autoevolution
 

Up Close and Personal With the Cobera C300: The All-Electric Shelby Tribute of the Future

You might be a little bit bummed out about all the hoopla regarding battery EVs phasing out internal combustion engines over the next couple of decades. You may feel like people in the industry today don't appreciate how much the old-school V8 charm means to you. Well, one Hungarian team called Cobera wants to prove it at this year's New York Auto Show.
Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS 12 photos
Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution
2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS
But let's try and look at things from a bit less of an emotional perspective. Automotive engineers usually start out as starry-eyed car enthusiasts like the rest of us. They know how much the feel of a genuine American V8 makes for a profoundly breathtaking experience. With this in mind, the Cobera C-300 at least attempts to let you know that its makers take the feel of the good old days very seriously.

To the untrained eye, the Cobera C300 looks like a very typical Shelby AC Cobra clone with all the bells and whistles. We're talking about a hand-stitched leather interior with nearly all the tech a modern cruiser cant do without. But don't be fooled. This is not another fiberglass DIY botch job. It's the brainchild of a team of Hungarians that have a genuine love of old-school American muscle.

Not just any traditional petrolheads, but employees of a company whose claim to fame before the C300 Cobra Clone was the Corvus Racing 540 single-engined stunt plane in service with the Red Bull air races to this day.

An aircraft that is known mostly for being as light and maneuverable in the air as the OG 427 Cobra was out on the track. This unique airplane was the foundation for so much of the knowledge and techniques that went into making the C300 a reality.

2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS
Photo: Benny Kirk/Autoevolution
While visibly no different from a normal Cobra, the Cobera C300 is a few inches longer and a touch wider than the car of old. Precise measurements aren't yet available. In fairness, there's no need for copycats trying to make the same thing but cheaper and worse just yet.

But what this translates to in everyday terms is a car ostensibly much more refined than what most Cobra tributes turn out to be. With more room for the driver, a passenger, and a whole suite of creature comforts

The Cobera team was more than happy to show off a demonstration exhibit with the C300's carbon fiber shell just a few steps away from the completed car. In the same way that aluminum alloy was the lightest material possible in the days of the classic AC Cobra, the Cobera C300 uses carbon composites in its body shell because it's the lightest and strongest material available.

600 horsepower is what the battery EV drivetrain in the C300 can muster. Granted, by itself, that doesn't sound all that spectacular. We have seven-seater SUVs that can match those power figures these days. But where a Durango Hellcat absolutely could not match even with every upgrade imaginable is an eyewatering 4,144 lb-ft of torque.

2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS
Photo: Benny Kirk/Autoevolution
Because this ridiculous figure can't really be quantified in automotive terms, that's more torque than just about every single Second World War piston-powered fighter plane had horsepower. It makes the sub 2.5 seconds zero to 60 time (0-97 kph) advertised all the more believable.

Fitting, considering these lads got their start in the specialized aerospace field. When viewed in the flesh, it's almost impossible not to simply see a spitting image of the old AC Cobra from every conceivable angle. Previously mentioned chassis extensions simply melt away into smooth, sculpted curves and familiar muscle car regalia. The subtly beautiful tan leather interior only serves to accentuate what a brilliant feat of engineering Cobera managed to achieve.

As derivative as its foundation may appear, there's no getting around the palpable good intentions behind preserving the V8 muscle car flame. You may find the C300s simulated 60s V8 sound and accompanying rumble packs as a desperate attempt to cater to the folks who desperately want to re-live the 1960s.

But from a different perspective, there's genuinely no way you'd be the wiser if one of these pulled up and took you to gapplebees with these features active. Pricing information is expected to be forthcoming very soon.

2023 Cobera C300 2022 NYIAS
Photo: Benny Kirk/Autoevolution
But don't expect a replica sports car of this caliber to sell for anything less than six figures and likely much more. Sure, an equivalent Ford V8-powered Shelby Cobra clone may be theoretically cheaper, but for three-quarters of the price, you absolutely get three-quarters of the car.

Check back for more from our coverage of the 2022 New York International Auto show here on autoevolution.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories