2025 Shelby Cobra Goes for Virtual Retro-Futuristic Style With a V8 Grunt, or Two

For example, across the automotive industry, one of the best examples – also of a properly vintage nature – comes from a little British company, a brawny American V8, and the genius of a revered race car driver and automotive designer. Diehard aficionados have already followed the trail of hints to the source, but for all others, we are talking about the legendary AC Shelby Cobra sports car.

Born during the early 1960s from the AC Cars Ace two-seater roadster model, the Shelby Cobra was the brainchild of AC Cars’ search for a fitting new engine to succeed the pre-war Bristol straight-six mill they had been using. It then combined with the genius of Carroll Shelby, who asked the company to try and modify a car for him with an American V8 engine.

The rest is history, of course, to the tune of the then-new, lightweight Ford Windsor 3.6-liter (221 ci) V8 engine almost fitting like a charm (only the steering had to be modified) inside the reworked body of the AC Ace CSX2000 that had been previously prototyped with an inline-six Ford Zephyr engine. Produced intermittently in the UK and the United States, the AC Shelby Cobra has become a true legend. And it lives on until today – both through official versions, as well as official replicas.

As far as AC Cars are concerned, tradition will continue with the upcoming 2023 AC Cobra GT roadster that acts like a ‘King Cobra’ packing a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 heart and a $343k (pricing) crown. Six decades after the Shelby Cobra story began, the British carmaker again combines fresh American V8 blood for a fitting 21st-century reinterpretation of the pop car culture icon. Reservations are already open, and the Cobra GT roadster will be fully unveiled in April, complete with its new 654 hp (663 PS) stable of ponies and 575 lb-ft (780 Nm) of tire-tormenting torque!

But there is one minor issue. That £285k price (which is around $342,650 at the current exchange rate) makes it completely out of reach for most fans. Alas, what if the official model and the aftermarket replica saga continued? And no worries if you feel that the latter might be left out of the retro-modern game, as we have a solution. Albeit it is one stemming from across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators – hopefully, someone will notice it and take swift custom action based on its design.

So, here is the virtual artist tucked behind the carmstyledesign moniker on social media, who has presented us with a widebody and retro-modern take on the classic Shelby Cobra. It is an alternative style compared to the official 2023 AC Cobra GT roadster but, nonetheless, carves its path toward the hearts and minds of diehard Shelby Cobra enthusiasts. And since it is free of any OEM constraints, the digital project looks thoroughly slammed and extra-widebody beyond belief, of course.

Other interesting tidbits include the mega-concave aftermarket wheels, and the sweeping lines that keep the classic design’s composure but also make way for a lot of modern details – such as the security arches tucked behind the two seats. We cannot really see inside the cockpit and only catch glimpses of the retro styling, but as far as the exterior is concerned there are no more secrets. As such, notice the hidden door handles that give it futuristic vibes, the LED design of the front and rear lamps, as well as the massive side exhausts that make way for a CGI V8 grunt, or two. Cool, right?

Well, hopefully, the artist also envisioned something feisty dwelling under the hood because the 654-hp AC Cobra GT has already set the bar quite high, and in real life. Thus, we suggest imagining this with something along the lines of a 760-hp supercharged Predator V8 engine snatched from the Shelby GT500 Mustang!