AC Cars will unveil an all-electric version of its classic Ace roadster at America’s SEMA Show in November.
Britain’s oldest active carmaker has partnered with Tremec for the powertrain of the £175,000 sports car, which will be part-built in the UK before being shipped to the US for electrification.
The Ace’s curves, which first appeared from 1953-1963, have been recreated in carbon fibre to save weight, and buyers will be given the choice of two different looks. The Bristol Classic has the ‘smiling face’ grille of the 1953 car, while the Classic gets the later open grille design that the Ace wore before it was transformed into the mighty Cobra.
The interior retains its retro look with analogue gauges repurposed to display EV-related information, a lovely wood-rimmed steering wheel and the buyer’s pick of interior trim colours.
The electric Ace might not make as much noise as a Mk1 Cobra, but thanks to Tremec Electric GT’s turnkey eGT413 Modular EV system it will leave its ancestor standing. While the first Cobra’s 4.7-litre/ 289 cubic inch Ford V8 delivered 267bhp the Ace EV’s motor produces 296bhp. At around 1,134kg the Ace is heavier, but the instantaneous 369lbft of torque makes up for that, sending the car from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph.
AC has confirmed that the car’s 72 kWh battery pack will be good for a driving range of over 200 miles and will be compatible with DC fast charging, making the the Ace road rip-ready.
“To be working with such a historically significant marque as AC Cars, and to be delivering electrifying performance to such an iconic design, really demonstrates our approach to revolutionising automotive powertrains,” says Antonio Herrera, Managing Director of Tremec.
More traditional AC enthusiasts might also like to know that the Ace and Ace Bristol can be ordered with a 2.3-litre Ford EcoBoost motor offering almost identical performance, albeit with a bit more engagement courtesy of a manual transmission and rorty soundtrack.
