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AC Cobra will be manufactured in Sweden

AC Cars and the Swedish company T-Engineering have reached an agreement on the production of one of the most revered sports cars of all time, the AC Cobra. The cars will be hand-built in Trollhättan, the factory where the Saab 92 and 900 Turbo models were once built.

The new AC Cobra GT Roadster will be launched in 2025. It is a lightweight carbon-fiber sports car powered by Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 654 hp and 575 lb-ft (with turbochargers) or 454 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Customers can also choose a version with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which delivers 390 hp.

Why Trollhättan? The city, located in southwest Sweden, has a rich history of automotive innovation, engineering excellence and a skilled workforce. After Saab shut down its production in 2023, marking the end of an era in Swedish automotive manufacturing, Joachim Ågren, Country Manager for Sweden at Surplex said: “It’s difficult not to get nostalgic and shed a tear. These presses have shaped Saabs that millions of Swedes have grown up with.”

Also, some engineers and technicians, who used to work for Saab, moved to T-Engineering, and in the immediate vicinity there is also the Saab Legacy test track, which was once used for perfecting new Saab models. Now AC Cobra wants to take advantage of that and start its new chapter.

Source: T-Engineering

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AC Cobra will be manufactured in Sweden
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AC Cobra with 4-cylinder engine

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The AC Cobra is one of the most iconic and celebrated sports cars in automotive history. From its humble beginnings as a collaboration between a British car manufacturer and an American racer, it evolved into one of the most revered sports cars of all time. It was offered in several versions with a V8 engine, and from 2026 the company announces a version with a four-cylinder engine.

The AC Cobra’s story begins in the mid-1950s when AC Cars, a British luxury vehicle manufacturer, was struggling financially. The company had produced the AC Ace roadster since 1953, but it was not successful enough to compete with the demand for more powerful cars. To remain relevant, AC Cars needed innovation. Enter Carroll Shelby, a successful Texan racer who had already won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1959. Shelby saw potential in the AC Ace and proposed fitting it with an American V8 engine. This idea led to the creation of the AC Cobra in 1962. Shelby chose the Ford 260-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) V8 engine, which was unconventional for British sports cars, as they typically used smaller engines. The combination of the lightweight AC Ace and the powerful V8 engine resulted in an incredible performance machine. The Cobra’s success was immediate, captivating both road enthusiasts and racers. In 1963, the Cobra was upgraded to the 289 model, featuring a larger 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) V8 engine, offering even more power and handling. The AC Cobra’s blend of lightweight design, powerful engine, and aggressive style turned it into an automotive legend.

In 2023, a new version was launched, the AC Cobra GT, with an aluminum frame, carbon body, weight less than 1,450 kg and a supercharged V8 engine. The new option is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and AC Cars did not say who will be the engine supplier. Also, final engine specifications have not been released yet, but it is expected to deliver up to 395 horsepower. Along with the new engine comes a new 6-speed manual transmission, as well as a dual-clutch gearbox. Some information suggests that the offer could also include the same engine but with less horsepower.

Source: AC Cars

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