AC Produces EV Remake of Classic Ace Sports Car
Retro-modern EVs are becoming extremely popular these days. The versatility of modular electrified platforms allow them to be fitted into various vehicles from classics like the Mini to exotic sports cars like the Porsche 911 and DeLorean. This technology helps breathe new life into old cars, giving them a new lease on life.
Now, its the turn of another legend, the AC Ace. Built in the 1950s as a lightweight and nimble sports car, it later served as a base for the Shelby Cobra, which became a well-regarded performance vehicle of the 1960s.
Hoping to recreate a similar experience, AC Cars has partnered with TREMEC Electric GT. The result is a vehicle that looks like the original and features a 3-inch steel tubular frame chassis. Unlike resto-modded classic cars, this AC Ace is all-new, from the ground up, and rolls off the line as a newly registered car.
AC Cars followed traditional techniques to recreate the graceful lines of the original but incorporates it with a precision carbon-fibre body to recreate the original iconic sports car. The manufacturer employs the same techniques used for the the petrol-powered AC Cobra GT Roadster.
AC Ace Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 2,286 mm
Length: 3,848 mm
Width: 1,579 mm
Height: 1,245 mm
Kerb Weight: 1100 kg approx.
This results in an extremely strong, yet lightweight body that is mated with the TREMEC ELectric GT turnkey eGT413 Modular EV platform. The electric motor offers 225kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
The EV Ace has a 72kWh battery pack that gives it more than 320km of range on a single charge. As a whole, the new EV weighs just 1,134kg, and offers a 50/50 weight distribution. The car is compatible with DC Fast Charging, which should allow it to be charged in about 30 minutes, extending its overall usefulness.
The car gets disc brakes with 4-piston calipers and 15-inch wire wheels. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a direct drive transmission. As such, the car can accelerate from 0-96km/h in just 4.9 seconds, and reach a top speed of 209km/h.
AC Cars is producing two versions of the new EV Ace, which are the AC Ace and AC Ace Bristol Classic. The former gets an open grille design, while the latter gets the ‘smiling face’ layout that was on the original 1953 car. Both versions have rolling flanks and wheel arches instead of the flat-sided original design.
At launch, only 49 examples will be produced, and it can be had in either left or right-hand-drive. As standard the new AC Ace Classic is available in red, white or blue body colours with a black hand-finished interior and classically styled leather sports seats. However, the company offers a service that allows customers to configure the car to suit their individual tastes.
The standard car is priced at $275,000 (£212,000) before tax and any personalisation or bespoke options. All of them are intended for either US or UK buyers. Each example will bear an official chassis number, making it a true descendant of the original AC Ace.
