responsive motor control, potentially giving future Acura models sharper handling and improved traction without sacrificing efficiency.

The prototype itself remains heavily disguised in mystery, but its proportions suggest a midsize crossover aimed squarely at the heart of Acura’s lineup. More importantly, it hints at a future where Acura’s performance credentials won’t be sacrificed at the altar of electrification.

Honda also used the presentation to provide an update on its next-generation advanced driver-assistance technology. Expected to debut in 2028, the system is designed to assist with acceleration, steering, and other driving functions throughout an entire journey, from highway cruising to navigating city streets. Using navigation inputs, the technology will be capable of supporting drivers across a complete route rather than in isolated scenarios.

The company’s goal is to pair this more sophisticated ADAS technology with its next wave of hybrid vehicles, creating a combination that delivers both driver engagement and reduced workload behind the wheel.

For now, the Acura Hybrid SUV Prototype serves as a reminder that Honda sees hybrids not as a temporary stopgap, but as a core part of its future product strategy. And if the company can successfully combine greater efficiency, improved performance, and smarter technology, Acura’s next generation of hybrids could be more than just environmentally conscious—they could actually be desirable.

In today’s automotive landscape, that might be the harder achievement.

Source: Acura

NEW CARS

This One-Off Bugatti W16 Mistral Was Inspired by Moonlight and Literature

Some hypercars chase lap times. Others chase top-speed records. This one chases poetry.

The latest creation from Bugatti isn’t just another seven-figure collector special wrapped in exotic paint and stitched leather. The one-off W16 Mistral “Le Retour du Jeune Prince” is something far stranger—and far more fascinating. It’s a literary tribute rendered in carbon fiber, bronze metallic, moonlight, and 1578 horsepower.

Yes, really.

Built through Bugatti’s increasingly ambitious Sur Mesure personalization division, the open-top W16 Mistral was commissioned by a collector whose vision extended well beyond conventional automotive inspiration. Rather than referencing motorsport history, aviation, or modern art, this client turned to literature—specifically Le Retour du Jeune Prince, his own continuation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s immortal The Little Prince.

And somehow, Bugatti made it work.

The result is perhaps the most emotionally driven interpretation yet of the W16 Mistral, the final roadgoing Bugatti powered by the brand’s legendary quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine. But unlike the aggressive visual theater of the Chiron Super Sport or the extroverted insanity of the Bolide, this Mistral trades brute-force spectacle for atmosphere. It’s less “look at me” and more “understand me.”

That’s a difficult balance to strike in a machine capable of nearly 280 mph.

The project reportedly began in late 2023 at Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, where Sur Mesure manager Jascha Straub worked directly with the customer to develop the car’s narrative identity. From the beginning, the moon became the emotional anchor of the commission—a symbol that appears repeatedly throughout the client’s literary work. That celestial theme would eventually influence nearly every surface of the car.

And Bugatti’s designers leaned in completely.

The custom exterior finish blends copper and bronze metallic tones designed to evoke lunar light reflecting against earth-toned landscapes. On most cars, that description would sound like marketing-department word soup. Here, it actually translates visually. The W16 Mistral’s dramatic surfacing gives the paint a liquid quality under changing light, shifting from warm champagne hues to darker metallic browns depending on angle and shadow.

It’s theatrical without becoming gaudy—a surprisingly restrained accomplishment considering the canvas involved.

Even the signature horseshoe grille received bespoke treatment. Its internal pattern was redesigned to emphasize the upward flow of the hood, subtly guiding the eye across the front fascia rather than simply feeding air into the radiator. Gold accents outline the iconic Bugatti Macaron, while copper-finished brake calipers and matching EB wheel-center emblems tie the entire palette together.

Then things get wonderfully weird.

Across the rear haunches and rear wing, Bugatti’s artisans hand-applied silver star motifs into the paintwork through an intricate layering process that likely required the patience of a Renaissance painter. Hidden beneath the active air brake is perhaps the car’s most personal detail: an illustration inspired by the famous meeting between the prince and the fox from Saint-Exupéry’s original tale.

It’s the kind of Easter egg that makes modern ultra-luxury cars feel less like transportation and more like rolling private galleries.

Inside, the storytelling becomes even more intimate.

The cabin is finished in two contrasting leather tones called Terre d’Or and Driftwood, pairing warm golden surfaces with darker brown accents. Embroidered moons decorate the door panels, while constellations stitched into the upholstery extend the celestial theme throughout the interior. Brown carbon-fiber trim receives star-inspired detailing, and the headrests continue the cosmic motif with intricate hand stitching.

But the centerpiece is the gear selector.

Encased within it is a sculpted silver rose created from a 3D scan of a real flower—a direct reference to the delicate rose from The Little Prince. In another car, it might feel unbearably sentimental. In this one, it somehow lands with genuine emotional weight. Perhaps because Bugatti commits to the idea so thoroughly. Nothing feels superficial or arbitrarily decorative. Every element belongs to the same narrative universe.

And that’s what separates this Mistral from typical ultra-custom hypercars.

Most one-off commissions are exercises in exclusivity—special colors, rare materials, louder specifications. This Bugatti feels more like narrative design. It uses craftsmanship not merely to impress but to communicate something deeply personal. The exterior and interior don’t simply match aesthetically; they function as sequential chapters in the same story.

Underneath it all, of course, remains one of the most outrageous mechanical packages ever fitted to a road car. The W16 Mistral still packs Bugatti’s monumental quad-turbo W16, channeling absurd power through all four wheels while delivering the kind of acceleration that rearranges internal organs. Yet the mechanical violence almost feels secondary here.

That’s not a criticism.

If anything, “Le Retour du Jeune Prince” represents the logical evolution of the hypercar world itself. When performance reaches levels beyond human comprehension, emotional resonance becomes the new frontier. Speed alone no longer distinguishes a multi-million-dollar automobile. Storytelling does.

And in that regard, this one-off Bugatti succeeds spectacularly.

It isn’t merely a car inspired by literature. It’s literature translated into metal, leather, light, and speed.

Source: Bugatti